Finding showers, especially free public showers when living in a vehicle or traveling full-time, can be tough. Many van lifers opt not to install plumbing, instead going for solar showers, gym showers, or showering in campgrounds.
Or maybe you’re homeless living in a city, where finding those free showers is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
We’ve been living in a van and traveling for four years now and have never had an indoor shower. Our favorite method is our solar shower, but there are many other ways to find good, hot showers. Some of them cost a small amount, and some are free.
So, next time you’re Googling, “public showers near me”, consider these options.
1) Check Out the Public Showers Directory
If you’re looking for a shower on the road, the Public Showers Directory is a great place to start. This website lists affordable or free public showers, state-by-state. You’ll find everything from truck stops to non-profits to churches that offer showering facilities.
This list for each state isn’t extensive, but it’s a good place to start. For example, California lists just 99 locations, when there are many more if you just now where to look.
Check out the Public Showers Directory here.
2) Get a Gym Membership
Many van lifers and full-time travelers get a cheap nationwide gym membership in order to find affordable showers. Planet Fitness and Anytime Fitness are two of the most popular gyms that have locations everywhere.
In 2022, the average cost of membership at Anytime Fitness is $41 per month in the United States and $53 in Canada.
Planet Fitness is even cheaper and depends on the location of your home club. As an example, a membership at the McMinnville, Oregon Planet Fitness with access to gyms around the world is just $25 per month. And it’s only $10 for access to just that one club, which would work well if you’re living in a van one place.
If you can’t afford a gym membership, some offer a free day pass to check out their facilities, which you can use to exercise and get a free public shower.
3) Find a Local YMCA or Rec Center
A good, clean and safe place to take an affordable public shower is at YMCAs or recreation centers. YMCA’s usually have a cheap day pass you can use to work out, use the pool and shower. While I haven’t personally done this yet, I did look up a local YMCA in California’s East Bay, and a day pass was $10.
Not bad, especially if you use the YMCA’s other facilities and spend some time there.
4) Use a Truck Stop Shower
Truck stops cater to people living life on the road, so they’re a great place to take a public shower.
The average price of a truck stop shower is $10-$15, which seems expensive until you compare it to the cost of getting a campsite for the night, which is usually isn’t cheaper than $20 per night.
Truck stop shower facilities are usually clean and well-maintained, and some even give out towels when you purchase a shower!
Along with taking a nice, hot public shower, a truck stop is also a good place to stock up on snacks, coffee and food, and use the WiFi to check your email. Truck stops are some of my favorite places to take a break during a road trip. Sometimes, you can even spend the night at a truck stop, killing two birds with one stone.
Here are some well-known truck stop companies with public showers. You can search the websites to figure out which exact locations have public showers, so you aren’t disappointed.
You can also use this amazing resource, Truck Stop Guide, to see all the truck stops near you, by zip code or by state.
5) Find a Campground with Public Shower Facilities
Another way to find a hot public shower is to search for a campground with a shower facility on site.
For example, when we were road-tripping across Oregon, we intentionally parked in an RV campground because we knew there would be nice public showers. We’ve also found state campgrounds with shower facilities. One state campground in Oregon lets non-campers shower for $2, which is a bargain.
In California, you can buy tokens and use the coin-operated campground showers even if you aren’t spending the night.
We’ve also used the public shower bathhouse in Yosemite National Park several times, even though we weren’t staying at one of the campgrounds.
Oftentimes, campgrounds that cater to RVers have showers, like KOA campgrounds, but those are on the spendier side.
A really good way to find campgrounds with showers is to use an app like The Dyrt to filter for showering facilities.
6) Search for a Hot Springs Resort for a Public Shower
There’s nothing better than a day pass or overnight camping pass at a hot springs resort while you’re on a long-haul road trip.
Oftentimes, you can pay $20 or so for a soak and to use the public showers. Some facilities charge $35 or $50 per person to camp overnight, which is what we often decide to do.
Most hot springs require you to take a shower before you enter the hot mineral water, so this is the perfect place to clean up.
When we’re on a road trip, I’m always googling what types of hot springs facilities are on our route.
Also, some cities have relaxing bathhouses which include outdoor soaking pools and showers. Portland, Oregon has two we’ve used: The Everett House and Common Ground Wellness Cooperative. A great place to shower and soak before a night out on the town!
