The Natchez Trace Parkway is a relic from the past that follows the footsteps of the Natchez, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations. The 444-mile scenic drive links Tennessee’s Appalachian foothills, a small section of Alabama’s countryside, and the lower Mississippi River. The parkway, which is designated as a Scenic Byway and All-American Road, is popular for roadtripping, hiking, horseback riding, birding, camping, and biking. It’s known as one of the best biking roads in the U.S.Although you can drive the parkway year-round, the best time to visit is during spring and fall. In the spring, you’ll drive through corridors of blooming wildflowers and trees. In the fall, the hickory, oak, and maple trees lend themselves to beautiful foliage. Here are seven RV campgrounds along the Natchez Trace Parkway.Meriwether Lewis Campground in Hohenwald, Tennessee. | Photo: Joe Hendricks Meriwether Lewis Campground, Hohenwald, Tennessee Number of Sites: 32Pad Type: AsphaltReservations: First come, first servedTent Camping: Yes Meriwether Lewis Campground is managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and located near Nashville, Tennessee. It’s a free dry camping location close to the Northern entrance of the parkway. It offers drinkable water, flush toilets, cell phone service, and big rig access. There are large, shady sites as well as access to recreational trails. You’ll find wineries, historic sites, and the city of Nashville nearby. Bush Creek Park in Waterloo, Alabama. | Photo: Wandering Pulse Bush Creek Campground, Waterloo, Alabama Number of Sites: 10Pad Type: GravelReservations: First come, first servedTent Camping: Yes Although Alabama is only a short stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway, Bush Creek Park in Waterloo is worth the stay. “Beautiful area right on the Tennessee River,” says a Campendium reviewer. “Quite far from any civilization or grocery store, but well worth the stay. Would be a nice spot to stop if you were traveling the Natchez Trace.”It’s a 50-acre park with free sites for primitive camping along the Tennessee River, with a maximum stay limit of 30 days. There are full-service restrooms and a dump station. The park also includes a boat launch, picnic pavilions, and a disc golf course.  Piney Grove Campground, New Site, Mississippi Number of Sites: 141Pad Type: MixedReservations: YesTent Camping: Yes Piney Grove Campground sits on Bay Springs Lake in Northeastern Mississippi. This water recreation area is part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, one of the world’s most extensive man-made waterway systems. It’s also an Army Corps of Engineers campground.  Related 11 Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds to Add to Your Bucket List For a fee, you can have access to 20-, 30-, and 50-amp hookups, water, a dump station, full-service restrooms, and laundry. Piney Grove Campground is also big rig friendly. Recreationally, the grounds offer boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, beaches, and a playground.Davis Lake Campground in New Houlka, Mississippi. | Photo: RV-Therapy Davis Lake Campground, New Houlka, Mississippi Number of Sites: 26Pad Type: AsphaltReservations: YesTent Camping: Yes Davis Lake Campground is a U.S. Forest Service-managed campground located within 4 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It’s a quiet area situated on 20 acres of lake with waterfront sites perfectly situated for sunrise and sunset.The facilities include water and electric hookups, a group site, full-service restrooms, and a dump station. The recreation area also offers boating, bass fishing, swimming, hiking, and birding. Blue Herons are a staple of this area.Nearby you’ll find convenience stores, historical sites, and the Tanglefoot Trail. Jeff Busby Campground in Ackerman, Mississippi. | Photo: WatsonsWander Jeff Busby Campground, Ackerman, Mississippi Number of Sites: 18Pad Type: AsphaltReservations: First come, first servedTent Camping: Yes Tucked away in the woods below Little Mountain is Jeff Busby Campground, a popular destination along the parkway. “We drove the Trace from south to north and this campground was a perfect day’s drive from Natchez, Mississippi—allowing for some short stops along the way at some of the points of interest,” says a 5-star Campendium review. This NPS campground offers free primitive camping. It also has flush toilets, access to water, and a variety of RV sites, including big rig friendly, pull-through, and back-in sites. Beyond the grounds are hiking trails, Little Mountain, and scenic overlooks.  Rocky Springs Campground, Hermanville, Mississippi Number of Sites: 22Pad Type: AsphaltReservations: First come, first servedTent Camping: Yes Another staple along the Natchez Trace Parkway is Rocky Springs Campground. Located at Mile 54 of the Mississippi section, this is an ideal stop as you begin or end your journey. Similar to Jeff Busby Campground, this is a free NPS-managed campground that only offers primitive camping. It also has flushable toilets and picnic tables. The draw of Rocky Springs Campground is its surrounding landscape and history. When you wander through Hermanville, Mississippi, you’ll have an appreciation for the past. The aged town is protected by the natural landscape and offers direct access to Old Natchez Trace Trail, Owens Creek Waterfall, and Rocky Springs Trail. Wendy Oaks RV Resort in Florence, Mississippi. | Photo: WendyOaksRVResort Wendy Oaks RV Resort, Florence, Mississippi Number of Sites: 36Pad Type: MixedReservations: YesTent Camping: No Located off of Highway 49, family-owned Wendy Oaks RV Resort is the ideal place to lay over before starting the Natchez Trace Parkway or heading home from the 444-mile journey. “Just a wonderful little campground, with everything you need,” says a Campendium reviewer. “Full hookups, pull-through site, and really good WiFi in the campground.”The RV resort also has full-service restrooms, WiFi, laundry, and a dump station, and it offers big rig and pull-through access. Wendy Oaks RV Resort also features a lake and nearby recreational trails.  The Natchez Trace Parkway winds through beautifully unassuming areas of the U.S. where history and idyllic landscapes merge. Drive slowly, immerse yourself in the experience, and consider these tips before you embark on a trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway: Plan to stay in campgrounds during your road trip because dispersed camping isn’t allowed along the parkway. Prepare a backup plan for accommodation as many campgrounds are first-come, first-served. Download maps beforehand because cell phone coverage can be weak in areas. Be alert for bicyclists. This is a heavily-trafficked bike route.Pay attention to wildlife along the road.

