You can plan a December RV trip around holiday lights, but the rig doesn't always get to join the show. A few drive-through displays sell an RV ticket. Others cap vehicles at the size of a full-size long-bed pickup, and plenty publish no RV rule at all. Walk-through displays are the easy case: leave the rig at camp and go in the tow vehicle or toad.

Below are seven stops, each paired with a campground, plus a question that matters more in an RV than in a car: will the campground gate still be open when you get back? Two of them hadn't posted 2026 dates in early October, so confirm each show's dates on its official site before you book a campsite, then buy tickets.

Can You Drive an RV Through a Holiday Light Show?

Sometimes. Check the venue's FAQ first, because the rules fall into three groups.

Some sell an RV ticket. Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway says yes in its FAQ and prices RVs separately. The FAQ, which still showed last season's dates in early October, lists $35 per carload and $60 for a Bus/Limo/RV ticket. Lights Under Louisville, a drive-through show inside the Louisville Mega Cavern, sells a Full Size Van/Limo/RV/Small School Bus pass Sunday through Friday only. Every ticket must be bought in advance. It doesn't list a clearance, so confirm your rig's height and length with the venue before you pay.

Some cap vehicle size. Phoenix Zoo's Cruise ZooLights night allows nothing larger than a full-size long-bed truck: 266 inches long, 81 inches wide and 74 inches high. If your rig is bigger, it stays at camp.

Many say nothing about RVs. Callaway's Fantasy in Lights and the Bull Run Festival of Lights are drive-throughs with no published RV policy. Bull Run lists a bus ticket, and Callaway's FAQ names the vehicles it keeps out of the gardens, from motorcycles to golf carts, but neither mentions RVs. Treat that silence as a question and call before you take a motorhome into the line. Even operators that sell large-vehicle passes vary by location: Shadrack's warns that some of its venues don't permit buses or RVs.

The easy workaround: if you tow, unhitch at camp and drive the tow vehicle through. In a motorhome with a toad, take the toad. That usually settles the size question and, where there's an RV tier, skips the higher price. A strict cap like Cruise ZooLights' applies to every vehicle, though, so measure the tow vehicle against it too.

Expect house rules in line. Cruise ZooLights wants headlights off, mirrors pulled in and a 4 mph crawl, with no pets in the vehicle. Shadrack's asks drivers to turn headlights off or dim them, so if yours come on automatically, learn how to switch them off before you reach the entrance. Callaway allows pets in personal vehicles but not on its trolley.

Displays Worth Routing an RV Trip Around

Listed east to west, not ranked.

Bull Run Festival of Lights and Winter Walk of Lights, Northern Virginia

Bull Run puts the light show and the campground in the same park. The Festival of Lights is a 2.5-mile drive-through route in Bull Run Regional Park in Centreville, held every year from November until just after New Year's Day. The announced 2026 dates are November 14 through January 3, 2027, weather permitting. Admission covers the Holiday Village and carnival at the end of the drive, though rides cost extra. There's no RV rule, so ask NOVA Parks before you bring a motorhome through.

The Bull Run campground has electric-only and full-hookup RV sites and posts winter rates for November through March. For a second night without moving camp, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna hosts the Winter Walk of Lights on a half-mile paved trail that's wheelchair and stroller accessible, November 11 through January 3. Tickets are online only from December 4 through December 31.

Holiday Lights and Carnival Rides, Largo, Florida

The City of Largo fills Largo Central Park with more than 2.5 million LED lights, plus a carousel, a Ferris wheel and market vendors. Last season it ran from Thanksgiving, November 27, to January 4, 5 to 10 p.m. Also in Largo, Florida Botanical Gardens' Holiday Lights in the Gardens had about 1 million LED lights last season, November 28 to January 3. The city hadn't posted 2026 dates in early October, so check its holiday events listing before you plan around either one. The listing describes no RV parking, so leave the rig at camp.

