Happy Traveler RV Park Review: Palm Springs, CA
Happy Traveler is an RV park featuring 130 sites, characterized by quite tight quarters. It provides essential amenities for RVers, including full hookups and 30-50 amp service. The park also offers recreational facilities like a pool, seasonal activities, and shuffleboard, alongside practical services such as a laundry room. Notably, the park has a restriction on RVs exceeding 40 feet in length. Each site is separated by tall hedges, intended to offer some visual privacy. We have stayed at Happy Traveler RV Park on two separate occasions. Initially, we were hesitant to write a review due to a lack of overwhelmingly positive experiences to share. While we are aware that many people have frequented this park for years and express great satisfaction with it, our personal stays, though convenient and sufficient for our short-term needs at the time, have led us to decide against returning. As we look towards the future, Texas, despite being good to us, doesn’t feel like home anymore. We have developed a strong affection for the Coachella Valley and plan to establish ourselves as year-round residents there in the not-too-distant future, which influences our perspective on staying in the area.
Park Overview and Initial Impressions
Happy Traveler offers a range of standard RV park amenities designed to cater to the needs of travelers. The 130 sites are equipped with full hookups and electrical service options ranging from 30 to 50 amps. Guests can enjoy the pool, participate in seasonal activities, play shuffleboard, and use the on-site laundry facilities. The park’s limitation on RV length (under 40 feet) is a specific detail prospective visitors should note. The visual layout features tall hedges between individual sites, which, while potentially offering some privacy, also contribute to the park’s dense feel. Our personal experience, having camped here twice, contrasts with the reported long-term loyalty of some visitors. Despite the park meeting our basic needs during our stays, we found the overall experience didn’t warrant a return visit, setting it apart from destinations in the Coachella Valley where we aspire to reside permanently.
Prime Location: A Major Draw
Entrance sign for Happy Traveler RV Park surrounded by palm trees in Palm Springs, California.
The location is arguably the most compelling feature of Happy Traveler RV Park. Situated in a region popular with “snowbirds,” visitors will encounter a variety of dialects from northern climates, making for potentially interesting conversations. Its proximity to Palm Springs and the wider Coachella Valley, easily accessible via Highway 111, is a significant advantage. Essential services, including Desert Regional Hospital and the Eisenhower Medical Campus, are within a convenient driving range. A simple turn onto Highway 111 allows for easy travel – about a 40-minute drive east to reach Indio, or a turn in the opposite direction towards the heart of Palm Springs. The area boasts an abundance of interesting places to explore.
[internal_links] Nearby Attractions & Activities include downtown Palm Springs, the Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert, the upscale El Paseo shopping district also in Palm Desert, Moorten Botanical Garden and Indian Canyons in Palm Springs, as well as Old Town La Quinta and Shields Dates in Indio. Between these main destinations, the region offers countless attractions, such as casinos, museums, and world-class venues for golf, tennis, and polo. For those interested in shopping beyond the usual, Highway 111 is also home to numerous great antique stores, midcentury modern consignment shops, and various thrift stores including well-known names like Eisenhower, Angel View, Revivals, Discovery Shop, Good Will, and Salvation Army.On-Site Living Experience and Challenges
RVs parked close together showing the tight quarters and dense hedges between sites at Happy Traveler RV Park.
While the tall hedges separating sites might provide some degree of visual privacy, they also contribute to the overall feeling of closeness within the park. Many long-term residents personalize their spaces, sometimes decorating hedges with Christmas lights year-round or accumulating belongings near or under their rigs. Indeed, some occupied sites display creative and extensive decorations. As mentioned, the spaces are notably narrow, which can impact the sense of personal space. During one of our stays, a neighbor used their portable washing machine for a significant portion of the night, highlighting potential noise issues in such close quarters. The campground itself is not gated, offering unrestricted access. Each individual site is equipped with a concrete pad and a picnic table for guest use.
