With gas prices being CRAZY high right now and wanting to be as cost efficient as possible I made my way across to the East Coast as frugally as I could. With being in quite a large rig it is hard to do any stealth camping, so I took advantage of using some apps like, Campendium and RV LIFE, to point me in the direction of free places to stay. I also worked my full time job while on the road so I had to keep in mind that my travel window per day was quite small and I needed to end up in places that had decent cell signal so I could do my job the next day.
Here is a breakdown of all the places I stayed while driving across Canada to the East coast. I started from Victoria (my home town on Vancouver Island) and my end goal is to get to my cousins wedding in St. John's, Newfoundland.
British Columbia
Since this is my home province I made my way pretty quickly out of BC as I had already been through a lot of it and I can always explore my own backyard whenever I like :)
1. Kamloops, BC - Flying J truck stop
I stayed at the Flying J truck rest stop for the night, this was FREE and offered a decent place to park for the night. This lot had some dedicated RV spots so I knew that I wouldn't anger the truckers by stealing their parking and it was a fully lit lot with other rv'ers resting for the night.
| Plus | felt safe and had conveniences around like; gas station, little store, restaurant, right off the highway, good cell signal, FREE |
| Minus | quite loud as the train track was right beside it, you need to be fully self contained (no services) |
| Address | 175 Kokanee Way Kamloops, BC, Canada V2C 6Z2 |
| Cost | FREE |
| Date Stayed | June 28, 2022 |
2. Revelstoke, BC - Revelstoke Mountain Resort
This was a great FREE spot to stay as it was right outside of the main town of Revelstoke and the main resort offered free 1 night parking to fully self-contained RV's. The resort advertised on their homepage that they welcome RV'ers to stay in their parking lot and all you need to do is check in with the front desk.
Not gonna lie, I arrived later in the night so I just parked for the night without checking in and no one bugged me about it!
This spot was right on the mountain and was super nice! You also had other RV'ers around so you felt safe and it was super quiet. If you like outdoor activities and want to check out Revelstoke then this would be a great place to stop.
| Plus |
Safe, good cell signal, lots of other RV'ers around, FREE, quiet |
| Minus | Large gravel lot so you need to drive carefully, you need to be fully self contained |
| Address | 2950 Camozzi Rd, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S1 |
| Cost | FREE |
| Date Stayed | June 29, 2022 |
3. Golden, BC - The Ranch RV Park & Campground
This was a great campground right in the valley of Golden! You are right in nature and surrounded by the mountains. I will warn it was very buggy here and recommend bringing the bug spray. The spots were quite tight and you are surrounded by trees so the bugs were everywhere. It was a semi serviced site with 30Amp power and water hook up. There was a wash house with laundry and a sani dump station. I chose to stop here cause I was having generator issues so I wanted a night to regroup and investigate as well as get a shower and be able to dump my water tank right away. The spot was kinda expensive for what it was, but $35-$50 is kinda the norm around there so overall quite average. This was a really busy/popular spot with lots of families camping.
I arrived later in the evening after their office had closed and there were no issues with being able to go to my spot and check in the next day.
| Plus | Serviced site (water and 30amp power), had a sani dump station, good cell signal, close to town, in the valley (very beautiful, family spot |
| Minus | Very small sites, had to pay $5/night for a pet, very buggy, forest site |
| Address | 872 McBeath Rd, Golden, BC V0A 1H2 |
| Cost | $47.25 |
| Date Stayed | June 30, 2022 |
Alberta
1. Hinton, AB - Parks West Mall (Parking Lot)
This was a great spot that I stumbled on! I was originally going to stop at the rest stop right outside of Hinton, but I missed by turn off, so ended up continuing on closer to town. I was driving and noticed all these RVers parked so decided to join them. The mall had dedicated signage letting RVers know that they could park for the night and since there were a lot of others parked it felt safe to be there. It was in the Parks West mall parking lot, right in front of the Walmart and restaurants, so there was lots around to regroup and stock up on supplies if needed. There was also a Canadian tire and hotel right beside it so it was really convenient.
