6 Apps For Finding The Best Camping Spots
Camping is a favorite pastime for many people, whether they're doing it solo or with family. In doing so, though, usually the hardest and most time-consuming part is trying to find a campsite. There are many different types of campsites, too, so it can get a bit overwhelming, especially trying to use older websites that either haven't upgraded their technology in a while or are still going off of old reviews.
Aside from the essential apps you need before a camping trip, there are several apps out of there that are actively being used by campgrounds and camping enthusiasts who give current reviews and add photos, so you'll never be too surprised once you get to your campsite. Based on personal experience and various reviews from both IOS and Android users, here are six of the best apps to help you find camping spots. These apps are for both designated campgrounds and dispersed camping. The methodology we used to select these apps will be explained in more detail at the bottom of the article.
Campendium
Campendium is an exceptionally well-known guide for all types of camping styles, whether you're looking for an off-grid camping spot on National Forest land or a designated campground with all the amenities. If you browse Campendium's app, you'll find right away that you'll need to input the area you want to camp in first. You can either type it in or browse through the map to find the spot. You'll want to go through the filter selection process so you can input the type of camping you want to find, the price, and online booking availability. They even have the option of searching for dump stations, which is a must if you're hauling a black water tank.
There is a Roadpass Pro upgrade that you can do, which is $60 a year. It gives you an ad-free experience along with overlay maps to see National Parks, National Forests, and public lands. The app comes with 4.8 out of five stars from over 17,000 reviewers and can be used with both IOS and Android phones. However, you can also use the web browser version to get even more information and check out articles and guides for camping.
The Dyrt
The Dyrt works similarly to many of the other camping apps. When you open the app, you can set your location and add the dates you'll be needing any reservations for. In the filters section, you can set the distance, type, rating, and more for a campground. Once everything is set, browse through photos and book your next camping experience.
However, that's about as far as you can go with The Dyrt app for free, which is fine if searching and booking a campground is all you need to do. If you need more access, though, the Pro membership, which costs $36 per year, has many more features. If you're a digital nomad who likes to spend their camping days off-grid on public land and other free camping areas,
The Dyrt Pro gives you information for over 5,000 drive-in-accessible free camping locations along with cell service maps so you can make sure you're still connected while you work. Additionally, there are discounts of up to 40% off on over 1,000 campgrounds. The Dyrt has a 4.5 out of five-star rating from over 21,000 reviews and can be found on both Apple and Android phones.
iOverlander
Unfortunately, many camping apps require you to upgrade to receive all the cool benefits it has. Luckily, iOverlander is one you don't. It's a fairly straightforward app with a plethora of information for your next camping experience. When you open the app, which can be found on both IOS and Android, you'll see the option to search on a map or as a list. Whichever you choose, it will open, and you'll be able to search for campsites from there. In the filter option, you can toggle on everything from established campgrounds to wild camping, which is your dispersed free camping on public lands. You can even turn on options like propane fill-up locations, water, and dump stations. It has everything you need when you're camping plus some.
Additionally, if you click on a campsite or other amenity, there will be recent reviews that will indicate if the site is still open and how the experience was. Many users will even upload photos for reference. Reviews for this app are a bit on the lower side, being around 3.5 out of five stars. However, iOverlander has been personally used for over two years of nomadic off-grid travel, and it is definitely a personal recommendation.
Recreation.gov
Another completely free app to download from either the App Store or Google Play is Recreation.gov. This is the go-to app if you need to reserve tickets, tours, and permits, along with making reservations for campgrounds. There's a huge plus side when using this app to search for campgrounds — you can use your America the Beautiful pass to get discounted rates. These annual passes are known for getting into National Parks for free.
The ratings for this app are high, with 4.9 out of five stars from over 100,000 users. This is because the app is extremely user-friendly. If you create an account, the app will be able to remember all the cool places you went, which is good if you want to go back at some point. However, you still have the option of continuing as a guest instead. Keep in mind, though, that this website does not find free dispersed campsites, so if that's what you're looking for, you'll need to seek out a different app.
Hipcamp
Looking for a cool camping experience in your town's backyard or something affordable with a unique spin? The Hipcamp IOS and Android apps offer an extensive variety of camping opportunities, from staying on a host's impressive land to renting out a glamping-style tree house in the backcountry. The service has a cumulative 4.7 out of five stars from over 25,000 reviews and is user-friendly. All you need to do on the app is input the location and search through the available camping options. The campsites will consist of public campgrounds and private lands owned by the hosts such as farms and wineries. There is also a mix of hook-up availability and dispersed camping, so the options are endless.
To add to the experience, Hipcamp's website has more information you may find useful when you plan your next trek. For example, for the 2024 solar eclipse, Hipcamp has designated which campsites will be the best for the experience. You can find the resource on the main page. A section on the main page can guide you to choose a spot for the best stargazing in the country. Hipcamp is more than a reservation site — you'll be planning the best camping experience in no time.
Harvest Hosts
If you love taking your cool RV out, more than likely, you love camping out in nature. However, it doesn't hurt to spice it up every once in a while. Harvest Host, which can be found on IOS, Android, and online, is an app that can help elevate your next camping trip. The campgrounds associated with Harvest Hosts allow you to stay in unique locations like wineries, museums, breweries, and farms. It does require a membership, $99 per year, to use the app and book stays, but with the membership comes no camping fees and unlimited stays with over 5000 hosts.
There are a couple of requirements when camping with Harvest Hosts, though. You must bring a contained RV to stay on any property — this means no tents, overlanding, or car camping. Also, pop-up campers are prohibited. Additionally, cooking and bathroom facilities must be contained inside the RV. However, you are allowed to bring pets as long as they stay on a leash or lead. For reviews, both the app and the business itself are high due to the overall experience and how user-friendly everything is. All you have to do is search for a type of location you want to stay at, check for availability, and reserve it. Your reservation will be saved in the app for check-in time.
How we chose these apps
The camping apps discussed in this article were selected after thorough research of the technology. Additionally, personal experience finding campsites with the apps and high reviews from consumers who have downloaded and used the apps were taken into consideration. Most of these apps have at least a four out of five-star rating — the one that has a lower rating was selected by the writer due to a high success rate with the app during her nomadic travels. All of these apps come with reviews for the campsites are that presented within the app, so you'll always know what you're getting yourself into. However, we encourage you to do extra research on the campsites being presented in the apps, especially if you plan to travel somewhere you're unfamiliar with.