Most experienced or frequent campers know that a shower is not always available when you are camping, or at least in the traditional tent. In some situations, you may have to use a portal shower, take a dip in the river, or settle for a sponge bath.
So do all campgrounds have showers?
Not all campgrounds will have showers. Whether or not your campground will have a shower depends on the campground type and its amenities. Rustic campsites typically do not have showers or running water available. Modern and resort-style campgrounds do have showers available in most cases, although they typically come with some caveats.
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What Types of Campgrounds Have Showers
Traditional or modern campgrounds usually have a shower available. Traditional campsites are those that feature the standard patch of land, an electrical hookup, a fire ring and possibly a picnic table. These campgrounds are usually organized around roads or paths and may have a few facilities dispersed throughout the community.
Typically showers are located in a common use bathhouse and may be near or far to your campsite depending on your location within the campground. Depending on the size of the campground there may be anywhere from two to ten showers available for each gender.
Depending on the campgrounds occupancy, setup, and owners the showers may be cleaned regularly or not. Additionally, some campgrounds provide warm or hot water for showers while others provide water at the temperature in which it comes out of the ground.
Rustic campsites are more remote and commonly do not have a shower available. These campsites may be located along a river or in a designated spot within the wilderness. Typically the bathroom consists of an outhouse style building with a hole in the ground.
A hand pump for fresh water may or may not be available. This could be used as a shower but typically serves as drinking water or to wash hands and utensils.
Traditional campgrounds tend to be more crowded than rustic campsites due to their amenities. This can translate to long bathroom lines during peak times. Because of the large volume of traffic campground showers receive there are some guidelines it would be wise to follow.
Tips for Using a Campground Shower
Choose your shower time wisely. The mid to late morning and evening to the late evening are peak times for campground showers. Before the day begins and after a day full of activities have concluded, are the times when most people will want to shower. This results in long wait times. To not miss a meal or give up any of your precious activity time, consider showering during “off” times such as early evening or early morning.
Practice good hygiene. Good hygiene when it comes to public showers means wearing shower shoes. Flip flops, Crocs, or any other open plastic-type shoe will help your feet to stay healthy and clean. Not only should you be wary of funguses or viruses but the floors are usually muddy from others tracking in dirt.
Pack a shower caddy. Campground showers are usually full of hustle and bustle, you don’t want to be juggling a bunch of items or trying to find a place to set them all down. Bags, totes, or caddies made of water-resistant plastic or quick-drying mesh are often best to carry your shampoo, conditioner, soap, razor, and any other toiletries. Many come with a handle or strap so you can hang them on a hook rather than set them on the ground.
If showering at night bring a light. It is usually a good idea to wear a headlamp or bring a flashlight if you plan on showering when it is dark. The path to the showers is not always lit and the facilities themselves can have dim lighting. Stash it in your shower caddy while you wash and then use it to light the way back to your tent.
Extra protection. One more layer of protection to keep you and your belongings from the often gross floor is disposable changing pads or puppy potty pads. These pads usually come in packs with an absorbent cotton top and a plastic-lined bottom. You can place them on the floor directly outside of the shower so none of your clothes, shower items, or feet touch the floor when you change. When you’re finished you can simply throw them away!
Shower Alternatives
If your campground either doesn’t have a shower or you would prefer not to use it, there are a couple of shower alternatives.
Baby wipes. Taking a sponge bath using a washcloth, a sponge, or even baby wipes is perhaps the easiest way to get yourself (mostly) clean when you don’t have a shower. Of course, these are not particularly useful for washing your hair and you may go through a large number of wipes quickly.
Portable showers. Camping showers and portable shower stalls are another alternative when you are roughing it without a shower but still want to rinse off occasionally. You could just use a large jug of water to pour over yourself, but solar showers and portable showers can heat the water so that you have a warm shower instead of a freezing one. Most involve filling a large reservoir with water and letting the sun or the included heater warm it up. Some also include a pump and sprayer while others can be hung from a tree to take advantage of gravity.
Environmentally safe soap and a natural water source. If the only water nearby is a river then you still have a way to get clean. Bring along some environmentally safe soap and go for a swim, you will feel (and smell) better afterward.
We have a great article for you that you should read. How do you shower while camping? (Tips and Tricks)
Some Campgrounds with Showers in Each State
It is pretty safe to say that there is at least one campground in each state with shower facilities, here are a few.
- Alabama
Cheaha Lake – Cheaha State Park 2141 Bunker Loop AL Hwy. 281 Delta, AL 36258
Gulf Shores-Pensacola West KOA 11650 County Road 99 Lillian, AL 36549
- Alaska
Nenana RV Park and Campground Nenana, AK 99760
Valdez KOA 3181 Richardson Hwy, MM 2 Valdez, AK 99686
- Arizona
KOA Campground Seligman 801 E Highway 66 Seligman, AZ 86337
Spider Rock Campground and RV Park Indian Route 7 Chinle, AZ 86503
- Arkansas
KOA Campground Memphis Marion 7037 I-55 Marion Marion, AR 72364
Woolly Hollow State Park 82 Woolly Hollow Rd Greenbrier, AR 72058
- California
KOA Coleville/Walker Meadowcliff Lodge 110437 US Hwy 395 Coleville, CA 9610
Main – Castle Crags State Park Mount Shasta, CA 96067
- Colorado
KOA Campground Alamosa 6900 Juniper Lane Alamosa, CO 81101
Chatfield State Recreation Area 11500 N Roxborough Park Rd Littleton, CO 80125
- Connecticut
KOA 271 West Main St Niantic, CT 06357
- Delaware
Killens Pond State Park 5025 Killens Pond Rd Felton, DE 19943
- Florida.
