It is marvellous to catch a glimpse of wildlife when you are camping, but not all of us are keen to ditch our creature comforts to trail blaze into the backcountry in the hopes of seeing something.
It’s good to know that there are RV places to go where you can bring it all with you and still enjoy seeing wildlife in its natural environment- guaranteed.
1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota, USA)
Cottonwood Campground within Theodore Roosevelt National Park is short on some RV park amenities, like electricity, but the sites are large and you are quite literally camping right amongst the wildlife. Expect to see herds of bison and wild horses walking through the campground and grazing along the Little Missouri River. A drive along the scenic route would afford even more viewing opportunities. RV
2. Saguenay du Fjord National Park (Quebec, Canada)
Campsites in the Baie-Sainte-Marguerite Sector at Saguenay Fjord National Park are large, private and have both water and electric hook-up. A 3km hike (or bike ride) to the lookout overlooking Marguerite Bay will offer you an opportunity to watch a pod of Beluga whales, often with their babies, as they feed and enjoy the calmer protected waters of the Bay. Go early when the weather is calmer and you can hear their squeaks and clicks to each other from the shore.
3. Custer State Park (South Dakota, USA)
There are several campground areas to choose from at Custer State Park, most of which offer electrical hook-up. Custer State Park is home to over 1200 buffalo and you are guaranteed to see them during a drive around the Wildlife Loop. Be prepared for a buffalo traffic jam- definitely a sight to see.
4. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, USA)
There are a variety of RV camping options at Yellowstone. Volumes have been written about the thousands of ways to experience America’s First National Park and central to many of these ways is spotting wildlife. Visitors most want to see “…bears, wolves, moose, elk, bison, and any newborn critter.” You will see bison in the Hayden Valley (lots of them) and if you venture to the Mammoth Hot Springs area you will see Elk. Keep your eyes peeled- 67 mammal species call Yellowstone home.
5. Algonquin Park (Ontario, Canada)
Algonquin Park is the crown jewel in the Ontario Park system. There are 8 campground areas along the Highway 60 Corridor that can accommodate the RV camper with electrical hook-up and large wooded sites. Algonquin Park is 7,630 km² and is larger than the province of Prince Edward Island. Over 3500 moose reside in the park, and your best opportunity to see one is along the Highway 60 Corridor. In May and June sightings are virtually guaranteed, as they venture to the roadside to drink the slightly salty water from the ditches.
Algonquin Park also features another unique wildlife opportunity- the Public Wolf Howl. The Wolf Howl may, in fact, be the largest naturalist-led interpretive program in the world. Each one can draw more than 2000 people as they listen to the guides mimic the howls of the wolves in order to elicit a response from the pack.
6. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming, USA)
Colter Bay RV Park in Grand Teton National Park is the only full-service campground within the park. Grand Teton is home to bison, deer, pronghorn, elk, moose as well as an assortment of birds of prey like the Bald Eagle and the Osprey. There are bears as well- both Grizzly and Black. Bears are so prevalent in the park that it is inadvisable to venture anywhere without carrying bear spray. You can purchase bear spray at multiple areas within the park including the Visitor Centres.
7. Forillon National Park (Quebec Canada)
Forillon National Park has are a variety of RV friendly site options with hook-ups, that are large and private in a wooded setting. Forillon National Park is a premier destination for enjoying marine life. You can arrange a sea kayak tour and observe the behaviour of the many Grey and Harbour seals that inhabit the area. You can also arrange a whale watching tour (bilingual or French) and throughout the season, depending on the food available, as many as 5 different types of whales (Blue, Fin, Humpback, Minke and Right) can be observed. 
8. Badlands National Park (South Dakota, USA)
Camp at Badlands National Park at the Cedar Pass Campground. The sites may be tightly spaced but there is electrical service and most rigs can be accommodated. A scenic drive around the buttes and hoodoos of the park affords lots of opportunities to view wildlife. Keep an eye out for Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Big Horn Sheep. Stop at the Prairie Dog town and snap a photo of their playful antics.
9. Jekyll Island (Georgia, USA)
Jekyll Island is one of Georgia’s coastal barrier islands. It is 9 sq miles in size complete with a full-service campground. The island is very easy to navigate and affords lots of opportunities to view wildlife:
- There is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center which is an education and rehabilitation facility that offers the public a chance to learn about sea turtles and see rehabilitation in action. During June and July, the Center offers night-time walking tours to observe nesting females.
- There is the opportunity to go on dolphin watching tours.
- There are approximately 124 alligators who call Jekyll Island home as well.
10. Dinosaur Provincial Park (Alberta, Canada)
Dinosaur Provincial Park is all about the dinosaurs- it is a major extinction site. Excavations and research continue to be conducted here. More than 40 dinosaur species have been discovered in the park. There is an assortment of tours to partake in where you can uncover fossils never before seen by human eyes- all with the beautiful Alberta Badlands as a picturesque backdrop. The campground has 126 sites, 94 of which are serviced with electricity and can accommodate various sizes of equipment.
