Driving your RV across the U.S. with your friends and family is one thing, but finding the right place to park it overnight is another. You may be able to park at a Walmart for the night, with permission, or perhaps a truck stop. But what about a restaurant as prevalent as a Cracker Barrel, can you park an RV overnight at one of those?

A Cracker Barrel is a good place to park your RV overnight

Believe it or not, you can legally park your RV overnight at a Cracker Barrel, reports Drivin’ and Vibin’. In fact, they even encourage it as there are even RV spaces at many of their properties. Don’t get it twisted, though, just because you can park your RV overnight, it doesn’t mean that you can camp at a Cracker Barrel.

That means that you shouldn’t break out the lawn chairs or pull out the awning while enjoying a nice cold beer in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. Instead, save that experience for the outdoors or wherever your destination is. Also, remember not to block any of the employee’s cars or delivery vans when parking overnight.

The benefits of parking your RV at a Cracker Barrel

Now that we know that it’s legal to park at a Cracker Barrel restaurant (also known as Crackerdocking), some may wonder why it’s a good idea. Aside from the generous parking accommodations, parking at a Cracker Barrel has its inherent perks. First, and foremost, you can wake up and get a nice hot meal that includes, but is not limited to, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and other fried foods.

Second, you’ll be able to run your RV’s generator while parked there, which is a very convenient perk. However, RV Diem recommends asking the locations manager before doing so. Third, with over 660 different locations around the country, and most of them being right off the highway, it’s easy to find a Cracker Barrel to park at. Additionally, most of them are only open until 10 pm, so you won’t have to worry about being bothered throughout the night.

Is it safe to park at one of these locations?

For the most part, yes. Most Cracker Barrel locations are situated in decent areas with a good amount of lighting, but you should always use your gut instinct when parking at one. If you want to find a Cracker Barrel location when you’re on the road, you can either go on the company’s website and find one nearby or use an app called “Allstays” to find one.

Lastly, if you do find a Cracker Barrel to stay at, make sure not to overstay your welcome. It’s common courtesy to first call the manager of the location that you want to stay at to make sure that it’s OK. Some of them prefer that RV campers arrive an hour or so before closing, or in the morning, so as to skip the influx of customer cars during the breakfast and dinner rushes.

Either way, it’s nice to know that there is another place to park your RV when traveling across the country. And the best part is that finding a Cracker Barrel is easy and it’s free to park there.