Campground restroom facilities vary enormously — from a wilderness pit toilet to a fully equipped shower block at a resort RV park. Knowing what to expect at each type of facility helps you pack appropriately and plan your trip.
Primitive Campgrounds
The most basic campgrounds — typically in national forests, on BLM land, or in remote state parks — may have only a pit toilet or no facility at all. A pit toilet is a simple vault over a pit, with no flushing or running water. They serve their purpose but require you to bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer. In the most remote settings, there are no facilities at all, and Leave No Trace cat-hole technique or pack-out waste bags are the expectation.
Standard Developed Campgrounds
Standard developed campgrounds in state parks and national parks typically have vault toilets or pit toilets plus a water source (hand pump or spigot) nearby. Some have flush toilet comfort stations at the camp host area or main restroom building. Showers are not usually available at this level.
Improved Campgrounds
Mid-tier campgrounds (many state parks and popular national park campgrounds) have flush toilet comfort stations and often coin-operated or token-activated showers. These facilities are cleaned on a maintenance schedule and are usually quite acceptable. Bring quarters for showers and check the posted cleaning schedule upon arrival.
Full-Service and Resort Campgrounds
KOA and similar full-service campgrounds, as well as most private RV parks, offer facilities comparable to a mid-range hotel: private shower rooms, heated spaces, flush toilets, accessible units and often laundry rooms. These facilities are the most consistent in quality.
RV Park Hookups
At an RV park with full hookups, many RVers prefer to use their on-board facilities rather than shared campground restrooms. This is perfectly acceptable and common. RV parks typically have dump stations for black water tank disposal at or near the exit.