It’s coming. Are you ready? The best 2024 solar eclipse RV camping destinations will book up way before that epic celestial celebration. If you witnessed the 2017 solar eclipse, get ready for an even better show. The 2024 eclipse path of totality will be longer and darker than what we saw last time in North America.
Start planning your RV eclipse getaway now. Here are some great places to camp and enjoy the festivities.
We Won’t See Another Total Solar Eclipse Again Until 2044
How old will you be in 2044? That’s the next time North Americans will see another total solar eclipse. If you want to see one of the greatest celestial spectacles in the universe, now is the time to start your RV trip planning for the 2023 solar eclipse in the U.S.
What’s a Total Solar Eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. The moon’s path blocks sunlight, turns daylight to darkness and casts an eerie shadow upon everything. Put on a special pair of dark glasses at this time, and you can look at the sun’s corona (the “halo” you never see because it’s hidden by the sun’s bright light).
The darkening of the sun is known as “totality.” And the level of darkness you experience is determined by where you are located on the planet. Darkness can last just a few seconds or a few minutes, depending on your location.
In North America, eclipse totality starts in Texas at 1:27 pm CDT. The eclipse will end in all the way up in Maine at 3:35 pm EDT on April 8, 2024. Some of the best RV destinations for the eclipse have decent weather in April. Start your RV spring cleaning early in 2024 so you’ll be ready for the party.
The Best 2024 Solar Eclipse RV Destinations
On April 8, 2024, the eclipse “path of totality” will make a gentle curve from Durango, Mexico, all the way up to Labrador province in Canada. Some US states in the path of totality will experience darkness longer than others. Here are the best 2024 solar eclipse RV destinations. These campgrounds are based on:
- The duration of totality
- Interesting and beautiful RV campground options
- Whether or not they are open for the season
With the exception of the Texas Hill Country, these campgrounds selected from RV LIFE Campgrounds are not always the most popular 2024 solar eclipse RV destinations. We chose some less popular ones on purpose, so you can have some breathing room away from eclipse crowds and revelers.
Pro Tip: Some RV parks and campgrounds are already booking for the 2024 eclipse. But many have not started. Begin your research now so you know the best times to make solar eclipse campsite reservations. Expect minimum stay requirements, and higher campsite rates for the eclipse.
Texas Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
Expect a huge, Texas-sized fiesta for this eclipse. The Texas Hill Country will enjoy solar eclipse totality (darkness) for a whopping 4 minutes and 23 seconds; longer than anywhere in North America!
Kerrville: By the River Campground
Fredericksburg: Bending Oaks Ranch RV Resort
Marble Falls: Sunset Point on Lake LBJ
Texas revelers can watch the eclipse everywhere from Eagle Pass along the US-Mexico border, to Austin and north to Dallas. But the Hill Country is one of the prettiest places to enjoy the celebration.
Arkansas Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
Once it leaves Texas, the 2024 solar eclipse path moves northeast from Texas to southwest Arkansas. The RV destinations of Hot Springs, Little Rock, and Joneseboro will be the heart of the party.
Hot Springs National Park Gulpha Gorge Campground
Little Rock: Downtown Riverside RV Park
Most of these Arkansas path of totality RV camping destinations will get close to 2 minutes and 33 seconds of darkness. Afterward, the eclipse path moves up to southeast Missouri.
Missouri Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
In Missouri, the 2024 eclipse path of totality will move through the southeast corner of the state. Three great RVing and eclipse viewing destinations get about 4 minutes and 8 seconds of totality. They include the small, scenic Ozark communities of West Plains, Poplar Bluff, and Cape Girardeau.
West Plains / Mountainview: Ozarks Mountain Springs RV Park
Poplar Bluff / Wappapello: Redman Creek Campground
Cape Girardeau: Cape Camping & RV Park
You won’t find many large campgrounds in the best Missouri eclipse viewing locations. Look for private property owners in small towns who will rent eclipse viewing campsites on their land. Local chambers of commerce and visitor bureaus might have names for you.
Illinois Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
The great state of Illinois will only see a sliver of the eclipse. The path of totality will only be enjoyed in and around the bottom of the state, near the communities of Carbondale and Mt. Vernon. Here are some good Illinois RV camping options for the 2024 eclipse:
Murphysboro: Lake Murphysboro State Park
Herrin: Four Seasons Campground
Mt Vernon: Whittington Woods Campground
These Illinois solar eclipse path of totality cities will see anywhere between three and four minutes of darkness.
Indiana & Ohio Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
Eclipse weather in Ohio and Indiana will be a toss-up. The good news is that April temperatures rarely dip below 40 or go over 80-degrees Fahrenheit. These are some good RV camping options for the eclipse in Ohio and Illinois that should be open:
Terra Haute, Indiana: Lincoln Trail State Park
Wapakoneta, Ohio: KOA Holiday Campground
Cleveland, Ohio: Punderson State Park
Indianapolis will see the most totality at 3 minutes and 46 seconds, while Toledo only gets to enjoy 1 minute 54 seconds of darkness.
New York Solar Eclipse RV Campgrounds
Further north in the U.S., New York and Vermont will both enjoy some of the last moments of the eclipse totality across North America. Totality times in these states range from 3 minutes 45 seconds in Buffalo, to 3 minutes and 14 seconds in Vermont. That’s a nice chunk of time to watch the solar eclipse.
Unfortunately, few campgrounds in the region are open this time of year. That could change is changing during summer 2023 for this once-in-a-lifetime event. If Northeast campgrounds are open for the eclipse, expect cold northern temperatures hovering between 48 and 60-degrees Fahrenheit, with the possibility of rain and cloudy skies. If you’re willing to de-winterize your RV early and hope for good weather, it’s a great reason to kick off camping season.
At this time (February 2023) we can only find one year-round RV camping option where you can book now to watch the eclipse in New York.
Where to Camp for the Eclipse in New York
Private campgrounds are starting to realize the eclipse is good for business. Earlier this year, only the Buffalo Niagara Falls / Grand Island KOA Holiday showed open dates for the eclipse in New York.
But this news just came in: Seven New York state campgrounds will open early for 2024 eclipse!
“The next eclipse that will be occurring in New York isn’t until 2079,” Barber said. “So this is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for multiple generations and really going to shape people’s futures when they go and think about science and astronomy, the atmosphere, things like that.”
Katelyn Barber, assistant professor in the atmospheric and geological science department at SUNY Oswego,
You can camp and watch the eclipse in New York at the following parks:
Allegany State Park – Quaker Lake Area, Salamanca, NY
Fair Haven Beach State Park, Fair Haven, NY
Letchworth State Park, Castille, NY
Evangola State Park, Irving, NY
Four Mile Creek State Park, Youngstown, NY
Golden Hill State Park, Barker, NY
Wellesley Island State Park, Fineview, NY
You can reserve your eclipse campsite at New York stat parks starting July 3, 2023. Hurry, they won’t last long!
Don’t Miss the Last Solar Eclipse for 21 Years
The year 2017 was the last time North Americans saw a full solar eclipse. And the next solar eclipse seen in North America won’t happen again until 2044 according to NASA. Start booking your RV eclipse destination now.
Seeing is believing. There is nothing like watching a rare celestial event from thousands of miles away. It transforms every living thing on our planet, if only for a few minutes. Take time now to plan for your 2024 solar eclipse RV camping adventure. Wherever you are in the United States, you won’t have to go far to see it happen.
