When planning a national park camping trip, many RVing newbies are surprised to learn that a stay in these public campgrounds is quite different from the usual RV park experience. From 1950s-era campgrounds with short parking aprons that are unsuitable for modern RVs, to strict generator use hours, the learning curve can be steep for inexperienced RVers. If you're a new RV traveler and considering a national park campground visit, here are five simple ways to have a great RV camping experience.

Exploring miles of boardwalk and a dense canopy of old growth hardwood trees might be what many visitors remember about Congaree National Park. But about ten times a year the waters from the Conagree and Wateree Rivers sweep through the floodplain wilderness, opening up a whole new surreal world for paddlers and an opportunity to discover the forest from a unique perspective. Kayak through the woods and experience this special place through the eyes of local veterans Eric Guzman and Edye Joyner.

Once upon a time known as Deep Blue Lake, for obvious reasons, Crater Lake is the focal point of its namesake national park, but not the only highlight of a visit to this southern Oregon gem.

Western rivers are the lifeblood of the landscape, threading through canyons and sweeping past the plains. The Green River is one such, born high in the Wind River Range of Wyoming and flowing steadily down to its confluence with the Colorado River in Canyonlands National Park. In Dinosaur National Monument, the Green has cut through the Uinta Mountains, creating the Gates of Lodore.