7) Find a Hotel Swimming Pool that Offers a Day Pass
After we visited Joshua Tree National Park, we were dying for a hot public shower somewhere.
I googled hotel resorts and found two hotels in the nearby town of Desert Hot Springs that offered day passes.
For about $9, we were able to use the pools, hot tubs and the private shower facilities. This was a great way to clean up and get a little relaxation in after our camping trip.
It never hurts to call a hotel and ask if they have day passes, especially if that hotel is known for its pool.
7) Find a Hotel Swimming Pool that Offers a Day Pass
After we visited Joshua Tree National Park, we were dying for a hot public shower somewhere.
I googled hotel resorts and found two hotels in the nearby town of Desert Hot Springs that offered day passes.
For about $9, we were able to use the pools, hot tubs and the private shower facilities. This was a great way to clean up and get a little relaxation in after our camping trip.
It never hurts to call a hotel and ask if they have day passes, especially if that hotel is known for its pool.
8) Find a Boutique Gym or Yoga Studio Promotion
If you plan on camping in or near a particular city for a month or two, it might be a good idea to see if a local gym or work-out studio is offering a special promotion or free day passes.
For example, when we were in Minnesota recently I found one yoga studio offering a free week of classes.
You’ll often find “new member” promotions at many gyms and studios, so it doesn’t hurt to ask around or click through the website looking for new member deals.
You can get that added bonus of working out AND getting a nice, free public shower.
You can also use Groupon to find deals on local gyms. I’ve done this several times! I’ve also signed up for a free trial of Class Pass twice, and I took several classes and then got to take a shower for free.
9) Take a Solar Shower
I’m totally obsessed with our Sea to Summit solar shower, and would never go on a van life camping trip without it. Solar showers are affordable and environmentally friendly.
Just hang it up in the sun and you’ll have hot water by the end of the day. We often cheat and boil water on our stove for a fast and easy shower. I’ve even washed my hair in the back of a parking lot in a city before, and it worked out great!
Solar showers don’t take up very much room inside your van. Ours can be stowed away when not in use, and its package is the size of a deck of playing cards. If you need to use a solar shower in a campground, you can invest in a shower tent.
Besides working well for showers, you can also hang the shower up in your campsite and use it for washing hands or dishes.
10) Buy a Portable Shower
If a solar shower isn’t for you, there are all kinds of portable showers on the market these days. This is a more expensive way to shower on the road, but if you use it often enough, the price just might be worth it.
A couple of portable showers to check out are Rinse Kit and the Geyser shower. You can also put a road shower on your vehicle’s roof rack, which heats up in the sun and comes with a hose. Click here to read our article about The Best Showers for Van Life.
One cheap portable shower idea is to use a bug sprayer or weed sprayer from Home Depot, add hot water, and you’re good to go.
Portable showers to check out:
11) Jump in a river or a lake
If the day is warm enough, you can wash off your sweat and grime by jumping in a lake or a creek while living the van life. But please don’t use soap if you do this, not even biodegradable soap! Any type of soap can harm sensitive creatures like frogs and salamanders.
A dip in a natural water source will clean you off well enough without using any type of products.
If you do need to use soap, buy a collapsible bucket, fill it with water, and bathe with Dr. Bonner’s biodegradable soap at least 200 feet from the creek or lake.
When we hiked the John Muir Trail for 22 days, we bathed every day in a crisp, cold stream, never using soap. And we felt as good as new.
12) Keep Body Wipes and Dry Shampoo on Hand
If you can’t seem to find a water source for a shower, full-body outdoor wipes and dry shampoo will do the trick.
These Wilderness Wipes from REI are designed to cut through dirt and sweat, and leave your skin feeling soft and clean rather than sticky. These wipes are pH balanced for human skin, and are even compostable after use. The wipes contain aloe vera and Vitamin E. The perfect “shower” for those days when finding water isn’t convenient. I’ve used these on my feet and lower legs to clean up before bed.
You can pair those wipes with some dry shampoo, and you’ll feel as good as new at the end of a long day.
13) Check out the Public Showers at a Public Beach
Many public beaches have free showers! No, this won’t be the warmest shower of your life, and will probably be downright cold, but at least it’s a shower.
