There are plenty of great RV parks and well known public campsites to explore but they can fill quickly during the busy seasons. When you want to ditch the crowds or get off the beaten path, it’s worth exploring different platforms and resources where lesser known and more private campsites exist.
With crowdsourced content, state and federal resources and private campground platforms, the number of camping options outside of traditional parks is growing. You can find private property adjacent to national parks, waterfront retreats and just about everything from boondocking sites to full hookups without any neighbors. It pays to plan and book ahead for the truly unique and special places with limited space and tight reservations but there are plenty of last minute opportunities as well.
Hipcamp and The Dyrt
These are a few of the booking platforms that open very unique private campsites to the public. They operate similar to AirBnB with rating systems and transaction management to protect property owners and users. The private campgrounds come in different sizes and forms with some real gems out there. You can find single site properties on farms where you have complete privacy. National park adjacent, waterfront, mountain views and just about everything is possible through booking platforms. I’ve even used them to find local campsites just to mix things up and meet interesting hosts in my own region.
Take advantage of the filters on these platforms to find the perfect sites. You can find dog friendly, small campgrounds, completely private situations and there are plenty of on-grid and off-grid properties. The reviews are also great for determining access and getting a feel for the place. Moreover, you can communicate directly with the owners while booking to get more information and to make sure you have plenty of space to maneuver and access sites.
iOverlander
When it comes to crowdsourced camping information, there aren’t many platforms with as much information as iOverlander. It has campsites, mechanics, dumpsites, water sources and plenty more. Each location has associated comments and photos with dates attached to note the latest intel.
You can find some really amazing campsites using iOverlander. I would be cautious about listings with too many comments as they might be more heavily trafficked. There is an art to finding the sweet spot for good intel without attracting too many other campers. Regardless, this app is something every RVer should consider carrying on their phone. It’s loaded with current information and an abundance of campsites that would be difficult to locate otherwise.
OnX Maps and GAIA
For the boondockers and RVers who really enjoy going off-grid, these mapping apps are a great tool. The primary benefit for RVers is the land boundary features that show public lands and road access to different areas. You can take a detailed satellite view to scout roads for pullouts, turnarounds and potential campsites. They have public parks and campgrounds labeled as well.
The apps go well beyond campsite scouting and they have different products for off-road trails, hunting, backcountry navigation and more. They work especially well for RVers with toy haulers and ATV’s, dirt bikes or off-road vehicles in general. Hikers and anyone staging for backpacking style trips from an RV basecamp will really benefit from one of these apps as well.
Google Maps Search
I love using Google maps as a research tool to find campsites. It has a surprising number of public campgrounds and parks listed. These aren’t business listings but they do often have reviews and photos that can help you determine if the facilities and sites are suitable for RVs. While I wouldn’t recommend relying on the reviews entirely, they are great for guidance and the photos are perfect as a visual resource when available. Outside of the parks and public campgrounds, you can also research the business campground operations at the same time.
Recreation.gov
Have you ever considered staying at a fire lookout tower or remote forest service cabin? This is the website where you can reserve dates for those unique experiences. It also has a ton of campsites for RVs and RV accessible properties to rent. All of these are located on federal lands and they have many of the most desirable RV sites. If you’ve ever arrived at a federal campground and noticed the reservation only sites, this is the means of booking. You can search by location and use different filters to reveal open sites across the country. It’s perfect for planning a road trip with stopovers at premium sites rather than taking last pick as you scramble to find something same-day.
State and Municipal Camping Systems
Every state is different so we won’t list them all here. Many states and municipalities offer their own campgroundreservation systems. Some are popular but many are overlooked and underutilized by RVers and campers in general. They are less advertised and when these campsites exist in areas with bigger attractions like national parks nearby, they fly under the radar.
Do a search for the local options when planning a trip or a next stop. These often require a little more research and deeper digging to reveal the best spots but there are some serious gems out there. Small and moderate sized cities often have their own campgrounds which are a very nice option when visiting the city or stopping to manage supplies, repairs and general chores.
RV Membership Programs
Experienced RVers are often aware of or enrolled in membership programs with national campground organizations like Harvest Hosts. There are a few membership options that open the door to franchised campgrounds and other places who are enrolled in the membership. Harvest Hosts is a great one to highlight because they have different farms, wineries and other very unique and wonderful places to stay.
For frequent travelers who want a reliable program with options across the country, memberships are great. Ideally, you will combine a member program with one or more of the latter options to have a very robust selection of campsites.
Booking Ahead vs Last Minute
I have several thoughts on this and both strategies can really pay off. Knowing your season is especially important when it comes to RV travel. In peak season at different destinations, booking ahead is critical. Without some advanced notice, you might end up sleeping in a store parking lot as everything else is booked up.
Shoulder season travelers can benefit from last minute bookings however. Having some flexibility in travel plans removes stress and makes it easier to enjoy unexpected campsites and destinations. If a campground is known for being popular, book ahead. Otherwise, think about setting up a few options in a general region to allow for an accelerated or slowed travel pace based on your preference at the moment.
I like to have A, B and C options with each spread out anywhere from 30-minutes to 2-hours on my general route. Sometimes I’ll only hit one and other times I might even hit all three, breaking a long trip into a series of short jumps. There are also times where the A option is full and one of the alternatives offers an easy pivot. For this reason, I often make the first choice as a lower odds, higher demand campsite and have some less popular options on the backburner.
With all of the options listed in this article, RVers have an easier time than ever when it comes to finding campsite options. You can hit a national park, state park or stay on a private property that borders the park with complete privacy. Take advantage of these resources and you will eventually land on a number of dream camps for RVers.
