Where to Camp in a Tesla: Campgrounds, Charging and Free Camping

Any Tesla can be a campsite, but where you park it matters as much as how you set it up. You can sleep in a Tesla at a campground, on public land where dispersed camping is allowed, or anywhere local rules permit. Charging is the part to plan. Some campgrounds offer EV chargers or let you plug into a site's RV outlet for a fee, but many don't allow it, so ask before you plug in. Otherwise arrive well charged and top up at a Supercharger on the way.

Part of our Complete Guide to Camping in Your Tesla.

Charging at a campground

An RV site's electric post usually has a regular outlet and a 30-amp and/or 50-amp RV outlet. With Tesla's Mobile Connector and the right adapter, the car can charge from some of them. Tesla's Mobile Connector manual lists these rates:

The 120V figure is from The Verge, and the 14-50 figure is the Department of Energy’s estimate for Level 2 charging. Your car may differ: the efficient Model 3 and Model Y do best, the Model X and Cybertruck add fewer miles per hour, and cold weather lowers all of them. Three things to know first:

• You may not have a Mobile Connector. Tesla stopped including it with new cars in April 2022, and the 14-50 adapter has been an extra on some versions. Check before the trip.
• No extension cords. Tesla's Mobile Connector manual says not to use an extension cord, a multi-outlet adapter, a conversion plug or a power strip, and not to plug anything else into the other socket of the same outlet.
• Cold nights. Tesla says a 120 V outlet may not supply enough to keep the battery warm in serious cold. See winter Tesla camping (coming soon).

Ask before you plug in

RV posts were built for RVs, which don't draw full power for hours on end, so many campgrounds don't allow EV charging, and some charge a fee. A few real examples:

• Some KOA campgrounds ban it. KOA campgrounds set their own rules. Estes Park KOA in Colorado does not allow EV charging and says it will charge a $100 fine if it finds you charging. The Seward / Lincoln West KOA in Nebraska says anyone charging on a site will be ejected with no refund and billed for any damage.
• Death Valley's Furnace Creek Campground says EV charging is not supported on its posts, that plugging in could permanently damage your car and the campground's electrical system, and that you could be liable. It points campers to chargers at the Oasis Ranch and Inn (NPS).
• Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona says EV charging is not permitted anywhere in the park (Arizona State Parks).
• Minnesota state parks add $7.50 a night for campsites with an EV charging station, where available (Minnesota DNR, tax extra).
• Oregon State Parks have Level 2 chargers at several parks in day-use lots, and say charging isn't free: you pay the park's day-use parking fee where one applies (Oregon State Parks).
• Shenandoah's Lewis Mountain Campground listing says the park’s only EV chargers are at Skyland Lodge, milepost 41.7 (Recreation.gov).

Campgrounds with real chargers

Some campgrounds and RV resorts have proper Level 2 chargers, including Tesla Destination Chargers. Listings change, so look them up close to your trip with the tools below, and call ahead to confirm hours, access and any fee.

How to find them

• The DOE station locator lists public chargers, including Tesla connectors and 14-50 outlets. Few campgrounds are tagged as campgrounds, so search the area and read the names.
• PlugShare lists chargers that drivers report, and campgrounds show up there too.
• Recreation.gov shows each campsite's electric hookup (for example "50" amps), and campground pages carry their own EV rules.
• Tesla's own trip planner finds the Superchargers on the way. See how the trip planner picks your charging stops.

Camping without hookups

A Tesla doesn't need a hookup for a night or two: arrive with plenty of charge and Camp Mode does the rest.

• Public land. The Bureau of Land Management says most of its land allows dispersed camping unless it's posted closed, generally up to 14 days in any 28-day period, after which you move on. National forests set their own limits: Black Hills allows 14 days in any 28, Apache-Sitgreaves 14 days in any 30, and Mt. Hood 14 days in a row at one spot and 28 days a year. Follow the forest’s rules on distance from water, and pack out everything.
• Store parking lots. Walmart says individual store managers decide whether RVs may park overnight, based on space and local laws. Ask inside first, and don’t expect a place to plug in.
• Rest areas. Each state sets its own rules. Washington, for example, limits parking at rest areas to eight hours in any 24 and doesn’t allow camping there (RCW 47.38.020).

Plan your charge before you park: about 10% for a mild night (Not a Tesla App), more in the cold, and Camp Mode turns off when the car enters Low Power Mode (20% by default). Leave enough to reach a Supercharger in the morning. More in planning a road trip.

What to do next

1. Read the campground's page for its EV rule, and call if it doesn't say.
2. Check you have a Mobile Connector and the adapter for the outlet you'll use.
3. Work out how long that outlet takes to add the range you need in the charging calculator.
4. With no hookup, arrive with enough for the night, the 20% Camp Mode keeps back and the drive to a Supercharger.

Related guides

• Tesla Camp Mode
• Plugging into a regular outlet: how much range you get
• Winter Tesla camping (coming soon)
• Best power stations for Tesla camping (coming soon)
• Tesla camping checklist (coming soon)