Halloween camping isn’t the most popular of the holiday RV travel options, but if you ask us, it’s a total hidden gem of an experience. October is a wonderful time for an RV camping trip, weather-wise — and in many areas, this is the off-season, so you’ll avoid the crowds and cost of summer.
Better yet, there are plenty of perfectly on-theme Halloween destinations across the U.S., from cities like Salem, Massachusetts to sites like the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado (which inspired Stephen King’s The Shining). Below, we’ve listed out all of our favorite Halloween destinations, along with some festive events, spooky theme parks, and tips to make any old camping trip into a frighteningly fun one.
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What Makes RV Travel Perfect for Halloween Camping Road Trips?
Why travel in an RV for Halloween? We’re so glad you asked. Halloween is the perfect time for holiday travel in our opinion — and this quick chart shows why.
| Camping Consideration | Halloween/Late-October Travel Benefits |
| Weather | Cool days and chilly nights make for the perfect adventures — and cozy evenings afterward |
| Cost | Shoulder season travel is often more affordable since it’s not the highest demand time to explore |
| Crowds | Fewer crowds even in sought-after destinations than at the height of summer |
| Halloween Events | Plenty of fun Halloween events and fall harvest festivals to choose from — we’ll get into them below |
Best Places to Travel During Spooky Season
No matter how you get to them, there are lots of frightening places around the U.S. that make great options for Halloween camping! Many of them are creepy year-round, but most of them really lean into spooky season to attract people who like to get a little scared. Here are a few places to lay your head … if you dare.
Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
Fans of Stephen King or horror films will want to head to Colorado, just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, to the Stanley Hotel. Overlooking the town of Estes Park, this historic hotel opened in the early 1900s. It’s also where Stephen King, on a visit to the hotel, was inspired to write “The Shining.”
The historic hotel is also rumored to be haunted. You can try investigating for yourself on a nighttime tour, try a “The Shining” tour, or opt for a tamer daytime tour of the grand hotel. The gift shop has lots of nods to the novel and movie, as well as trinkets featuring the hotel itself.
RV Travel Tips
The hotel is about a 90-minute drive from Denver, and between Rocky Mountain National Park and the quaint town of Estes Park, you can easily spend several days in the area. Consider staying in a nearby RV park, but spending a single night in the hotel itself — or calm your nerves by only walking through during the daytime.
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem, Massachusetts is probably one of the best-known spooky American cities. The site of the 1692 Witch Trials, this town goes all out for Halloween (and embraces their macabre reputation most of the year). Many sites around Salem provide history and stories about the witch trials, from the Witch House to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, to the wax museum. This was also the filming location for the 1993 movie “Hocus Pocus,” and you can see several of these iconic filming spots around town. There are several walking tours offered by different companies in town that will take you to all the historic and haunted spots and explain more about the town’s past.
RV Travel Tips
If you visit during October, get ready for a month of spooky celebration. From parades to street fairs to costume contests and ghost tours, fall really is the best time to visit Salem. Take your pick of haunted houses, music and theater performances, and an extra dose of haunted everything.
Salem is about 16 miles north of Boston and is an easy day (or night!) trip from the city. (Yes, there are some great places to camp in Beantown!)
Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
At one time, this prison was the most expensive and famous prison in the world. It once held prisoners like “Slick Willie” Sutton and Al Capone. Today, it’s a haunted ruin that offers some spooky tours.
The prison shut down in 1971 and has since become a National Historic Landmark. The prison offers several tours, including daytime tours that talk about the history of the prison. For an extra terrifying experience, visit during the fall when they have their Halloween Nights. During October, this creepy prison features five different haunted houses, scary flashlight tours, and Halloween-themed immersive experiences.
RV Travel Tips
Even if you’re not visiting during the fall, the prison is a museum and historic site throughout the year, with self-guided tours and exhibits that explain the history of the site. You can also spend a few days exploring the historic city of Philadelphia. Here are our favorite campgrounds in the area.
Jerome, Arizona
What better place to scare yourself silly than in an actual ghost town? Jerome, perched precariously on a mountainside just outside of Sedona, goes all out for Halloween.
