In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
3,900 kilometres of Americana: neon signs, grain elevators and desert tracks – three weeks across the continent to the Pacific.
The spirit of the route
Route 66 is not a road, it is a patchwork. Sometimes you roll along the original concrete ribbon, its expansion joints knocking in rhythm under the tyres; sometimes the old alignment disappears beneath the interstate and resurfaces two exits later as a frontage road. From the sliding door you see cornfields in Illinois, red earth in Oklahoma and wind turbines above the Texas Panhandle, mesas and pueblo villages in New Mexico, ponderosa forests in Arizona and, at the end, the Mojave with its Joshua trees. In between stand rusting gas stations, motels with neon lights and diners where your coffee is refilled without you having to ask. Anyone who drives this route drives slowly, stops often and listens: to the people in Seligman, Tucumcari and Galena who keep the Mother Road alive.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Chicago to Springfield, Illinois (approx. 320 km)
- The drive
- From the “Begin Route 66” sign on Adams Street near the Art Institute through the suburbs to Joliet, then parallel to I-55 on dead-straight country roads through cornfields. Flat and easy – the city traffic at the start is the hardest part.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Gemini Giant in Wilmington, a fibreglass figure in a space helmet from the 1960s.
- The restored Standard Oil gas station in Odell and the Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum in Pontiac.
- The Lincoln Home in Springfield, a National Park Service historic site.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Kankakee River State Park near Bourbonnais, about 20 minutes off the route, by the river under deciduous trees: sites with electricity, washrooms with showers, dump station.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Illinois has hardly any public land for free camping. Many supermarkets outside the big cities tolerate one night in the car park – ask in the store first.
- Insider tip for campers
- Some expressways around Chicago (Illinois Tollway) are tolled and cashless (I-PASS/E-ZPass). Without a transponder, pay the bill by licence plate online with the Illinois Tollway before the deadline. In a motorhome, set off early in the morning and avoid the city centre.
2Stage 2: Springfield, Illinois to Cuba, Missouri (approx. 300 km)
- The drive
- Through small towns down to the Mississippi, right across St. Louis; beyond it the wooded Ozark hills begin, with the first bends. About 4 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi – the old Route 66 bridge with the bend in the middle, now open only to pedestrians and cyclists.
- The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, with the capsule ride to the top.
- Cuba, the “Route 66 Mural City” with its murals, and the giant rocking chair in Fanning.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Onondaga Cave State Park near Leasburg, in the woods on the Meramec River: sites with electricity, showers and a show cave to visit.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Mark Twain National Forest south of the route, dispersed camping is allowed along forest roads, usually with a 14-day limit.
- Insider tip for campers
- Parking for motorhomes is scarce in downtown St. Louis, and many parking garages near the Arch have low height limits – ask Gateway Arch National Park in advance about parking for large vehicles and arrive early.
3Stage 3: Cuba, Missouri to Tulsa (approx. 500 km)
- The drive
- Through the Ozarks to Springfield (Missouri), the “Birthplace of Route 66”, via Joplin and through the corner of Kansas, just 13 miles long, into Oklahoma. Around 5 to 6 hours plus stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Galena in Kansas, with the rusty tow truck said to have inspired “Mater” in the film “Cars”.
- The Blue Whale in Catoosa, a whale-shaped swimming spot from the 1970s on a pond.
- Tulsa, with the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza and art deco buildings downtown.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Keystone State Park west of Tulsa on the reservoir, with electric hookups and washrooms.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs in Oklahoma have very cheap, basic campgrounds; genuine free camping is not allowed there, however.
- Insider tip for campers
- Oklahoma's turnpikes (including the Will Rogers Turnpike) are cashless – without a PikePass you are billed by licence plate (PlatePay). If you drive the old 66, you avoid the tolls anyway.
4Stage 4: Tulsa to Oklahoma City (approx. 170 km)
- The drive
- On one of the best-preserved stretches of Route 66 in the country, two lanes through hills and pastures – a relaxed half-day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Round Barn in Arcadia, a round wooden barn from 1898.
- The roughly 20-metre-high neon soda bottle at POPS in Arcadia.
- The Oklahoma City National Memorial to the victims of the 1995 bombing.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Lake Thunderbird State Park south-east of Oklahoma City: lakeside sites with electricity, washrooms, dump station.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): No legal free camping in the city – use the inexpensive state parks or the reservoirs.
- Insider tip for campers
- Spring is tornado season: install a severe-weather app with National Weather Service warnings and ask at the campground where the storm shelter is.
5Stage 5: Oklahoma City to Amarillo (approx. 420 km)
- The drive
- Wider, flatter, windier: wind turbines turn on the horizon, and the old alignment often runs right beside I-40. Around 5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton and the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City.
- The art deco U-Drop Inn gas station in Shamrock, now a visitor centre.
- Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo: ten Cadillacs buried nose-down at an angle, which visitors decorate with spray paint.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, about 40 minutes south of Amarillo: sites with electricity and water deep down in the second-largest canyon in the USA.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnight stays at Texas rest areas are usually tolerated (often up to 24 hours) – check the signs. The state park is safer and quieter.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road down into Palo Duro Canyon is steep and winding: take long rigs down in a low gear. Crosswinds on the high plains push tall vehicles around a lot.
6Stage 6: Amarillo to Albuquerque (approx. 460 km)
- The drive
- Across the Llano Estacado into New Mexico, then through red hills and mesas; beyond Santa Rosa the road climbs to 2,000 m.
- Highlights & must-sees
- The Midpoint in Adrian (Texas): exactly halfway between Chicago and Santa Monica.
- Tucumcari, with neon motels and murals – best in the evening.
