Very conveniently located just off where I90 and I39 meet up here in NW Rockford, this exclusive member’s only big box club retailer offers up a simply gargantuan parking lot that might just be perfect for your RV or 5th Wheel. This much is true: there’s plenty of room at this particular parking lot outpost, whether rolling up at 1 in the afternoon or 1 in the morning. Plus, the huge upside here is that it is less than 7 minutes to access from the time that you will leave I39 / 90 corridor AND it places you pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything.
If parking in a retailer’s front porch isn’t your idea of a good time, then you might want to consider other options for parking your RV overnight and actually want a decent spot, then rather than this pit stop bummer, I would recommend looking at actual campground outposts nearby like Thousand Trails Pine Country, Holiday Acres Camping Resort, Northwoods RV Resort or Rock Cut SP, where they have 4 (count‘em 4!) different campgrounds that you can land your RV for the night and every one of these places also provide a natural environment with reduced noise and congestion. But should you decide to park here for whatever the reason, I recommend ‘dropping anchor’ on the southern periphery where you’ll be furthest away from E State Street / Route 20 to the north, which is noisy and busy.
Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) Hungry? Well, obviously, if you are a member, you can chomp your way to gnashing bliss inside Sam’s but if you want something that will either satiate that need immediately or will allow you to stock up, there’s a ton of options either way. Here’s a handful of places to get your food on: Red Robin Burgers& Brew, Ali Baba, Jason’s Deli Panera, Applebee’s, Machine Shed, Golden Corral (yes, apparently that’s still a thing in these parts), Chick-fil-A, Five Guys and Beef-A-Roo (don’t ask, it’s a local thing). If you want something actually memorable, I would suggest Stone Eagle Tavern as well as Smokey Bones, which serves up some simply d-lish wings; (2) If you are looking to grab a slice of nature nearby, head just northwest to Rock Cut SP where you can launch a canoe or kayak from here into Pierce Lake. There’s also a ton of trails to hike here in this prairie preserve slice of pristine nature; and (3) Want to load up on groceries and supplies? Well, you’ll be in luck here as Sam’s Club pretty much has everything, but if you’re not a member, less than a mile from here you’ll be able to access another member-only retailer like Costco but if you don’t like the idea of having to pay to shop in the first place, then check-out Walmart, Gordon Food and Home Depot.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 4
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 3
Peace & Quiet: 3
Amenities: 3
Overall, I scored this location a 4
Happy Overnighting!
Overnight Parking