In the 1800s, Jerome was a booming copper mining town that was known as “The Wickedest town in the West.” In the 1950s the mines closed and the town was all but abandoned. Today it’s full of art galleries, local wine-tasting rooms, and ghosts of the dead miners that locals say still linger about. Take one of the daytime walking/ghost tours to see the abandoned buildings and search for spirits. Or take a Halloween nighttime ghost tour with ghost-hunting equipment. You can even stay at the Jerome Grand Hotel, which used to be a hospital and is said to be one of the most haunted places in Arizona.
RV Travel Tips
October is the best time to visit as the entire town is decked out in decorations and there are events throughout the month. Jerome is about 110 miles from Phoenix, and it takes about 2 hours to get there. Jerome is also about two and a half hours from Grand Canyon National Park, if you want to visit the park during the off-season.
Winchester Mystery House – San Jose, California
The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California is a sprawling Victorian mansion that took more than 36 years to build. From 1886-1922, Sarah Pardee Winchester oversaw construction of the house and had carpenters working 24 hours a day, every day. The house has stairs to nowhere and doors opening onto … nothing.
Legend says that Winchester was told by a medium in Boston that she was cursed by the souls of those killed with the Winchester rifles that provided her fortune. The nonstop noise of hammers from construction was meant to keep evil spirits out.
The house has long been considered a hotspot for paranormal activity. This beautiful, spooky mansion is open for tours year-round, but there are special Halloween tours that embrace the home’s creepy past.
RV Travel Tips
Visit during October to participate in the Lost in the House Tour which mixes a paranormal investigation with theater. The house has many fall and Halloween themed activities, but even if you’re visiting during the rest of the year, a tour of this magnificent mansion is a fascinating glimpse into history.
If you want to spend several days in the area, San Francisco is just an hour’s drive away, while Santa Cruz and other beautiful beaches are about 40 minutes away. Pinnacles National Park is an hour and a half south of the city.
Ohio State Reformatory – Mansfield, Ohio
The Ohio State Reformatory is another historic prison with plenty of spooky appeal. This prison was built in the late 1800s and was in use until 1990. Today it offers tours and was the set of the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.” Ohio State Reformatory offers several different tours, including options that teach you how to hunt ghosts. These tours guiding you through the prison describe the paranormal history while you search for spirits.
RV Travel Tips
If you visit during the fall, this prison also turns into a haunted house, with a 45-minute walk through the frightening building. The Ohio State Reformatory is located 79 miles from Cleveland and 69 miles from Columbus, making it an easy drive from either city. While you’re in the area, don’t miss Hocking Hills State Park — one of Ohio’s best hidden gems with a great RV-friendly campground!
The Bell Witch Cave and Cabin – Adams, Tennessee
The Bell Witch Cave in Adams, Tennessee is a highly documented haunting from the early 1800s. The cave is home to the Bell Witch, thought to be the spirit of Kate Batts who tormented the Bell family in the 1800s. Paranormal fans can tour the cave itself as well as a reconstructed cabin of John Bell and his family with artifacts and news articles from the time period.
RV Travel Tips
The Bell Witch Cave is a 40 minute drive from Nashville and hosts events throughout October. They have cave and cabin tours, along with haunted hayrides at night and events during the days. Here are our favorite full-hookup campgrounds in the Nashville area.
Haunted Trail – Normal, Illinois
The Haunted Trail is a Normal, Illinois tradition that brings thousands of visitors to the trail over two October weekends each year.
Haunted Trail participants can anticipate spooky sounds and lighting effects on this one-of-a-kind Halloween adventure. If you’re traveling with kids (or the faint of heart), never fear — literally. There’s a not-so-scary version alongside the full-fear version.
RV Travel Tips
No matter which Haunted Trail experience strikes your fancy, be sure to snag your tickets early. This attraction sells out nearly every year, and staff strictly limits the number of participants. Here are our favorite campgrounds in the Bloomington-Normal area.
Farms and Orchards
If you’re looking for some less-scary ways to celebrate the season, orchards and farms are wonderful Halloween destinations. There are hayrides, corn mazes, food, and hot drinks. And, of course, picking a pumpkin or a whole bushel of apples are classic fall experiences.
Cool Patch Pumpkins, Dixon, CA
Home to the world’s largest corn maze, Cool Patch Pumpkins is sure to please every member of your family. Be sure to check out their pedal cars, hayride, and pumpkin patch as well!