These public showers are often in full view of everyone on the beach, so make sure you have a bathing suit you keep in your van.
This is perfect for van lifers cruising down the coast. You may also find beachside showers at large lakes, too.
We’d definitely recommend beachside public showers on a hot day – and you can’t beat the price. Tom’s taken them before after surfing, and even washed his hair in the cold water. I’m too chicken to take a free shower at the beach, though!
14) Try to Take a Public Shower at a Boat Marina
Another spot we’ve had success in finding a public shower facility are at boat marinas.
Sometimes, a marina requires a code to get in as they’re typically reserved for people who rent a slip. Other times, the bathroom door is propped wide open and you can easily go in there and shower.
When we stayed in Hood River, Oregon recently we found an awesome marina shower that cost just $1 per shower! You never know what you might find if you look around.
We know one guy who gots to boat marinas and asks the security guard for the code to get into the bathroom.
That’s an option that scares me, but it works for him!
15) Find State or Public Parks with Public Showers
Public showers aren’t always associated with campgrounds. You can also find shower facilities in state parks, county parks or city parks.
Your best bet is to find a park with a day use area that’s near a beach.
We recently found hot public showers at a state park in Port Townsend, Washington. These showers did cost, but I’ll take a cheap public shower that’s hot any day.
16) Community Swimming Pools
If you’re driving through town and feel the need for a hot shower, try looking up a community pool. Pools usually offer a day pass that includes access to the locker rooms and showers.
The price of entry at a community pool varies depending on which part of the country you’re in. We’ve seen prices for as cheap as $3 for a day pass up to $7. Some community pools might also just sell you a shower pass.
17) Go to a Nudist Resort
If you’re into that type of thing, you can look around and see where there’s a nudist resort in your area. These resorts typically offer bathrooms, showers, pools and hot tubs. You can buy a day pass or spend the night in your campervan.
But if you’re not into nudist retreats, these types of places will come as a shock!
Shower accessories you’ll want to have on hand
- Turkish Towels
- Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap
- Shower Tote
- Crocs Flip Flops
- Dry Shampoo
- Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes
Turkish towels are absolutely amazing for van life - way better than microfiber. We use these exclusively because they are quick-drying, soft, lightweight and really portable. The cotton feels really good on the skin compared to microfiber and they actually wick water better.
These towels can also be used as a sarong, or a towel to picnic on. Items with multiple uses are a great space-saving gift idea.
We are obsessed with using Dr. Bonner's soap. Dr. Bronner's Liquid Pure-Castile Soap offers organic and vegan ingredients for a rich, emollient lather and a moisturizing after feel.
We use it both for washing dishes and ourselves! It can be used for pretty much anything, and is biodegradable. A great soap! (Just don't use it near a stream!)
If you’re walking a lot between your campervan and public showers, we recommend using a shower tote to store your soap, shampoo, razors and other showering accessories.
You'll want to keep some sort of shower shoes to wear when entering public shower facilities. I like a pair of Crocs and Tom wears slip-ons from Walmart. A pair of flip flops would also do the trick!
I've tried this Living Proof dry shampoo and really like it. Great for days when you don't have the water or time for a shower.
Biodegradable wipes are definitely a must-have for those living the van life. These Wilderness Wipes from REI are amazing for helping a camper feel clean and refreshed. Plus, these baby wipes are 100% compostable!
Wilderness Wipes are pH balanced for human skin, and are even compostable after use. The wipes contain aloe vera and Vitamin E. The perfect "shower" for those days when finding water isn't convenient.
Everyone loves and needs showers, especially when living the van life. Here are our top recommendations of the shower gear you should have on hand when living life on the road.
Conclusion on public showers
Public showers aren’t very hard to find if you’re on a road trip in your campervan.
You don’t have to worry about installing a shower unit inside your van, which can take up space and cause moisture and mold.
A solar shower doesn’t take up much space, and can be rolled up when not in use.
Our best finds for public showers are at truck stops, cheap nationwide gyms, rec centers and public beaches.
Where are your favorite places to find a shower?
Nice Article.
Private Showers for Drivers in Mendon, Ohio | Motor Inn Travel Plaza
Rideon!!!!