What is your recommended way to reserve/search RV sites

[beer family]

Any recommendation on the "best" way to search and reserve RV sites? Is there one go to site? Thanks.

 

[Russellvh]

I like RV Life. Routes me on a trusted site based on my RV size. List the campgrounds I’m interested in in any area. I can play routes from my cell phone on CarPlay to view on the trucks entertainment system large screen.

Works for me.

 

[flyboy013]

I typically start with the Allstays app. It provides some good filtering capability to help you narrow down what you're looking for. Sometimes I'm must have FHUs, other times I only want to stay at an Army Corp of Engineers campground. I also use recreation.gov (app) when looking for a federal campground or Reserve America (app) if looking for a state campground (although they also have commercial campgrounds too).

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Any recommendation on the "best" way to search and reserve RV sites? Is there one go to site? Thanks.

My go to is RV Life. I have been using them since 2007. they seem to have the most coverage for regular RV Parks. For boondocking I use Campendium.

Safe travels

Darrell

 

[Rich W.]

I don’t use any apps. When traveling I just look at google maps and/or my Garmin 890 about an hour before I want to stop, find something suitable, give them a call to reserve my site, and roll on in. I also have a Harvest Hosts membership and I like the concept but don’t use it much.

For destinations, if I want to stay in a given area for a certain length of time (a week in Austin for a wedding for instance), I research ahead of time, make my reservations, and go. No worries, hassles, and no apps. I have half a dozen (at least) on my ipad but never use them. Too many reservations creates a schedule and I don’t do those anymore.

When I do my research I look for parks or areas with scenic or recreational opportunities that suit me, such as rowing, beach coming, hiking, and biking, places that are dog friendly, and as of this week, I’ll be adding pickleball to my list of preferred activities. I try not to let cost drive the decision but I have a threshold that generally keeps me out of the high priced, overly resorty places. And I don’t play golf.

 

[LMHS]

I generally know where I'm going to stop before I need to. I build my own personal state travel directories (Google My Maps) with campgrounds that suit my needs and preferences as well as attractions, restaurants, stores and vet offices (for the fuzzy ones). I add to & update these maps all the time so they have gotten quite substantial. They don't cover every inch of any state, but they do hang heavy to the routes and areas I prefer. I use these maps to plan my trips. I make a copy and rename the copy with my trip name. So it keeps my original map intact.

I use freecampsites.net, campendium.com and rvparky.com to locate campgrounds to add to my personal travel directories. I also use Pinterest to actually find places to visit as well as onlyinyourstate.com . For example, we're going to Lubbock next week for a few days. I searched Pinterest for Lubbock and found several lists of places to visit. Most of them out of date as many places have permanently closed since covid. I picked out the places that sounded interesting, hunted down their websites and added them to my "Texas Travel Directory". Then I double checked the few campgrounds in the Lubbock area that suit my personal criteria and updated prices as needed. I date the point of interest (POI) box when I make or update the POI. I have not made, nor will I make, reservations. I know, just from looking at the map I made, all the nearby campgrounds and rv parks that I would stay at. I know the places I can just park overnight (those are on my maps). I know the camper is set up for staying overnight in a parking lot so there is always that option.

Some folks think that this sounds like a lot of work. I guess it is to get it set up. But I don't sit on Facebook so that leaves a lot of personal time. I have already sifted thru all the dross to find the places that suit me and my needs. I don't have to do it for every trip. I don't set up an entire state at one time. I have places where I can stay overnight (ONS) while traveling. I have free campgrounds listed (many city and counties in TX have free w/e or w/e/s hookup sites for a limited number of nights). I have restaurants that I like, such as Cracker Barrel (which tends to be ONS) and the restaurants that I buy gift cards for from Sam's Club (I get gift cards for 25% off for Logan's Roadhouse, gift cards for 20% off for Saltgrass Steakhouse, Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe and PetSmart (puppy toys) and gift cards for Cracker Barrel which saves me a tiny 4% off. I include notes on the parking situation at these restaurants as well as at the attractions.