- The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, a crystal-clear, deep spring for swimming and diving.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Santa Rosa Lake State Park above the reservoir with wide views, or Conchas Lake State Park – both with electric sites and washrooms.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Dispersed camping is possible in the Cibola National Forest east of Albuquerque – in the Sandia district, however, only at designated spots in the Manzanita Mountains; in the Manzano Mountains along forest roads. Observe fire bans.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Albuquerque, a detour along Central Avenue is worthwhile – the old Route 66 alignment through the city, with neon signs. Top up water and supplies before heading into the sparsely populated high desert.
7Stage 7: Albuquerque to Flagstaff (approx. 520 km)
- The drive
- Through the high desert via Gallup into Arizona – long, but easy to split into two days with an overnight stop near the Petrified Forest.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Acoma Pueblo (“Sky City”), one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in North America – visits by guided tour only.
- Petrified Forest National Park with the Painted Desert; a 1932 Studebaker stands on the old Route 66 alignment inside the park.
- Holbrook with the Wigwam Motel, Winslow with “Standin’ on the Corner”, and Meteor Crater.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Fort Tuthill County Park on the southern edge of Flagstaff, in pine forest at 2,100 m.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Coconino National Forest around Flagstaff has numerous forest roads where dispersed camping is allowed – observe seasonal fire bans.
- Insider tip for campers
- There is no campground for motorhomes in the Petrified Forest, and the park closes in the evening – plan your overnight stop before or after it. Taking petrified wood is prohibited.
8Stage 8: Flagstaff to Kingman (approx. 240 km)
- The drive
- Via Williams, the last town to be bypassed by the interstate, in 1984; from Seligman, the longest continuous stretch of old Route 66 via Hackberry to Kingman – wide valleys, empty road, freight trains alongside.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Williams, with its historic centre and the Grand Canyon Railway.
- Seligman, the cradle of the Route 66 revival, full of souvenir shops and vintage-car scenery.
- Hackberry General Store – an open-air museum of the gas station era.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hualapai Mountain Park south-east of Kingman, a county park in pine forest above the desert.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Dispersed camping is allowed in the Kaibab National Forest around Williams; there is plenty of BLM land around Kingman.
- Insider tip for campers
- The next day takes you over Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman: tight hairpins, no guardrails, free-roaming burros. For long motorhomes and rigs, I-40 via Topock is the safe alternative.
9Stage 9: Kingman to Barstow (approx. 330 km)
- The drive
- Via Oatman or I-40 down to the Colorado River, then via Needles into the Mojave Desert – in summer the hottest stage of the trip.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Oatman, an old gold-mining town with burros on the main street.
- Amboy, with the neon sign of Roy’s Motel and the Amboy Crater volcanic cone.
- Calico Ghost Town near Barstow.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, a county campground at the ghost town, or Hole-in-the-Wall Campground in the Mojave National Preserve (detour).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Large areas of BLM land in the Mojave allow dispersed camping – don't drive far into soft sand.
- Insider tip for campers
- Sections of the National Trails Highway (Route 66) between Needles and Barstow were closed for years after bridge damage – check the status with San Bernardino County and switch to I-40 if necessary. In summer, above 45 °C: drive only early in the morning and carry plenty of water.
10Stage 10: Barstow to Santa Monica (approx. 210 km)
- The drive
- Over Cajon Pass down into the Los Angeles Basin, across the metropolitan area via Pasadena to the sea – traffic and jams are the real challenge.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande: a forest of metal trees hung with glass bottles.
- The Wigwam Motel in Rialto and Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
- The “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica Pier.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Los Angeles County's Dockweiler Beach RV Park, right on the beach near the airport, with full hookups. Quieter: Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): There is no legal free camping in Los Angeles; sleeping in your vehicle is prohibited in many neighbourhoods.
- Insider tip for campers
- Drive the city stage early on a weekend morning. Many parking garages in Santa Monica have height limits – the large open beach car parks on the Pacific Coast Highway or Ocean Park Boulevard are the better choice for motorhomes; check the signs for vehicle length and parking time.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- The route passes through eight states with very different rules. The Midwest (Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma) has little public land; dispersed camping is mainly in the Mark Twain National Forest.
- From New Mexico onwards it gets easy: in the national forests (Cibola, Coconino, Kaibab) and on BLM land in Arizona and California it is generally allowed, usually with a 14-day limit.
- Overnighting in supermarket car parks is often tolerated in small towns, rarely in big cities and in California.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt, Allstays.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations at state parks, at large truck stops and at many gas stations in the West; overview at sanidumps.com.
- From New Mexico onwards water becomes scarce – top up in every larger town.
- Propane at U-Haul locations and propane dealers; European gas bottles are usually not refilled.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits on the interstates are 65–80 mph depending on the state; in California, a maximum of 55 mph when towing a trailer.
- Tolls: Illinois Tollway (cashless, I-PASS/E-ZPass or online payment) and the turnpikes in Oklahoma (PikePass or billing by licence plate). Old Route 66 itself is toll-free.
- Sitgreaves Pass (Oatman) has tight hairpins – not recommended for long vehicles.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A detailed route guide (e.g. “EZ66 Guide for Travelers”) – without it you will miss the old stretches of alignment next to the interstate.
- A 30A/50A to 15A power adapter (“dogbone”) for the different hookups at state parks and county campgrounds.
- A severe-weather app with tornado warnings, or a NOAA weather radio, for the Plains in spring.
- A toll transponder, or licence-plate billing sorted out with your rental company, for Illinois and Oklahoma.
- Sunshade mats, a 12 V fan and 20–40 litres of reserve water for the Mojave.
- Levelling blocks for uneven county and forest sites.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
