Going camping seems like a pretty straightforward endeavor. Grab a tent, some roasting sticks, and some marshmallows and you’re set for a night in the wild. While you could pick about any spot in the wilderness to make camp, most people want to stay in a campground. The reason being, people have grown accustomed to specific amenities. Turns out, people like running water, being close to other people, and the option to use a toilet (even if it’s just a hole in the ground). While nature is vast, campsites are limited. If you enjoy being comfortable outside but not too comfortable, it’s a smart idea to book a campsite when the option is available. But which website is the best for camping reservations? Depends on what you are looking for in your outdoor adventure. Here are the sites we use when booking a campsite.
Camping Reservations at Popular Campgrounds: Recreation.gov
Making camping reservations used to be a massive pain in the ass. The websites were clunky, outdated, and gave you little info. Recreation.gov was one of those offenders. But in October of 2018 federal officials overhauled the site and finally gave us campers what we wanted.
I use Recreation.gov for booking the campgrounds on state and federal lands. Those campgrounds include sites at National Parks, National Monuments and most State Parks fall in this category. (Excluding California who refuses to play nice with others and still has their own crappy site.)
America’s National Parks and public lands contain some of the most amazing natural landscapes anywhere in the world. People flock to them, so you need to book your site way in advance.
I wouldn’t count this as a negative towards Recreation.gov because most people plan their National Park trips early on. Unless your one of those people who can drop everything at a moments notice. In that case, my jealously causes me to detest you, and I hope you burn your marshmallows when making smores. If you do want a campsite in a hurry, check out the next camping reservation site we recommend.
Camping Reservations for Weekend Warriors: Reserve America
A few years ago, we bought a 25-foot travel trailer. I did not realize how difficult it would be to find opportunities to use that home on wheels. You can’t just go to a campground and park it. It’s too big. And forget about bringing it to the campgrounds that don’t take reservations. There is no point driving multiple hours and spending hundreds on gas only to find there are no available spots. Do you want to know a real campfire horror story? Try turning around a 25′ trailer on a skinny forest service road while a line of impatient cars waits for you to figure it out. To avoid this nightmare. I use Reserve America.
Reserve America is great for trailer and RV campers. You can filter your search by length of your rig, and it will show you all the campgrounds available with a spot in the size you need. That makes it quick and easy to get a campsite on any given weekend.
The campgrounds on Reserve America aren’t typically as well-kept as those on Recreaction.gov, which means their less popular. Hence, there are usually more options available for last-minute excursions.
Glamping Reservations: Hipcamp
If camping isn’t your thing yet, you may transition with glamping. Glamping is pretending to be outdoorsy while never really having to go without life’s simple luxuries. It’s like staying in an inside out hotel. To be clear if I had the money, I would probably go this route all the time. Staying in a canvas wall tent on a private beach while sleeping in a king-size bed? You’d be a fool not to enjoy that. While I am a strong proponent of truly roughing in the woods with a backpacking tent and hard ground, my arthritis-ridden back has a different opinion.
Hipcamp is a great site for camping reservations when you want to go outdoors in style. There are all kinds of exciting camping options, from yurts to teepees to bungalows.
Want to build a camping setup and never have to worry about needing a reservation, we got you covered with our truck camper conversion guide.
If just getting outside is the goal, you can’t go wrong getting camping reservations through any of these sites. Got a better way to find campsites? Let us know!
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.