KOA Pine Island Resort 5120 Stringfellow Road St. James City, FL
Ichetucknee Springs Campground 245 SW Breckenridge Ln, Fort White, FL 32038
- Georgia
KOA Forsyth 414 S. Frontage Road Forsyth, GA
- Idaho
KOA Twin Falls 441 S Liberty Lane Jerome, ID 83338
Givens Hot Springs 11309 ID-78, Melba, ID 83641
- Illinois
KOA Springfield 4320 KOA Road Rochester, IL 62563
- Indiana
KOA Fort Wayne South 1625 West Lancaster Street Bluffton, IN 46714
Indiana Dunes National Park 215 IN-49, Porter, IN 46304
- Iowa
KOA Waterloo Lost Island Waterpark 4550 Hess Rd Waterloo, IA 50701
Hickory Haven Campground 2413 353rd St, Keokuk, IA 52632
- Kansas
KOA Dodge City 701 Park Street Dodge City, KS 67801
- Kentucky
KOA Russell Springs 1440 Highway 1383 Russell Springs, KY 42642
- Louisiana
KOA Lafayette 1825 Saint Mary St. Scott, LA 70583
Frenchman’s Wilderness Campground 2026 Atchafalaya River Hwy, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
- Maine
KOA Skowhegan /Kennebec 18 Cabin Road Canaan, ME 04924
Acadia National Park, Maine
- Maryland
KOA Washington DC / Capitol 768 Cecil Avenue North Millersville, MD
- Massachusetts
KOA North Hampton / Springfield 139 South Road Westhampton, MA 01027
- Michigan
KOA Campground Gaylord 5101 Campfires Parkway Gaylord, MI 49735
WJ Hayes State Park 1220 Wamplers Lake Rd Onsted, MI 49265
- Minnesota
KOA Cloquet 1381 Kampground Road Cloquet, MN 5572
- Mississippi
KOA Starkville 2661 County Lake Road Starkville, MS 39759
Memphis South Campground 256 Campground Dr, Coldwater, MS 38618
- Missouri
KOA Lake of the Ozarks 4171 US-54 Linn Creek, MO 65052
- Montana
KOA Great Falls 1500 51st Street South Great Falls, MT 59405
- Nebraska
KOA Grand Island 904 South B Road Doniphan, NE 68832
Pawnee State Recreation Area, Lancaster County NE
- Nevada
KOA Ely 1593 South US Highway 93 Ely, NV 89301
- New Hampshire
KOA Lake Winnipesaukee 79 First Crown Point Road Strafford, NH 03884
- New Jersey
KOA Philadelphia South 117 Timberlane Rd Clarksboro, NJ 0802
- New Mexico
KOA Albuquerque 12400 Skyline Road NE Albuquerque, NM 87123
City of Rocks State Park Faywood, New Mexico
- New York
KOA New York City North 119 Freetown Highway Plattekill, NY
- North Carolina
KOA Rocky Mount 18562 NC HWY 481 Enfield, NC 27823
- North Dakota
KOA Minot 1945 20th Ave SE Minot, ND 58701
- Ohio
KOA Columbus North 8644 Porter Central Road Sunbury, OH 43074
Lazy River at Granville 340 Dry Creek Rd NE, Granville, OH 43023
- Oklahoma
Robber’s cave state Park
KOA Elk City 21167 RT. 66 N Foss, OK 73647
- Oregon
KOA Lemolo Lake 2610 Birds Point Road Idleyld Park, OR 97447
- Pennsylvania
KOA Treasure Lake 95 Coral Reef Road DuBois, PA 15801
- Rhode Island
George Washington State Campground 2185 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, RI 02814
- South Carolina
KOA Santee Lakes 1268 Gordon Road Summerton, SC 29148
- South Dakota
KOA Belvidere East 24201 South Dakota Highway 63 Midland, SD 57552-7302
Beaver Lake Campground 12005 US-16, Custer, SD 57730
- Tennessee
KOA Manchester 586 Campground Road Manchester, TN 37355
- Texas
KOA San Angelo 6699 Knickerbocker Road San Angelo, TX 76904
- Utah
KOA Cedar City 1121 North Main Cedar City, UT 84721
Point Supreme Campground 2390 Utah 56 #11, Cedar City, UT 84721
- Vermont
KOA Lake Bomoseen 18 Campground Drive Bomoseen, VT 05732
- Virginia
KOA Blue Ridge Parkway 47 Fox Trail Loop Fancy Gap, VA 24328
Loft Mountain Campground Crozet, VA 22932
- Washington
KOA Ellensburg 32 S. Thorp Hwy. Ellensburg, WA 98926
- West Virginia
KOA Huntington 290 Fox Fire Road Milton, WV 25541
- Wisconsin
KOA Milton 872 E State Rd 59 Milton, WI 53563
Badgerland Campground 2671 Circle Dr, Stoughton, WI 53589
- Wyoming
KOA Wind River 225 Welty Street Dubois, WY 82513
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