5 Ways to Find Hidden RV Camping Gems in the USA

Kristof on Jul 13, 2015

Break away from the pack - discover places you never knew existed and experience the joys of RV camping away from the madding crowd.

Without a doubt, humans are creatures of habit. Most of us have the same routine that we follow every day, from the time we wake up to the moment we go to sleep. This often extends well beyond our working lives into our leisure time, our social interactions and even our vacation habits. Even those fond of RV camping and the freedom it offers will return to the same camping site year after year. Of course, having a routine is no bad thing, but when you have an endless array of open road experiences stretching before you, isn’t it a shame not to explore a little beyond your comfort zone? We think so. But it can be hard knowing where to start, so to help you on your way we’ve got 5 online tools that will kickstart your adventure to broad new horizons. 

 
 
1. Hipcamp

The elegant simplicity of Hipcamp is where its beauty lies. That, and its gargantuan database of almost every campground in the United States. All you have to do is select which town or city you’d like to camp near, and Hipcamp will bring up a huge range of options. It looks and feels very similar to AirBnB, so if you’re familiar with that service you’re already off to a flying start. Pro tip: make sure to select Drive In campsite access and RV accommodation once you’ve taken that first step - this will filter out all the non RV friendly campsites. Each campground has a bunch of helpful information on it too, to help you choose wisely.

 
 
2. Go Camping America

In one way, Go Camping America is quite similar to Hipcamp - it has a location based search tool and the ability to filter your search by things like amenities, what kind of lifestyle you’re after - even which credit cards they accept. But GCA is far more than just a simple search tool. This site has a plethora of information on all different aspects of the camping experience, from tips on what to bring along to tricks for keeping everyone entertained while on the road. Use it to search for RV campgrounds by all means, but don’t forget there’s so much more on offer.

 
 
3. Reddit.com/r/camping

Between Wikipedia and Reddit, there is very little within the realms of human experience that hasn’t made its way online. For those who aren’t familiar with the multi-topic monster of a site that is Reddit, let me just say this much: when you dive into Reddit, you’ll find out things you never even knew you wanted to know. The r/camping “subreddit” is the one you’re after - if you already have or want to make an account, subscribe to the subreddit and new cool camping related things will come up on your feed automatically. Otherwise you can just browse topics, cherry picking whatever catches your attention. Not everything will be helpful, but I guarantee you’ll find some gems.

 
 
4. Camping.com

As the name suggests, camping.com is a treasure trove of all things camping. What’s more, there’s a special ‘RV Stuff’ section, and of course it allows you to search for RV parks, RV campgrounds, etc. After you’ve gone on your adventure into the unknown, you can even write a review on your experience and add it to the vast repository of RV camping knowledge that the site contains. One nice thing about the search tool is that it allows to filter by the ‘atmosphere’ you’re searching for, from Pets Welcome to Rural Setting.

 

5. National Park websites

Some of the most beautiful destinations you’ll ever come across are found in the US and other National Parks. These bastions of carefully protected wilderness offer sanctuary not only for the plants and animals that call them home, but also for world weary travelers wishing to escape to somewhere free from the grime and commotion of urban life. Fortunately, almost every national park you care to mention has a website with tons of helpful information. What to expect at each campground, which seasons are best for visiting, local attractions and activities… All you have to do is look at a map, locate a national park (they’re not hard to find) then search the name to find its dedicated site. If you happen to be in the Las Vegas area, for example, this landing page could come in handy

 

Go on - break the mold and discover something entirely new. You could pick up your RV rental in Bellingham, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Denver and Miami, or from anywhere in the US. If you have another way to find exciting new RV camping destinations, we’d love to hear about it - let us know in the comments.

 

Also try more amazing road trip options, like booking campervan rentals from Houston in Texas, from San Francisco in California, from Newark in New Jersey, and all top cities in the US and around the globe.


Written By: Kristof Haines

It’s funny how motorhome memories stick with you. I can still recall a motorhome vacation my family took when I was five years old and how awesome I thought I was, tucked away in a loft bed above the cab. From revealing unique destinations to providing tips and tricks, it’s my mission to help others build great motorhome memories too.