Wichita to Baltimore Road Trip Guide

Introduction

Wichita is one of the most populated cities in the nation’s central plains. Located in Kansas, it also has the title of the largest city of the state with a population of nearly 400,000 people. Just because it’s located in the middle of America, doesn’t mean that it cannot be the perfect starting point for what might be a half cross-county that ends in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States.

Moving from west to east might just be quite the road trip for you and the family. But you’ll be seeing plenty of big cities, lush forests, and all kinds of attractions and landmarks. Doing this in an RV over the span of seven days is doable. The question is: are you up for the task?

Baltimore is a city that is situated near the coast of Maryland. While the city itself doesn’t have any beaches, it’s not far away from a few of them. Plus, it’s a city that has its own unique charm (hence the nickname “Charm City”). If you ever end up in Baltimore, you might want to catch an Orioles game when baseball season is in full swing or even a Ravens game if football is more your sport.

From the nation’s heartland to the east coast, this is a road journey that has the potential to create so many lasting memories with RV parks and attractions to visit along the way.

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Details

60'
Max RV length
60'
Max trailer Length
Road trip length: 7+ days
Recommend rig: motorhome
audience: family

Point of Interest

Museum Of World Treasures

Why not start off this road trip with a visit to a museum that exhibits so many of the world’s treasures? We’re talking artifacts that date back well into ancient times. Other than the dinosaur bones and Ancient Egyptian artifacts, you might be surprised to see what’s on display here. One of those things is a shrunken head. No kidding...a shrunken head is among one of the artifacts. Also included here is a signature of every United States president and even a section of the Berlin Wall. This is a place where kids and adults alike can learn about the world and its history.

There are plenty of RV parks that are mostly to the south of Witchita. One of them that will take RVs of almost any size is the Air Capital RV Park. It’s a fairly brand new facility with plenty of amenities and pull-through sites.


National World War I Museum

If you cannot get enough of history, you’re in luck. The National World War I Museum is worth checking out if you go through Kansas City, Missouri. After the first World War had ended, a monument was later built in memory of those who were killed during the conflict that had lasted nearly four years. From 1921 to 1926, the Egyptian-style monument was constructed and later dedicated. Today, the monument serves as the centerpiece of the National World War I Museum. Be sure to explore parts of Kansas City if you get the chance and enjoy some good old fashioned Kansas City BBQ.

If you’re looking for an RV park, you might find a lot of them scattered throughout the outskirts of the city. If you are looking for one that is close to a bunch of restaurants that can be accessible within walking distance, the Stadium Park & Campground might be a good spot for you and your family to settle in while in the Kansas City area.


Mark Twain National Forest

As you are driving from one end of Missouri to the next, you’ll be entering parts of the Mark Twain National Forest. The forest covers 29 counties in the Show-Me State with plenty of places for outdoor enthusiasts to go hiking, walking, fishing, hunting, or biking. It might be a bit out of the way, but it’s definitely worth the trip if you are an outdoor lover.

Since you are in a national forest, there is almost a certainty that you’ll find lots of campgrounds and RV parks where you can set up and stay the night.


Gateway Arch

At this point, you’ve now reached the east end of Missouri. Of course, since St. Louis is considered the “Gateway To The West”, you’ve reached what might be the point where the western US meets the eastern half.

The Gateway Arch is a place that you really need to check out while you are in St. Louis. You can actually go inside the arch itself and check out the awesome views of the city and the Mississippi River. Accessing the observation deck is quite interesting. While you can take the stairs, you can also use the elevators and trams that will send you from one end of the arch all the way up to the observation deck and down the other end. While it might be a little out of the way of your route (assuming you’re traveling by way of I-70), St. Louis is a must-see city before you make your trek farther east.

St. Louis has plenty of RV parks both inside the city and in the outskirts. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anything quite like the St. Louis RV Park located in the city. With plenty of amenities including a swimming pool, it’s not your run of the mill RV park or campground. Plus, it’s not one of those off the beaten path campgrounds.


Indianapolis Motor Speedway

After you’ve driven through much of Illinois and Indiana, you might have made a stop or two along the way to spend the night. You’ve arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here, you might want to check out the world’s largest racing circuit known as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This race track is the home of the world-famous Indy 500 and NASCAR's Brickyard 400. If it’s racing season, you might catch a race and enjoy the high-speed thrills.

After you’ve explored the raceway and a good part of Indianapolis, you can find a KOA RV park just east of downtown. KOA Campgrounds have locations all throughout the United States and is always a reliable place for RV travelers like you to settle in and spend the night.


National Museum Of The United States Air Force

Located just north of Dayton, Ohio is Wright-Patterson AFB. This is the largest and oldest military aviation museum in the world. You’ll see hundreds of aircraft and missiles on display ranging from the World War I era to the present time. If you are a sucker for military history, you probably don’t ever want to leave here.

There are plenty of exhibits and stories that you’ll want to hear regarding America’s aviation power in times of war and peace. These military aircraft and the way they move and operate would be enough to make the Wright Brother's jaws drop. Before you go into the wild blue yonder, you can spend the night at the Dayton KOA Resort located northwest of downtown Dayton.


Center of Science and Industry

From Dayton, you’ll head east through central Ohio and end up smack dab in the middle of the Buckeye State in the capital of Columbus. That’s where you’ll find the Center of Science and Industry. This museum holds as many as 300 exhibits relating to science. You and your family will learn everything from space, oceans, technology, and so much more. With so many interactive things to do, you’ll feel like a kid at heart again when you spend some time here.

There is no shortage of RV parks in Columbus, so you’ll have plenty of options at hand. But you can never go wrong with a KOA campground located just off I-70 east of downtown Columbus.


Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Almost there! Now, you’ll be deep in the heart of Appalachia as you drive past West Virginia and parts of Maryland. Before you reach Baltimore, you might want to stop in Harpers Ferry. That’s where you’ll find some great hiking trails and enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities. Harper’s Ferry serves as the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. It is here where the trail’s hikers will earn their trail name before they head farther north (or south if they’re starting from the other end). After you’ve done some hiking, you can check out another Harpers Ferry landmark known as the John Brown Fort (formerly known as the Harper’s Ferry Armory).

Since you are pretty much in an outdoor paradise, there’s a bunch of campgrounds and RV parks to choose from. Most of them are situated along the banks of the Potomac River.


Summary

You’ve made it to Charm City! Now that you’re here, you can explore the city as you please. You’d be crazy to miss out on the opportunity to visit the Inner Harbor. You’ll find plenty of ships of the civilian and military variety docking in the harbor. You might also want to check out the Maryland Science Center. If you are more of a history buff, you should check out Fort McHenry. It is said to be the place where Francis Scott Key was held captive by the British. As he was imprisoned on the ship, he wrote the famous words that would eventually become the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem. Of course, you really want to indulge in a few of those crab cakes that made Maryland famous.

There are plenty of RV parks outside of Baltimore, so you may need to go a little out of the way if you need to find one where you can spend a night or two.

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