As more national and state park campgrounds transition to reservation-based systems, it may seem like first-come, first-served camping is a thing of the past. But there are still plenty of campgrounds that offer walk-up sites, and finding them isn’t as hard as it seems. Each national park’s website provides detailed information about the park’s campgrounds, including reservation requirements, amenities offered, RVs allowed, and operating season. America’s State Parks makes it convenient to find individual state park websites along with reservation requirements. First-Come, First-Served Camping for RVs Most national and state park campgrounds welcome RVs, but there are typically more sites available for tents. While big rigs have fewer options, it’s not impossible to find sites for them—but be prepared to dry camp. Tent campers have it easier, not only because they have more options to choose from, but because campgrounds usually allow six people, two to three tents, and two vehicles at each site.  First-Come, First-Served Camping at National Parks As national parks receive more visitors every year, many campgrounds now require reservations. Iconic parks like Zion, Yosemite, and Acadia no longer offer walk-up sites and reservations are required during the entire camping season.But there are still several national parks that offer first-come, first-served sites.Cades Cove Campground, Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee. | Photo: JennGrover Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cades Cove and Smokemont campgrounds are open year-round and only require reservations May through October. Available walk-up sites are listed on the “Late Arrival List” posted at the campgrounds. Plus, RVs are allowed. Yellowstone National Park Mammoth Campground only requires reservations between April and October and is open year-round with RVs welcome. Grand Canyon National Park Mather Campground sets aside 10 sites as first come, first served March through November. But reservations aren’t needed the rest of the year, and RVs are welcome. Trailer Village RV Park features both reservable and first-come, first-served campsites year-round. Glacier National Park Apgar Campground requires reservations May through October, but is first come, first served the rest of the year. All other campgrounds are first come, first served only. RVs and trailers are only recommended at Rising Sun, Two Medicine, and Avalanche. Shenandoah National Park Matthew Arms, Loft Mountain, and Lewis Mountain campgrounds are first come, first served, open March through October, and welcome RVs. Big Meadows Campground has walk-up sites in early spring. Starting in May, sites become reservable and first come, first served.Hoh Campground, Olympic National Park, Washington. | Photo: EatSeeRV Olympic National Park Hoh, Kalaloch, Mora, and Fairholme campgrounds accept reservations only from May through September and the first three are open year-round. The remainder of the park’s campgrounds are first come, first served only. Several are open year-round and a handful of them are tent-only. First-Come, First-Served Camping at State Parks State parks have also embraced the campground reservation system, but first-come, first-served sites are still available. Lots of state parks that require reservations offer their “no-show” sites to walk-up campers.Here are some states that offer walk-up sites: Nevada All Nevada state park campgrounds are first come, first served year-round. Alaska Most Alaska state park campgrounds only feature first-come, first-served sites. See the full list here. Oregon Oregon State Parks lists all its first-come, first-served campgrounds. Unreserved sites are available without a reservation for 1 night only; campers need to make reservations online if they want to stay longer. Iowa Although 75 percent of Iowa state park’s campsites can be reserved up to 3 months in advance, 25 percent of the remaining sites are available as first come, first served. New Mexico New Mexico state park campgrounds are a combination of reservation and first come, first served. Wyoming The 2022 reservation season for Wyoming state park campgrounds is May 1 through September 30. All campsites are first come, first served outside of that window.Atlatl Rock Campground, Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. | Photo: RudiOnTheRoad First-Come, First-Served Camping Tips Here are some tips on how to score a walk-up site. Show Up Early Arrive early in the day to scout, because campers may leave before check-out time. You’ll likely have better luck on weekdays than during the weekend. Visit or Call Campgrounds Some campgrounds have a formal process of reassigning no-show or canceled sites while others require you to check these out on your own. No-show and canceled sites at campgrounds that use Reserve America don’t automatically get put back in the queue, so a visit or call is needed. Check Social Media Some national and state park campgrounds will announce their capacity status on their social media pages. Bring Cash A majority of first-come, first-served campgrounds use self-registration and only accept cash. Camp During Off-Season It’s very common for campgrounds to require reservations only during peak season and offer first-come, first-served sites the rest of the year. Download the Reserve America App If you’re at a campground that uses Reserve America for reservations and come across an unreserved site, you still have to go to the website to book the site. Have a Backup Plan This is a must. Most national parks are surrounded by national forests, which have established campgrounds and boondocking options to choose from. Lesser-known parks and campgrounds with fewer amenities are also good backup choices. With more than 6,700 state parks and 63 national parks in the U.S., there’s no shortage of camping options—sometimes you just need good timing and a little bit of luck.