You would think with all this pre-planning, I would make more reservations. I don't. Only for places that are difficult to get into, places that I have to get into and for holiday weekends. And I try to avoid holiday weekends. Places that are difficult to get into, I make reservations ahead of time, but I tend to avoid places that are that popular. The most recent exception was when we stopped at the popular Indian Boundary CG on the Cherohala Skyway in 2021. I HAD to be up there because I scattered my husband's ashes at a specific overlook per his oft repeated request. I kept my promise.

On that particular trip, we stopped at a beautiful state park someplace in Arkansas (where the RV Life trip planner app lost it's mind and stopped working - kept trying to reroute us off the interstate onto very questionable side roads). It was in a long stretch of nothing. I had made a reservation late that same morning because we knew we would be pulling in long after office hours and leaving out early the next morning before office hours. It meant I paid for the site in full online. I had no reason to stop by the office. It was a situation that was for my convenience rather than actually needing a reservation. It was also one of the few campgrounds we stayed in as we were in parking lots most nights.

On that trip, we left a day late (electrical problems that we were still working on at 2AM) and somehow got there a day earlier than planned. We still haven't figured that out. We certainly didn't speed.

I did have to make a reservation in TN at a county park on our way back west. It was the only way we could get in. So I reserved while standing in the ranger's parking lot and paid for two days (their minimum stay) for one night. It used to be our favourite campground. But after paying $60 for what was one night, I will never stay there again. There's a nice state park nearby that we like just as well. But it wasn't my choice or my money. Nor did either of us want to brave the rush hour traffic in Chattanooga again that day.

 

[beer family]

Thank you so much for your reply and information.

I generally know where I'm going to stop before I need to. I build my own personal state travel directories (Google My Maps) with campgrounds that suit my needs and preferences as well as attractions, restaurants, stores and vet offices (for the fuzzy ones). I add to & update these maps all the time so they have gotten quite substantial. They don't cover every inch of any state, but they do hang heavy to the routes and areas I prefer. I use these maps to plan my trips. I make a copy and rename the copy with my trip name. So it keeps my original map intact.

I use freecampsites.net, campendium.com and rvparky.com to locate campgrounds to add to my personal travel directories. I also use Pinterest to actually find places to visit as well as onlyinyourstate.com . For example, we're going to Lubbock next week for a few days. I searched Pinterest for Lubbock and found several lists of places to visit. Most of them out of date as many places have permanently closed since covid. I picked out the places that sounded interesting, hunted down their websites and added them to my "Texas Travel Directory". Then I double checked the few campgrounds in the Lubbock area that suit my personal criteria and updated prices as needed. I date the point of interest (POI) box when I make or update the POI. I have not made, nor will I make, reservations. I know, just from looking at the map I made, all the nearby campgrounds and rv parks that I would stay at. I know the places I can just park overnight (those are on my maps). I know the camper is set up for staying overnight in a parking lot so there is always that option.

Some folks think that this sounds like a lot of work. I guess it is to get it set up. But I don't sit on Facebook so that leaves a lot of personal time. I have already sifted thru all the dross to find the places that suit me and my needs. I don't have to do it for every trip. I don't set up an entire state at one time. I have places where I can stay overnight (ONS) while traveling. I have free campgrounds listed (many city and counties in TX have free w/e or w/e/s hookup sites for a limited number of nights). I have restaurants that I like, such as Cracker Barrel (which tends to be ONS) and the restaurants that I buy gift cards for from Sam's Club (I get gift cards for 25% off for Logan's Roadhouse, gift cards for 20% off for Saltgrass Steakhouse, Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe and PetSmart (puppy toys) and gift cards for Cracker Barrel which saves me a tiny 4% off. I include notes on the parking situation at these restaurants as well as at the attractions.

You would think with all this pre-planning, I would make more reservations. I don't. Only for places that are difficult to get into, places that I have to get into and for holiday weekends. And I try to avoid holiday weekends. Places that are difficult to get into, I make reservations ahead of time, but I tend to avoid places that are that popular. The most recent exception was when we stopped at the popular Indian Boundary CG on the Cherohala Skyway in 2021. I HAD to be up there because I scattered my husband's ashes at a specific overlook per his oft repeated request. I kept my promise.