Camp at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County's 236-site family campground, where every site has water and 30- to 50-amp electric service. Sites 1 through 85 are for units shorter than 16 feet, so book 86 through 236, which take all camping units, for anything bigger. If one December week turns into wanting the whole winter in Florida, the Florida snowbird guide covers longer stays.

Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Resort and Gardens, Pine Mountain, Georgia

This is the long drive of the group: about seven miles through 18 scenes and more than 10 million lights. Callaway says to allow at least 45 minutes. The announced 2026 season runs November 13 through January 3, 2027, with the Callaway Christmas Village and a walkthrough area alongside the drive.

Tickets are per person for everyone 4 and older, and each one is tied to a date and time slot. The show runs rain or shine with no weather refunds. A ticket also includes same-day Gardens admission, which makes a daylight arrival worth it.

Callaway publishes no RV policy. Call 1-800-CALLAWAY before you bring a motorhome or trailer through. The alternatives are the tow vehicle or the guided Jolly Trolley.

The resort's lodging list shows the Lodge, cottages and villas but no RV sites. F.D. Roosevelt State Park, which also has a Pine Mountain address, is Georgia's largest state park and has 115 tent, trailer and RV campsites. Reserve through Georgia State Parks and confirm December dates when you book.

A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee

You see A Country Christmas on foot, so the rig stays at camp. The resort strings more than 5 million lights, and the season runs November 6, 2026 through January 2, 2027. The centerpiece is ice!, a walk-through attraction carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice and kept at 9°F, with a complimentary hooded parka for every guest. The 2026 theme is "Home Alone."

Three rules from the resort's FAQ shape the visit:

• Tickets are sold online in advance only, with timed entry for the ice attraction.
• On peak dates, access after 3 p.m. is guaranteed only to overnight guests and ticket holders. For 2026 that's every Friday and Saturday from November 20, plus November 23–26 and December 18–31.
• During the holidays, table-service restaurants take reservations from overnight guests only. Plan dinner at camp.

Parking is paid, with no RV parking described. Two Rivers Campground, an RV-only park about two miles north of the resort, is about 11 miles from downtown Nashville and lists shuttle services into the city. Confirm December availability when you book.

An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri

Silver Dollar City is a theme park you walk. Its Christmas season, November 6 through January 1, 2027, features 7 million lights and an eight-story animated tree on Town Square.

The park's own campground has 30- and 50-amp RV sites, including 50-amp pull-throughs, with water at every site type and sewer at all but the basic 30-amp sites. A complimentary shuttle to the park runs roughly every three hours. The campground's posted clubhouse hours run only through December 29, so confirm it's open for your dates, especially after Christmas. Table Rock State Park is the public option. Its campgrounds stay open year-round with electric and sewer/electric/water sites, some with 50-amp service, but its winter water rules and 10 p.m. gate both matter in December.

Gift of Lights at Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas

Of the seven stops, this is the only drive-through that says yes to RVs in writing. Gift of Lights is a two-mile course with about 3 million lights and glowing tunnels. Plan on about 45 minutes, the average drive-through time.

The 2026 dates were still listed as coming soon in early October. Last season ran from Thanksgiving, November 27, 2025, to January 4, 2026, closing at 9 or 10 p.m. depending on the night. It stayed open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Camp at Holiday Park on the west side of Benbrook Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campground off US Highway 377 and the lake's main park for year-round family camping. Since April 1, 2026, it books through Recreation.gov only and has no gate attendant. You enter with a code emailed after you reserve. Map the drive back before you pick a showtime: Holiday Park is reached from I-20 or I-820 in southwest Fort Worth, while the speedway's own directions start from I-35W at Highway 114. For more Dallas-Fort Worth campgrounds, see the Texas RV camping guide.

ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Arizona

ZooLights is a walk: five million lights along more than two miles of trail, including a 200-foot light tunnel, from November 25 through January 15, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are good for any one night and can't be refunded. The zoo says most animals won't be visible. It also names Monday through Wednesday as the least crowded nights and suggests arriving around 7:30 or 8 p.m. to miss the opening wave. When the main lots fill, an overflow lot at Phoenix Municipal Stadium sits about a 15-minute walk away. No RV parking is described, so come in the tow vehicle or toad.

