No-Park Walmarts

Of the 4,000 or so stores nationwide, more than 1,000 prohibit overnight RV parking for one reason or another. Oftentimes local ordinances prohibit overnight RV parking. In some cases, Walmart is only a tenant and does not own the property their store is located on nor do they own the parking lot. In these cases, landlords may prohibit overnight RV parking.

Permission to park is granted by individual store managers. Some managers may not allow overnight RV parking because of previous bad experiences while others may choose to allow it. It is possible to speak with different managers at the same store on the same day and receive different answers regarding overnight RV parking. That’s why it is important to ask management for permission to park. Don’t just assume it is allowed because there are other RVs in the parking lot.

Walmart Map

An interactive map that shows the location of Walmart stores nationwide is available through the link below. The map also indicates the overnight parking status.

 

This website is owned and operated by Roundabout Publications. We are not affiliated with Cracker Barrel or Walmart, Inc. All trademarks and copyrights are owned by their respective owners.

21 thoughts on “No-Park Walmarts”

  1. Of the ~35 or so Walmarts we called, and some we went in and very politly asked in persone, “none” let us park. This was between 10-1-23 and 11-27-23.
    I sent the followitn to Walmart. I will sope someplace else from now on.
    __

    To Walmart,

    My wife worked at Walmart in Jefferson City, MO for over 5 years and even knew Sam Walton in person back then. We have been a loyal customer for 50 years.
    However, I now have an issue with the store. I read on your website how you “value and welcome RV’s”, and will let RV’s park over night; and qualify it with “Permission extended by individual managers, based on availability, etc”. However, you say in your advertising how you love RV people, but in real life nothing seems to me farther from the truth.
    We left Tucson, AZ 10-1-23 (returned 11-27-23) pulling a small trailer and drove to northern AZ, then zigzagged across the country going through many small and big towns like Albuquerque, Saint-Louis, Little Rock, Huston TX, Galveston, El Paso and back to Tucson. 7,000 miles in two months. We either stopped at, or called, every Walmart store we were close to and very politely asked if there was any place we could park a small RV on their parking lot over night. We were told every single time without exception “No we do not let RV’s stay overnight”, and they blamed it on the corporate level. In Prescott, AZ I was even told the local police would have us towed after the store closed! So, I called the police station and asked them about this, told me “No, that is not true; we would never tow someone off of private property”. I then went into the Prescott store and politely asked at the service counter and was now told that “No, the police would not tow you, but the corporate view has changed and we can no longer let RV’s park over night.” True or not, that was what I was told over and over all across the USA.
    But I do not have a problem with Walmart saying “No RV’s over night”, you own the stores, you are free to do whatever you want. But I am also free to decide rather to spend money and shop at Walmart or not. And right now it is to not shop there. I also just called Walmart help number and the guy that answered told me again that RV’s could stay at most all Walmarts. I told him my story, and all he could do was give me your email address, and say there has not been ant official change listed.
    But what really annoys me is you telling the public “You Welcome RV’s” when this does not seem true. I ask you, how could this be true when every single Walmart turned us down, around 30-40 of them and all we contacted. If there is one single Walmart along the path we took that would have let us stay, which one is it? I didn’t find any.
    The only Walmart we finally did stay at was the one in Jefferson City, MO. They first said “No” and gave us the same company-line about 18 wheelers backing into things. Then when my wife told them she had worked at the old Walmart store there in Jefferson City (before they built a new one) and earned her 5 year pin, and told them she knew Sam Walton personally (back then she even had his personal phone number), the ladies at the Service counter apologized for them saying no to her, and said their hands were tied from corporate. But they then told her because she had worked there, they would make an exception for her, and the called the security guard and told him to not bother us; and we did stay there that one night.
    Now, I do not expect Walmart to care much about me not coming to their stores to shop anymore. But to be fair, I am going to wait for a reply before posting this on line everywhere. Maybe Walmart will “enlighten me about there policies some how”. and if I do not get some revelation in this issue, I will post this story on-line, not because I am upset, but to let all RV users know not to plan on ANY Walmart letting them park over night. If they want to park, they need to go to places like the ones that Welcomed us like Cracker Barrel (really nice every time), Tractor Supply, Sizzlers, Applebee’s, JC Penny’s, and others.
    Question, does anyone really think professional truck drivers are backing into things all the time? Really? I have been in may truck stops over my 50 years of driving and so far I have never seen a truck back into anything. And if you pull into a Walmart at night, with ALL THAT ROOM, why would they need to ever back up, and what would there be to hit? Sounds like BS to me.

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  2. I’m very glad I stumbled upon this website. I don’t understand why these companies & cities won’t allow, as if they are rulers over a kingdom, people to sleep in their vehicles in public retail parking lots during the night. Their attitude’s are hurting people and yet they expect these same people to buy from them and pay taxes. It’s like they want everybody’s cake with all the trimmings and eat it too all by themselves. Don’t they realize what their decision can also potentially cause? In them choosing to do this, they are contributing to wrecks on the road including the injuries and fatalities those wrecks cause. Some say that they don’t but yet they take the same scenario and apply it to other situations. Some will say the reason why they won’t allow parking is because of the trash some people leave or the noise they may make or the damage to the asphalt vehicles may cause or some other reason that’s still not as important as a human being. It’s really sad that these companies and cities value the dollar more than the people. And it’s really sad that someone brought up homeless people vs them being able to park their RV. That’s ridiculous. That’s a show of self entertainment and selfishness. Is it because they have money? Hmmm . Just my thoughts.

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    • We are bias in our reasoning because we want to park there. Local juridictions have taken your opinions and have decided they are not creditable. Yes, freak accidents happen, but laws are made with the understanding that the risk is worth taking. Cities do not eliminate road intersections because they cause accidents.

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    • The people in RVs don’t hang clotheslines and drape underwear on em, do oil changes in the parking lot. they don’t empty urine jugs in lot or toss tissues on ground.

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  3. The Walmart on Tucson Marketplace Blvd, Tucson, Arizona, has looked like an RV park all winter. …just beginning to thin out. There are no trash cans there, unfortunately, but there is a Planet Fitness across the street. I’ve seen everything there from cars and trucks, schoolies, towable RVs, and motorhomes.

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  4. We pulled into a Walmart downtown Hot Springs, AR we saw the No Overnight Rv or truck parking sign so we left. If its because of a city ordinance, they surely allow for the ” homeless” people to lie in the bushes and/ or store their things in the bushes until the next day. Some people do that (beg) for a living and do quite well at it.

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  5. This week I was asked to leave the Walmart in the Center of New England, Coventry Rhode Island and I found out several before have been asked to leave…

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    • The overnight parking prohibition would also apply to other vehicles. This is often because of a city ordinance that prohibits overnight parking or sleeping in a vehicle.

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      • This was very helpful thank you. For those of you that are computer illiterate. Click on the blue “Link to Walmart Map” above here. It’s located just under the “Walmart Map” paragraph header. It’s free, accurate, and up to date. This saved me probably hours of driving around because the 2 Walmarts I was going to try did not allow overnight even parking. Probably would’ve gotten kicked out as soon as I smell asleep haha…

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    • I did a few drag shows over the weekend and I came back in my RV and stayed in Walmart’s parking lot. The people invited me to eat some ham and eggs pork chops ribs this cute drag queen had a great time cannot wait to return.

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