| Plus | Has dedicated signs letting RVers know that they can stay 1 night, lots of light and felt safe, lots of other RVers around, quite, lots of amenities around (grocery store, restaraunts, Candian tire), good cell signal |
| Minus | You need to be fully self contained, pretty busy, right off highway |
| Address | 900 Carmichael Ln, Hinton, AB T7V 1Y6 |
| Cost | FREE |
| Date Stayed | July 1, 2022 |
2. Niksu, AB - Blackjack's Road House (Truck Stop)
This was a stop just outside of Edmonton. I had explored the mall for the afternoon and didn't want to have to drive too far for the night. I found this spot on the Campendium app and it said it was free, but ended up costing $20 CAD to park for the night. The spot was good and it came with a power hookup, so overall the cost was quite cheap to stay for the night. It was a large gravel lot and it is for truckers, so you need to make sure that you are not parking in their spots. The lot also had 24/7 security and other RVers who were more established in their spots, so it was pretty safe and you knew people were around. Also, keep in mind this spot was right off the highway so it was a little loud. This spot also has the bar and restaurant and the food was pretty good, so could also be a good rest stop if you need to chill for a few hours!
* NOTE: Be sure to check in with the staff at the restaurant/bar so that they know you are staying the night
| Plus | Dedicated RV spots, comes with a power hookup (as long as they still have slots available), has a restaurant, security 24/7 so very safe, very close to West Edmonton Mall, good cell signal |
| Minus | Very loud, right off highway, lots of truckers so need to make sure that you don;t go in their spots, very muddy |
| Address | 2110 Sparrow Dr, Nisku, AB T9E 8A2 |
| Cost | $20 |
| Date Stayed | July 2, 2022 |
Saskatchewan
1. Saskatoon, SK - Dakota Dunes Casino
This casino is just outside of the main town of Saskatoon about 20 min away. It was a great spot to stay for a night or 2 and they welcome RVers. It was a super quiet spot with dedicated RV spots and power hook ups. It was well lit and others were staying the night as well (looked like a lot of retirees spending a few days playing the slots!). It was a really good free spot that was safe and secure and allowed me to spend the next day working while having a steady supply of power. The staff were super friendly and welcoming and you could tell it was a good community.
* NOTE: You need to register with the desk when you arrive and give them your details
| Plus | Has dedicated RV spots with power hook up, great cell signal, you can stay multiple nights, lots of other RVers around, safe, well lighted and has security, quite |
| Minus | Far away from the town of Saskatoon, the only amenities is the casino |
| Address |
204 Dakota Dunes Wy, Whitecap, SK S7K 2L2
|
| Cost | Free |
| Date Stayed | July 3, 2022 |
2. Yorkton, SK - Painted Hands Casino
This town just happened to be my next stop as it was about a 3 hour drive depending on your stops from Saskatoon. With my previous luck at the other casino I thought I would see if this casino would be a good stop as well, and it turned out that they also had dedicated RV spots with power! They also allowed for multiple night stays and all you had to do was register with the staff inside. It was off a busier road and close to the train line, so it was a little noisy. It had good cell service to connect with my hotspot and work for the day and the parking lot was quite empty so lots of space.
*NOTE: Be sure to check in with the staff and share all your details so that security knows you are staying
| Plus | They had dedicated RV spots with a power source, secure lot, good cell service, |
| Minus | Right by the train, |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 510 Broadway St W, Yorkton, SK S3N 0P3 |
| Date Stayed | July 4, 2022 |
3. Yorkton, SK - Walmart Super Center (Parking Lot)
* NOTE: I didn't actually stay here for the night, but as I was grabbing supplies I noticed that there were a few RVers parked and they were staying the night, so this would also be a good place to park if needed
| Plus | Well lit lot with other RVers around, It has a grocery store and other amenties right near by |
| Minus | Right by the train so quite loud and just off the highway, no services so need to be fully self-contained |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 240 Hamilton Rd, Yorkton, SK S3N 4C6 |
| Date Stayed | July 4, 2022 (didn't stay but saw that you could) |
Manitoba
1. Hamiota, MB - Municipal Campground
Hamiota is a cute little town just 20 min off highway 16. Since there are not a whole lot of larger towns at this point before Winnipeg I decided to stop here for the night and stay at the municipal campground. You do need to book a spot, but I was able to grab one on the day of. The campground offered fully serviced sites, so I was able to dump my waste and have a good connection to recharge everything and grab a shower. They also offered free firewood which was really nice, though there were SO MANY mosquitoes out that I didn't venture out for too long at night.