Cruise ZooLights, the drive-through version, runs one night only (January 17, 2027), with its own advance ticket and the size cap above.

Camp at Usery Mountain Regional Park, a Maricopa County park with a 73-site campground. Developed sites have water and electric hookups, dump station access and parking for RVs up to 45 feet. All individual sites can be reserved online. Confirm December dates when you book.

Check the Campground Gate Before You Leave for the Lights

Light shows run late, and some campgrounds lock up early. Check the gate rule against the show's closing time before you pick a night.

Late returns also land in quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. at Bull Run and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Benbrook Lake. For any other campground, ask about after-hours entry when you book.

Booking a December Campsite

Book the campsite before the show tickets. Tickets for Callaway, ZooLights and Gift of Lights are nonrefundable. Gaylord Opryland, Lights Under Louisville and Cruise ZooLights sell only in advance, as does Meadowlark for most of December.

• Booking windows. Missouri State Parks, Table Rock included, now take reservations up to 12 months ahead, online or at 877-422-6766. Fort De Soto opens six months ahead (seven for Pinellas County residents).
• Minimum stays. At Bull Run, a full-hookup reservation made more than 60 days out needs seven nights. Inside 60 days the winter minimum is two, with three on holiday weekends for every site. Water-and-electric sites stay at two nights year-round, which makes them easier for a short stay booked early. Silver Dollar City Campground wants two nights on weekends, Thursday through Sunday.
• Stay limits and arrival times. Fort De Soto caps stays at 14 nights in any 30 days, and Benbrook Lake at 14 days in any 30-day period. Holiday Park allows no check-in before 3 p.m.

For general booking strategy, see how to find the best RV parks and campgrounds.

Cold Nights at Camp

For camping at altitude in winter, see our Colorado ski trip guide.

The Christmas-trip campgrounds below post their own winter rules:

• Silver Dollar City Campground asks every RV site to disconnect from the water hydrant overnight when freezing temperatures are expected.
• Table Rock State Park shuts off campsite water spigots from December through February. Potable water stays available at the dump stations, and one shower house stays open in Campground 1.
• Bull Run closes its non-electric campsites from November 1 through March 31.

Past those posted rules, how your RV handles a cold night depends on the unit. Follow its labels and owner's manual for the water, heating and electrical systems, including its carbon monoxide and LP gas alarms. The RV safety hub covers fire and carbon monoxide basics. Have a qualified RV technician check anything you're unsure about before you leave. The RV winterization guide goes deeper on freeze protection.

Planning the Route

Pick a region and stay a while. Long driving days between shows mean setting up tired in the dark. Northern Virginia (Bull Run and Meadowlark) and Pinellas County (both Largo displays) each give you two shows from one campsite.

Go on a weeknight when you can. Bull Run says Monday through Thursday is calmer and the week before and the week after Christmas are its busiest. The Phoenix Zoo gives similar advice. Leave a spare night for weather too. Bull Run runs weather permitting, and Callaway doesn't refund tickets for rain.

Save some of the magic for the campsite: battery LED lights on the awning if the campground allows decorations, hot chocolate at the picnic table and a notebook where everyone writes one line about each night's show. A few Decembers in, that notebook beats any photo album. Shopping for the RVer in the family? See our gifts for RV owners guide.

Don't Have the Rig Yet?

If this trip is pulling you toward RV ownership, rent first to test the lifestyle, then take the RV quiz to narrow down the type. The drive-through rules make a useful test. With a travel trailer, the trailer stays at camp and the tow vehicle goes to the shows. With a Class C motorhome, the size question comes along to every drive-through gate unless you also tow a car. The sizing guide helps you work out what size RV you need.

When a floorplan looks right, see it in person. Find your local dealer and ask for its exact length and height before you plan next December's route.