Pet Policy and Incident
Happy Traveler RV Park does allow pets, though they must be kept on a leash while within the park grounds. An incident occurred during one of our stays related to our dogs. We briefly left them in the RV while we ran into town. Upon our return, we discovered a folded piece of paper tucked under our RV’s windshield wiper. The note, scrawled in capital letters, demanded that our dogs “cease barking immediately” or we would be reported. We suspect that someone tampering near our RV might have agitated them, causing the barking, as they otherwise bark very little unless provoked by a disturbance. Despite the anonymous complaint, we maintain that our pets are generally quiet.
Security Concerns and the Local Environment
Locked facility door with operating hours sign at Happy Traveler RV Park, highlighting security measures.
Fellow campers warned us about occasional nighttime intrusions by homeless individuals into Happy Traveler RV Park, advising that camping equipment could be stolen if not properly secured or locked away. As a result of perceived security risks, the park’s communal facilities, including the restrooms, pool, and laundry room, are kept locked. Access requires a special code provided by the office. We personally did not observe any homeless individuals inside the park during our visits. If anyone happened to see a woman who appeared disheveled, wearing wrinkled clothes and pajama pants while wandering aimlessly, there’s no need for concern – that was likely just one of us taking a leisurely stroll.
Downtown Palm Springs Access and Realities
New condo construction buildings seen near Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs area.
Despite the park’s website potentially featuring a motto like “Walk to Downtown Palm Springs,” we strongly advise against attempting this. Palm Springs is recognized as a sanctuary city and faces a significant homeless population issue, though it is markedly different in scale compared to places like Los Angeles’s Skid Row. There was visible new condo construction occurring across the street from the park during our visit, but the street lighting in the vicinity was notably poor or entirely absent, impacting nighttime safety. We opted to take the free community bus into downtown and immediately regretted the decision. It seems some homeless individuals utilize the bus by riding back and forth without disembarking, which kept us on high alert throughout the journey. Visitors should anticipate encountering homeless individuals loitering in the immediate area around most bus stops or even sleeping on the benches. While empathy is important, it’s also wise to remain aware and not be overly complacent.
Navigating the Park: Parking and Maneuvering
Vehicles parked along the street outside Happy Traveler RV Park, illustrating the tight parking situation.
Parking vehicles within the confines of the Happy Traveler RV Park can often be quite challenging, particularly for larger rigs, with space typically only sufficient for smaller cars on site. This results in extensive street parking on both sides outside the park, with trucks parked nearly bumper-to-bumper, which further narrows the road. Successfully maneuvering your RV into your designated spot within these tight quarters requires considerable skill. On one occasion, we had to circle the park twice just to identify our site and then figure out the approach needed to back in. While some neighbors might offer assistance, many seemed content to simply watch the spectacle with amusement.
An RV and car parked on a site, illustrating the tight space conditions at Happy Traveler RV Park.
Observations on Homelessness in Palm Springs (Outside the Park)
We’ve often remarked, somewhat humorously, that the homeless individuals in Palm Springs appear remarkably well-dressed compared to those encountered elsewhere, and there is truth to this observation. While some may fit the stereotypical image with a shopping cart piled high with various belongings, more often, they will discreetly stash their possessions behind bushes and leave them until they return. A common item carried, however, seems to be a backpack, though this isn’t always a definitive indicator. Homeless individuals often try to blend in when they are not utilizing local soup kitchens or outreach facilities. As you become more familiar with Palm Springs, you may find it easier to identify and potentially avoid them. It’s important to remember that underserved populations can sometimes include individuals who are opportunistic. To prevent becoming a victim, it is crucial to secure valuable items such as bicycles, cellphones, or cameras and avoid leaving them unattended.
Departing the Park
Blue Ox tow bar setup used for towing a vehicle (“toad”) near Happy Traveler RV Park.
For us, it was significantly easier to use our Blue Ox system to hook up our towed vehicle (“toad”) just outside the park boundaries. The quarters inside are simply too tight, and the traffic flow is too unpredictable to safely block the road near our site for the time required to connect the vehicle. The process wasn’t complicated: one of us (John) drove the RV, while the other (I) followed in the Jeep, and we rendezvoused outside the park. We apologize if our review comes across as negative, but we believe in being straightforward and calling things as we see them. While we prefer to maintain a positive outlook (“keep things all rainbows and unicorns”), sometimes the reality is what it is. We acknowledge that other people’s experiences at Happy Traveler RV Park may differ from our own.