I had booked a spot online but found when I arrived that someone else was in my spot, so I think they play it a little fast and loose with bookings. There was another open spot available when I arrived so I parked there for the night. You will need to check in with the aquatic centre across from the campground when you arrive.
*Foodie Alert: There was a really good bakery that was recommended to me by some locals and everyone was grabbing their fix in the morning. Their donuts were really good and they also offered coffee as well :)
Country Crocus Bakeshop - 25 Maple Ave E, Hamiota, MB R0M 0T0
| Plus | Fully serviced sites (30A with power and water), right in the center of town, free fire wood, very friendly and popular spot, very safe, good cell signal, late checkout of 1pm, has a pool |
| Minus | Lots of mosquitoes, very small town so not much around, very muddy |
| Cost | $44.75 |
| Address |
147 Maple Ave, Hamiota, MB R0M 0T0
|
| Date Stayed | July 5, 2022 |
2. Winnipeg, MB - Walmart Super Center (Parking Lot)
I had originally planned on getting to Winnipeg and stay the night at one of the casinos, as I had followed the CasinoCamper site that recommended both as a good overnight stop. Found out the hard way that they don't allow any overnight parking, so I had to stay in a Walmart parking lot. This worked out okay and I had called in advance to their staff to make sure that I was allowed to park overnight and they said I could. It was a large secure lot with lots of other stores around and no one bugged me. This spot is located close to their main shopping area and just down the road from Polo Park Mall, which is good if you are needing supplies or want to go shopping.
| Plus | It was a large quiet lot, staff gave the okay to stay the night, well lit and felt secure, right in the main shopping area, good cell service |
| Minus | Need to be fully self contained (no services) |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 1001 Empress St, Winnipeg, MB R3G 3P8 |
| Date Stayed | July 6, 2022 |
3. Headingly, MB - Flying J Truck Stop
While I was driving into Winnipeg I noticed this Flying J stop that had alot of RVers parked, so in hindsight this would have been a better place to stop for the night just outside of the main city of Winnipeg. It was located just before the Horse Race Track and seems more populated with other people to spend the night.
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 4100 Portage Ave, Headingley, MB R4H 1C5 |
| Date Stayed | Spotted on July 6, 2022 |
Ontario
1. Kenora, ON - Little Joe Lake (picnic area/rest stop)
This was a spot that was flagged on the Campendium app and it looked like a nice pullout based on the pictures that were shared. It ended up being quite a popular little spot for RVers and Truckers to rest for the night. It was not a well marked spot, so it's best to know that you are looking for it as it is directly off the highway. Overall it was a good place to pull off for the night and was free, which is a bonus!
| Plus | Was easy to spot and right off the highway, had lots of other truckers and RVers stopped for the night, felt safe, and a beautiful view of the lake |
| Minus | quite loud as it was right off the highway, busy so may have trouble finding a spot if lots of truckers |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Little Joe Lake, Kenora, Unorganized, ON P0X 1H0 |
| Date Stayed | July 7, 2022 |
2. Wabigoon, ON - Wabigoon Lake RV Park
This was a good place to just chill for a night. Wabigoon is a bit in the middle of nowhere, but I wanted a place to work for the day and it offered a full service site that was well maintained and the owner was very friendly.
| Plus | Has WiFi!!, nicely manicured spots, full hook up (sewer, 30Amp, water), quiet, very friendly staff, laundry and in house showers if needed |
| Minus | Not a whole lot around |
| Cost | $47.46 |
| Address |
10188 Highway 17, Box 194, Wabigoon Ontario, Canada, P0V 2W0 |
| Date Stayed | July 8, 2022 |
3. Rossport, ON - Rest Area (coastal trail picnic area - just off the highway)
This was a picnic area that was highlighted on the Park4Night app. It was a beautiful little pullout right on the water and was really quite to stay for the night. There was very limited parking and other Rvers were also staying the night, so during busy season it may be tough to get a spot.
| Plus | Right on the water, pretty peaceful for being right off the highway, has a picnic area and washrooms, good cell signal, felt safe and secure, had a trail if you choose to go for a walk |
| Minus | Just off highway so a bit noisy when trucks drive by, very small so limited space for RVs |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Trans-Canada Hwy, Rossport, ON P0T 2R0 |
| Date Stayed | July 9, 2022 |
4. Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Gateway Casino (parking lot)
Another Casino stop for the win! This casino lot was located right by the historical district of Sault Ste. Marie, so it was in the perfect location to park and explore the area for a night. The boardwalk and canal district were within walking/biking distance.