Carter Mountain Orchard, Charlottesville, VA
Carter Mountain Orchard grows a variety of delicious apples for guests to pick. Additionally, they sell some of the best apple cider donuts on the planet, which can be enjoyed with live music on weekends.
Craven Farm, Snohomish, WA
Measuring a full 20 acres, the pumpkin patch here is quite impressive. We also love the I-Spy Mini Barn, which is perfect for kids. Other great activities found at Craven Farm include a fantastic hayride, fun corn mazes, and a beer garden.
Linvilla Orchards, Media, PA
Offering fabulous hayrides, mini golf, a playground, and their adorable Pumpkinland, Linvilla Orchards is a wonderful place to visit with kids. Our favorite ride here takes passengers to a witch’s house where they hear a fun story and receive a treat!
Theme Parks
Theme parks make excellent Halloween destinations. They tend to be heavily decorated, and many of them have fright nights or other special Halloween events. Here are a few great options that are just right for kids.
Seaworld’s Spooktacular, Multiple Locations
A super fun event that is geared specifically to toddlers and preschool-aged kids, Seaworld’s Spooktacular features a fantastic trick-or-treat trail, which is included with park admission. Guests are welcome to dress out in costumes, and fun, interactive zones will vary depending on which Seaworld park you’re attending.
LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat, Multiple Locations
Another great theme park event for young children is LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat. This event is perfect for kids ages 4–10. Brick-or-Treat is included with park admission on September Saturdays and full weekends in October and features trick-or-treating as well as special performances and character experiences.
Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream, Multiple Locations
Busch Gardens is already known for making families scream in delight on their high-flying rides, but every year around spooky season, there are even more reasons to cheer. These limited-time-only, nighttime events run at several Busch Gardens locations across the country and feature haunted houses, scare zones, special performances and more. Additionally, the event is often included with your general admission ticket.
Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando, FL
Growing up in Florida, a yearly trip to Universal Studios for Halloween Horror Nights was my favorite spooky season tradition — and 2026 marks its 35th anniversary (!!). Unforgettable scare zones, truly terrifying haunted houses,stunt spectaculars and so much more make this one well worth traveling for. (Plus, there are plenty of great RV campgrounds in and around the Orlando area.)
Hersheypark Halloween, Hershey, PA
Looking for something that slightly older kids can enjoy alongside the little ones? Hersheypark Halloween is just the thing. This park has both thrill rides and kiddie rides, to satisfy all ages. During the Halloween season you can expect trick-or-treating and plenty of sweets. Best of all? Hersheypark has its very own camping resort, making this the perfect choice for RVers. This event happens through November 1.
Silver Dollar City’s Harvest Festival, Branson, MO
Looking for a less spooky Halloween getaway and more of a scenic, cozy, kid-friendly fall jaunt? Silver Dollar City’s Harvest Festival is a beautiful yearly tradition that’s perfect for families with young kids (or adult travelers who find their real lives are scary enough without going out of the way to get spooked). More than 20,000 pumpkins decorate this beloved theme park, with wares from visiting artisans making for perfect holiday gifts and general shopping glee. Shows and themed dining complete the experience, not to mention the area’s stunning display of fall foliage. (Oh yeah, and again, you can stay right on-site at Silver Dollar City’s campground!)
Other Festive Halloween Camping Options
If you can’t make it to a farm or theme park, there are plenty of other options. Try traveling to one of these fabulous events!
The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
An absolutely spectacular sight, The Great Jack-O-Lantern Blaze is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. This event has thousands of carved pumpkins on display. See famous works of art made using pumpkins, witness 3D works created entirely from gourds, and see stars twinkle from above in a jack-o-lantern planetarium.
Great Wolf Lodge’s Howl-O-Ween, Multiple Locations
The Great Wolf Lodge’s annual Howl-O-Ween event lets kids trick-or-treat their way through the lodge. They can also create fun Halloween-inspired crafts, listen to spooky tales, visit the Howl-O-Ween house and witch’s lair, and more.