The Outside Environment and Amenities
Dog litter disposal bucket in the gravel pet walking area at Happy Traveler RV Park.
The area immediately surrounding Happy Traveler RV Park appears popular with joggers and walkers. We even encountered homeless individuals while walking our dogs near the park entrance at daybreak. Some people were observed sleeping in “stealth” vans or cars parked along the curb. The campground designates gravel areas on both sides of its entrance as the official dog walking zone. Conveniently, there is a bucket provided in this area specifically for disposing of bagged dog waste, saving you from needing to carry it back to your site.
The outdoor swimming pool area at Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs.
Regarding the park’s amenities, John did enjoy using the pool. However, the spa can become quite crowded during peak usage times. While some individuals may not mind sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in a hot tub, we found this less appealing (“icky”). We also noticed that conversations around the communal areas, particularly the pool, tended to gravitate towards politics, a topic we generally prefer to avoid during leisure time. For those seeking solitude, visiting the pool in the early morning hours typically means having it entirely to yourself. It was at the pool during one of these quieter times that we met a particularly fascinating man. We discovered he was in the same line of work as us and resided in San Francisco, where he had an interesting professional reputation. Surprisingly, Happy Traveler RV Park was one of his favorite destinations. We later visited him and his partner near his Airstream trailer. Although we didn’t maintain contact, we genuinely wish them continued success.
The park also features a back gate offering access to a nearby business area containing a restaurant and several stores. The building that formerly housed a Steinmart is now vacant; we recall having shopped there for a Hawaiian shirt during our first stay at Happy Traveler before the store permanently closed. While traffic noise from Highway 111 is audible from the park, it does diminish somewhat during the late night/early morning hours for a brief period. However, traffic resumes early in the morning, so bringing a fan or preferred white noise machine is advisable. Utilizing sound apps on your phone is another option. The RV park itself tends to quiet down relatively early, generally becoming peaceful by 9 p.m.
Restroom and Shower Facilities
Close-up view of a rusty shower head in the restroom facilities at Happy Traveler RV Park.
Sink and mirror area in the older restroom facilities at Happy Traveler RV Park.
Toilet area showing signs of wear in the restroom facilities at Happy Traveler RV Park.
The park’s restroom facilities are dated but were generally clean enough during our visits. However, signs of neglect were noticeable, such as rust around shower heads and other wear and tear. We present the accompanying photos to allow readers to form their own judgment regarding the condition. As a strong recommendation, definitely wear flip-flops when using the showers. Perhaps there’s a correlation between the condition of the facilities and the fact that we rarely encountered anyone else using them. In an unexpected positive turn, the state of these restrooms motivated us to use the shower in our own RV for the very first time during our second stay – so, there was a positive outcome after all!
Conclusion
Happy Traveler RV Park in Palm Springs presents a mixed experience for travelers. Its most significant asset is undeniably its prime location, offering convenient access to Palm Springs, the wider Coachella Valley, and a wealth of attractions, shopping, dining, and essential services along Highway 111. The park provides standard amenities like full hookups, a pool, and laundry facilities. However, the experience is significantly impacted by the park’s tight quarters, which affect parking, maneuvering, and neighbor proximity, leading to potential noise issues and a lack of spaciousness. Concerns regarding security and the surrounding urban environment, particularly the visibility of homelessness outside the park and experiences with public transport, are also notable factors. The condition of the restroom facilities leaves much to be desired. While some long-term residents clearly find the park appealing and suitable for their needs, our two stays, despite the convenience, highlighted sufficient drawbacks that lead us to conclude we would not return. This candid review aims to provide a realistic perspective for potential visitors considering Happy Traveler RV Park.
References
Happy Traveler RV Park Official Website: http://happytravelerrv.com/