| Plus | Very quiet, good cell signal, close to main attractions of the area, other RVers parked for the night so felt safe |
| Minus | No dedicated RV spots, no RV services/hookups |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Gateway Casinos Sault Ste. Marie, 30 Bay St, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 7A6 |
| Date Stayed | July 10, 2022 |
*Worked the day in Thessalon, ON - Thessalon Municipal Harbour
- Right in the harbour in a large gravel lot
- Very quiet and you may have been able to park here overnight with no issues
- Really good cell service - worked here for 8 hours
5. Sudbury, ON - Canadian Tire (parking lot)
This was a parking lot I stayed at when the Casino bombed out. The Walmart in the parking lot next door said "No Parking", but the next shopping centre next door had a Canadian Tire and auto centre, which seemed okay to park in for the night. It was a well lit lot that was fairly quiet and no one bothered me.
| Plus | Well lit lot, good service, very quiet, felt safe |
| Minus | Not 100% sure if you were actually allowed to park here overnight, No other RVers around |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | Svc Cntre, 1485 Lasalle Blvd, 1066 Barry Downe Rd, Greater Sudbury, ON P3A 5H7 |
| Date Stayed | July 11, 2022 |
* Worked for the day in Parry Sound, ON - Parry Sound Harbour
- Parry Sound was a really pretty little marina town and it had lots of little shops and a boat tour that left from the harbour
- Had a large gravel lot and I was able to park here all day and work for 8 hours
- Surrounded by lots of amenities and it was on the water so it had a great view
6. Orillia, ON - Casino Rama (parking lot)
This was a really nice casino with a dedicated RV parking lot. It had lot's of other RVers staying the night and felt very safe and secure. You did have to be fully self contained, but otherwise it was a good spot to spend a night or two.
| Plus | Dedicated RV lot, quiet, safe, well lit, lots of other RVers around |
| Minus | No hookups or services, lots of bugs |
| Cost | FREE |
| Address | 5899 Rama Rd, Orillia, ON L3V 6H6 |
| Date Stayed | July 12, 2022 |
7. Brampton, ON - Indian Line Campground
This was a municipal campground that was pretty much as close as you could get to Downtown Toronto. It was not much to write home about and was in the middle of the suburb, so not much to do around the campground. You also have to be careful on the spot you choose, because the service hookups were on the opposite side of where a normal RV's hookups were so you had to adjust your unit quite a bit to make it reach.
| Plus | Close to Toronto, had good service, full hookups, had a small pool, had bus stop close by to get to town |
| Minus | Very busy and spots were close together, the hookups had bad placement so you may need to be careful or choose to use the sani-dump station instead, close to train tracks (loud) |
| Cost | $130.35 |
| Address | 7625 Finch Ave W, Brampton, ON L6T 0B2 |
| Date Stayed | July 13 - 14, 2022 |
8. Niagara Falls, ON - Continental Pancake House (parking lot)
| Plus | Very close to the main strip in Niagara Falls, walking distance to the falls and the boat tour, good cell service and relatively cheap to park for the day and night |
| Minus | quite loud and busy, was kinda sketchy but busy so not too bad, there were lots of skunks, no RV services (need to be fully contained) |
| Cost | $10 (day), $20 (Overnight) |
| Address | 5810 Stanley Ave, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3X8 |
| Date Stayed | July 15, 2022 |
* Be sure to check in with the restaurant to pay and get a ticket for your dash
*Spent the next day in Niagara on the Lake - a must see!
- Large loop of wineries and you can just hop from one to the next
- Lots of farm stands to stop at as well
- Bike rental places so you can explore the area
- Really nice shopping and dining strip and its along the lake so very scenic
9. Grananoque, ON - Shorelines Casino (1000 islands - parking lot)
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10. Kanata, ON - Cabela's (parking lot - 3065 Palladium Drive)
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Quebec
1. Montreal, QC - Longueuil 701 Rue Pierre-upy (parking lot)
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2. Quebec City, QC - Camping Juneau
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3. Quebec City, QC - Bassin Louise (dedicated RV lot)
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4. Riviere du Loup, QC - Walmart Supercenter (parking lot)
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New Brunswick
1. Hartland, NB - 365 Main street (longest covered bridge in the world - gravel lot by the tourist shop and church)
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2.