Book The Perfect Campsite For Your Next Adventure With Our Helpful Advice

Camping is more popular than ever in the United States. According to The Dyrt, in addition to existing campers, a staggering 15 million people went camping for the first time between 2022 and 2023. This rapid rise in campers has led to an increase in the number of private campgrounds across the U.S. Given there is also a myriad of local, state, and national parks that also offer campsites, modern-day campers have a dizzying array of options.

These various campgrounds differ not only in geographic area but also in size, amenities, available activities, access, and cost. As a result, there is a lot that goes into planning the perfect campsite for your next outdoor adventure, from taking advantage of discounts to ensuring you book early so you don't miss out on a prime location. Whether you are planning your first solo camping trip, a family vacation, group outing, or even if camping is part of your regular routine, there are things you can do to ensure you get the right campsite and do it without busting your budget. However, it does take a bit of legwork and planning.

First and foremost, you need to know what you want in a campsite, starting with how you plan to camp. Will you be in a tent or RV? Even within those two categories, there are options that will help direct your decision making. If you are in an RV, will you be boondocking or do you require hookups? Tent campers can choose if they want to hike in or have drive-up access, primitive campsites, or an established area to pitch their tent. Beyond that, there are options for shower and restroom facilities, Wi-Fi, picnic areas, fire pits, BBQ pits, and more.

The natural setting is also a consideration. What type of terrain do you want to spend time in and what sort of outdoor activities do you plan to do? Additionally, does access to these activities need to be onsite or are you okay with a short drive to partake in the day's events? As you answer these questions, your choices will begin to narrow.

Once you've begun to trim your list to those campsites that meet your list of criteria, it is important to verify they actually meet your needs. You can start by viewing the website for the park or campground. While public facilities, such as state and national parks, tend to have fairly straightforward sites that just present pertinent information, private campgrounds often have websites with a bit more of an advertorial style. Watching YouTube videos on various campgrounds is one of the best ways to determine if a facility is what it advertises itself to be.

Utilizing Google is a good way to start your search for the right campground. However, keep in mind not every campground pops up in a Google search. This is especially true of locally owned campgrounds or when you're not familiar enough with an area to know the proper keywords to utilize. To enhance your ability to find the right campsite, you can utilize online tools such as the Find a Park page on the National Park Service website. The federal government also operates Recreation.gov, which functions as a planning site and reservation system for facilities maintained by over a dozen government agencies. The majority of state park system and private campground chain websites have similar search functions.

Using those online resources can help pinpoint any public camping facilities in the area you have targeted. However, you can also utilize online functions such as Google Maps' satellite view and Google Earth to locate campgrounds that may not pop on searches or be part of any centralized search platform. According to Visit USA Parks, this is one of the most underutilized ways of finding campgrounds. Once a campground has been chosen, you can also use this satellite mode or Google Earth to find the best campsite within a park.

When it comes to securing your perfect campsite, time is of the essence. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes people make visiting national parks and other campgrounds is not planning far enough in advance. While the number of available campsites has been increasing, as noted earlier, the number of campers has been increasing even faster. As a result, a number of more popular campsites book way in advance, especially on weekends, holidays, and during the peak seasons for the primary outdoor recreational activities in that area.

Even without procrastination, this can be a challenge if you don't know dates of your trip very far in advance or don't have confirmation from your employer that you can get those days off. So, while booking your campsite as far in advance as possible is the surest way to secure it, if you happen to be in an uncertain situation, check the campground's cancellation policy. If you are able to cancel a reservation without penalty, it is best to lock it in and cancel or reschedule if you end up being unable to make it.

Building off the previous point, many popular campsites book well in advance. So, don't get your heart set on just one. Instead, as you are planning your trip, have several options in mind. While it is important to at least attempt booking your first choice as soon as you can, you should also make a list ranking other options if your top choice doesn't work out.

When it comes to the additional options, there may be other campsites near the same destination or may be in another area altogether. At times, there can be simple solutions to help make an alternative site work just as well as your first choice. For instance, say you want electricity while tent camping and are unable to get a spot with an electrical hookup. If a similar spot without electricity is available, investing in something like the Jackery Portable Power Station (that can be recharged through a solar generator) may solve the problem and open up a wider array of potential campsites.

Finally, there are a variety of ways to reduce the cost of your trip by taking advantage of passes, discounts, and memberships. Many campgrounds, state parks, and park systems operated by various other entities offer annual passes, rewards programs, and/or memberships that entitle you to various perks, such as priority booking, discounts, free additional amenities, and more. Taking advantage of these programs is one of the best ways to save money while camping at the KOA and other campgrounds.

Some campground rewards programs are free and can be joined by filling out an online form or providing an email. Others, such as annual passes and priority clubs, cost money. However, in many instances, they pay for themselves if they are used. Additionally, if you've already bought one, you might as well continue to use it and reap the benefits.

Keep in mind, not all these programs offer the same perks. In some instances, annual passes give discounts on campsites. Others do not include activities such as camping, but do cover entry fees. For example, the America the Beautiful annual card does not offer camping discounts. But, the America the Beautiful Senior and Access Passes offer a 50 percent discount on camping. Many campgrounds also offer military and senior discounts, as well as discounts through third party organizations such as the AARP.