According to a 2017 KOA study, more than 1 million new households in the US have begun camping each year since 2014 and Millennials are driving that trend. RV sales are up, van camping is trendy again, and the new generation of teens (aka Generation Z) are showing strong interest in camping as well. But this new generation of outdoor travelers isn’t using a printed map to find their campsites — they’ve got nifty digital tools for that!
Sure, you can always pick a park and go directly to their website to find campsites. But what if you don’t know where you want to go yet? What if you want a secluded spot on private land?
Enter Hipcamp, Tentrr, and Gamping — the new kids on the block. These companies are called the “AirBnBs of Camping” because they provide crowdsource lodging, enabling private landowners to make their property available to complete strangers (and hopefully earn some profit). If this trend catches on, it could be a game changer in the world of camping and outdoor travel.
Hipcamp
“Discover unique experiences on ranches, nature preserves, farms, vineyards, and public campgrounds across the U.S. Book tent camping, treehouses, cabins, yurts, primitive backcountry sites, car camping, airstreams, tiny houses, RV camping, glamping tents and more.” ~Hipcamp
This San Francisco based website has steadily been adding locations across the US since 2001. They cover all national, state, regional & Army Corps parks in all 50 states. Their mission statements are something to be proud of, especially regarding land sharing & conservation.
“By connecting landowners who want to keep their land undeveloped with responsible, ecologically-minded campers, we can use recreation to fund the conservation of this land.” ~Hipcamp
Hipcamp’s search feature allows you to search for locations near you & to filter by several different categories:
Under the Accommodation category, Glamping is my fave because it means they provide the sleeping supplies for you — perfect for travelers like me who prefer to pack light but want some comfort. I also love that you can filter to specific terrain, so if you want to camp by the beach this is the way to find a spot! Each listing has photos, contact info, general area info, & some have reviews. Some listings can be reserved directly through Hipcamp while others provide a link directly to the park.
Tentrr
“A better way to camp.” ~Tentrr
Tentrr is a New York based company & is currently limited to this region so there isn’t as much to choose from. They focus exclusively on sites where everything is provided for you (which is music to my ears). Here’s a list of what is included with every site:
Gamping
“Close to nature, far from jam-packed campsites, a new, more relaxing and friendly camping experience is waiting for you.”~Gamping
Gamping is similar to Hipcamp but has worldwide listings and is based out of France. It launched in 2013 and the majority of listings are located in Europe but there are also locations in Indonesia, Australia, New Caledonia, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Las Canarias, Morocco, Tunisia, Mexico, Central & South America, Canada and the US. Got your attention yet?
While the site offers three language options (Spanish, English or French), it doesn’t translate the descriptions or rules for you…so have Google translate open and ready!
Also important to note: if you see this search filter…
…it means Nudity is allowed 🙂
So there you have it folks — some new tools for finding that perfect campsite!