Boo At The Zoo, Multiple Locations
Finally, we absolutely must mention the many Boo at the Zoo events (or similar holiday theming) that take place at zoos nationwide. These events feature fun sets, costumed characters, and a whole lot of trick-or-treat fun inside safe and exciting zoos.
These events are perfect for kids and families, and because most major zoos host their own versions of this Halloween celebration, it shouldn’t be too hard to find one near you.
Ideas for Spooky Camping Fun This Fall
Whether you’re looking for festive, not-to-scary crafts and activities for younger kids, or you want to seriously scare the socks off of someone, there are ideas for everyone planning to camp around Halloween!
1.) Find a campground with Halloween celebrations
Many larger, resort-style campgrounds plan their own Halloween festivals for guests. If you’re staying at a bigger campground, check the resort’s events page, or call to see if they’re offering any fall events or Halloween activities. KOA Campgrounds, for example, have a roundup of all their fall events at their different properties. Sun Outdoors properties also regularly run multiple Halloween weekends full of programming, as do Jellystone Parks and lots of smaller, locally owned campgrounds, too.
2.) Find local fall festivities where you’re staying
Even if your campground isn’t doing anything special for Halloween, you may be staying near a town, park, or other area that has its own Halloween activities. Lots of small towns have special trick-or-treat events downtown for kids. Some state parks will have a haunted trail or even offer special nature talks about bats and other traditionally spooky creatures.
3.) Decorate your campsite
From hilarious skeleton tableaus to witches’ feet sticking out from under your RV, the Glamper Life blog has some great suggestions for decorating your RV campsite, and even your golf cart if you bring one on your trips.
You can also stretch fake spider webs across your door or around your campsite. You could even add a few fake spiders!
Halloween luminaria are also beautiful, and a fun craft for kids. Simply get some paper lunch bags, draw or trace Halloween figures like ghosts or pumpkins on them, and prick around the outlines with a pin. Fill the bottom of the bag with a little sand and battery-operated candles and line the path to your RV door with them. The light will shine through the pin-pricks and show the outlines of your festive drawings.
Also, craft and party stores sell fun fairy lights in seasonal shapes like pumpkins and ghosts that you can string up around your campsite.
4.) Plan a spooky night hike
Plan a night hike with your group through the woods or other areas where you’re camping. If you want to get really evil, enlist a few people to station themselves along the hike to scare the hikers as they pass through. When you’re in the woods in the dark, it doesn’t take much to get people shrieking in terror.
5.) Eat some spooky snacks
Candy googly eyes, which are available in the baking aisle at most grocery stores, can turn any sugar cookie or cupcake into a funny-looking monster. For more ideas, from pumpkin cookies to Frankenstein pretzels, check out these snacks from Delish.
6.) Tell ghost stories
Telling spooky camp stories is a classic move, but still great Halloween fun. If you can’t remember the ghost stories that kept you from sleeping when you were younger, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark has been terrifying children for several generations now. And who knows? Once you start telling stories, other people in the group may have some to add and may terrify you right back in return.
Key Takeaways
- Camping in late October is fun, even if you’re not hugely into Halloween — the weather is perfect, the crowds are lighter, and it can even be more affordable.
- There are plenty of spooky destinations to look into across the U.S., from specific sites like the Stanley Hotel or Eastern State Penitentiary to Halloween-ified theme parks and campgrounds.
- With ghost stories, spooky themed snacks, and decorations, you can make even a state park campground into a perfect Halloween camping getaway.
- Call your favorite campground ahead of time to learn if they have any Halloween or fall-themed programming on the books.
Halloween Camping: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Late October can be a great time for camping in many areas of the country, because the daytime weather is cool (but not cold), nights are cozy, and campgrounds are more available since it’s outside of the highest-demand travel months. RVing makes for an even more convenient and comfortable experience, including climate control.
RV rental costs can vary substantially, but renting through the peer-to-peer marketplace at RVshare gives you access to a large range of RVs at affordable prices. Smaller travel trailers may be available for $100 or less per night, while larger, more luxurious RVs can cost $300 per night or more.
Many theme parks and amusement parks across the country redecorate and dress up for Halloween. We love Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights, Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream, Seaworld’s Spooktacular, LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat and Silver Dollar City’s Harvest Festival, just to name a few.
Happy Halloween and sweet dreams… if you can actually fall asleep.
