One of the most exciting parts of camping is finding the perfect campsites. Fortunately, there are a number of apps and websites that are here to make the search much easier. Whether you are looking to hit the road in an RV or get completely off the grid, there is an app for all your camping needs.
Where to find Campsites Online
Reserve America
When reserving a campsite, Reserve America is your go-to tool. Reserve America manages online campsite reservations for most state and local government park lands campgrounds in North America.
The website gives you the option to search by site type, locations, and dates. Also, after creating an account, you can pick your favorite campsites and organize your top locations. Reserve America also helps you keep track of your upcoming trips and reservations.
Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov is another excellent tool for booking campsites. Sites on federal land are not bookable on Reserve America, so recreation.gov is the way to book those spots. The site gives you access to book over 3,500 facilities and 100,000 individual sites across the country.
Not only can you search for campground by desired location, but also you can narrow down results by activity. Recreation.gov helps you find the perfect place whether you’re hoping to hunt, fish, or go recreational shooting.
Pro Tip: Most national parks release campsites six months in advance. When going to recreation.gov, be sure to plan your trip early so spots don’t get completely booked.
Campendium
For those traveling in an RV, Campendium is the site to use. The site features 27,000 RV and tent campsites. Also, there’s plenty of reviews to see what people are saying about each campsite.
While Campendium is ideal to finding the campsite, the app doesn’t give you the opportunity to book your site. You will have to use external sites and apps such as Reserve America or Recreation.gov.
Hipcamp
Think of Hipcamp as the Airbnb of camping. Private landowners connect with campers on the app to allow people access to their campsites. Because finding available campground can be a difficult task, Hipcamp offers the opportunity to for campers to enjoy the great outdoors at places like farms, vineyards, and ranches.
Hipcamp may offer a diverse variety of campground, but it is more expensive than public campgrounds. However, with the higher price tag, campers can get more privacy and a different experience.
Go Camping America
Much like Hipcamp, Go Camping America offers campers the chance to stay on privately owned and operated campground. Over 3,000 RV Parks, Jellystone Parks, and KOAs are listed on the website.
For those looking for amenities and more developed campsites, Go Camping America is the app to use. Families traveling with children hoping to find campground with a pool or playground may have better luck using Go Camping America than other sites.
AllStays
For your one-stop shopping camping app, AllStays may be one of the most useful resources. On AllStays, campers can book more than 30,000 campgrounds, RV parks. And if you’re looking for something rather unique, campers can find free parkings lots to stay in on AllStays.
The most helpful feature on the AllStays app is the filters tool. Campers can find the perfect campground by narrowing down the selection based on cost, elevation, amenities, water hookup availability, and the type of camping.
Boondocking
Off-the-grid campers will likely be best suited by Boondocking.com. This public forum database allows campers to search for the best site using latitude and longitude.
The app also gives access to crowd-sourced information from other campers about successful locations off the beaten path. Boondocking is free on iOS devices.
iOverlander
According to the company website, “overlanding is self-reliant travel to remote locations where the journey is the principal goal.” Much like Boondocking, iOverlander is useful for the off-the-grid travelers. In fact, the app is completely volunteer run by a group of people who are “usually living out of their vehicle in many parts of the world.”
iOverlander is a database that allows campers to search listings for camping, hotels, restaurants, mechanics, water, and other resources on a map. Most importantly, the for the off-the-grid campers, you can use other travelers’ help, ideas, and GPS location to find the perfect spot.
The Dyrt
Campers looking to find reviews about campsites will be well-served by The Dyrt. This app is like your TripAdvisor or Yelp for the outdoors. Results can be filtered by campsites that require drive-in, walk-in, hike-in, or boat-in. Or if you’re looking to book a site in a specific state,
The Dyrt offers prizes and money to campers for leaving reviews on the site. So after your next camping trip, be sure to leave a review.
