Recently, I posted a blog entry about my most recent Prius camping experiences. During this last trip, Walmart stores often provided a convenient place to stop for the night after a long drive. Many Walmart locations are easy to access from the interstate. The Supercenters are usually open 24 hours and offer a secure place to park alongside several other recreational vehicles and trucks. The parking spaces are flat and clean. And, supplies are readily available just inside the store. It all seemed almost too good to be true.

Then, like so many other RVers, I became familiar with the acronym...

N O P

Or, No Overnight Parking!

I first discovered NOP at a Walmart location just outside of Portland, Oregon. I was nearing the end of a long drive and had not made any plans for the night. So, I pulled up the closest Walmart Supercenter on my GPS unit and found one that was located about 30 miles away. When I finally pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that there weren't any RV's in the parking lot. I also noticed the NOP (No Overnight Parking) signs on nearly every light post.

Apparently, NOP is becoming more common at Walmarts throughout the country. One reason is that local ordinances are passed that prohibit the practice so that local campgrounds might benefit. Smaller towns want to encourage RVers to pay $50 or $60 a night to pull into a campground rather than let them park for free at Walmart. Another reason is that some campers abuse the privilege. They take up too much space, make too much noise and leave a mess.

Unfortunately, I had to move on until I found a Walmart that permitted camping. That experience led me to discover a tool to combat NOP. It turns out that there is an app called the "Walmart Overnight Parking Locator." This app maps out all of the Walmarts near a location and indicates whether overnight parking is permitted or not. The user can also review notes from campers who have recently stayed at various locations. In fact, based upon my camping experiences during this trip, I contributed reports about some Walmart locations which now appear in the app.

I found this app to be an invaluable resource whenever a Walmart location was a convenient resting point along my long journey.

One encouraging note is that the New York Times recently (September 27, 2013) published an article about camping at Walmart titled "Paradise, Paved".