On that particular trip, we stopped at a beautiful state park someplace in Arkansas (where the RV Life trip planner app lost it's mind and stopped working - kept trying to reroute us off the interstate onto very questionable side roads). It was in a long stretch of nothing. I had made a reservation late that same morning because we knew we would be pulling in long after office hours and leaving out early the next morning before office hours. It meant I paid for the site in full online. I had no reason to stop by the office. It was a situation that was for my convenience rather than actually needing a reservation. It was also one of the few campgrounds we stayed in as we were in parking lots most nights.

On that trip, we left a day late (electrical problems that we were still working on at 2AM) and somehow got there a day earlier than planned. We still haven't figured that out. We certainly didn't speed.

I did have to make a reservation in TN at a county park on our way back west. It was the only way we could get in. So I reserved while standing in the ranger's parking lot and paid for two days (their minimum stay) for one night. It used to be our favourite campground. But after paying $60 for what was one night, I will never stay there again. There's a nice state park nearby that we like just as well. But it wasn't my choice or my money. Nor did either of us want to brave the rush hour traffic in Chattanooga again that day.

Thank you so much for this information.

 

[beer family]

I don’t use any apps. When traveling I just look at google maps and/or my Garmin 890 about an hour before I want to stop, find something suitable, give them a call to reserve my site, and roll on in. I also have a Harvest Hosts membership and I like the concept but don’t use it much.

For destinations, if I want to stay in a given area for a certain length of time (a week in Austin for a wedding for instance), I research ahead of time, make my reservations, and go. No worries, hassles, and no apps. I have half a dozen (at least) on my ipad but never use them. Too many reservations creates a schedule and I don’t do those anymore.

When I do my research I look for parks or areas with scenic or recreational opportunities that suit me, such as rowing, beach coming, hiking, and biking, places that are dog friendly, and as of this week, I’ll be adding pickleball to my list of preferred activities. I try not to let cost drive the decision but I have a threshold that generally keeps me out of the high priced, overly resorty places. And I don’t play golf.

Thank you for the information.

 

[beer family]

I generally know where I'm going to stop before I need to. I build my own personal state travel directories (Google My Maps) with campgrounds that suit my needs and preferences as well as attractions, restaurants, stores and vet offices (for the fuzzy ones). I add to & update these maps all the time so they have gotten quite substantial. They don't cover every inch of any state, but they do hang heavy to the routes and areas I prefer. I use these maps to plan my trips. I make a copy and rename the copy with my trip name. So it keeps my original map intact.

I use freecampsites.net, campendium.com and rvparky.com to locate campgrounds to add to my personal travel directories. I also use Pinterest to actually find places to visit as well as onlyinyourstate.com . For example, we're going to Lubbock next week for a few days. I searched Pinterest for Lubbock and found several lists of places to visit. Most of them out of date as many places have permanently closed since covid. I picked out the places that sounded interesting, hunted down their websites and added them to my "Texas Travel Directory". Then I double checked the few campgrounds in the Lubbock area that suit my personal criteria and updated prices as needed. I date the point of interest (POI) box when I make or update the POI. I have not made, nor will I make, reservations. I know, just from looking at the map I made, all the nearby campgrounds and rv parks that I would stay at. I know the places I can just park overnight (those are on my maps). I know the camper is set up for staying overnight in a parking lot so there is always that option.

Some folks think that this sounds like a lot of work. I guess it is to get it set up. But I don't sit on Facebook so that leaves a lot of personal time. I have already sifted thru all the dross to find the places that suit me and my needs. I don't have to do it for every trip. I don't set up an entire state at one time. I have places where I can stay overnight (ONS) while traveling. I have free campgrounds listed (many city and counties in TX have free w/e or w/e/s hookup sites for a limited number of nights). I have restaurants that I like, such as Cracker Barrel (which tends to be ONS) and the restaurants that I buy gift cards for from Sam's Club (I get gift cards for 25% off for Logan's Roadhouse, gift cards for 20% off for Saltgrass Steakhouse, Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe and PetSmart (puppy toys) and gift cards for Cracker Barrel which saves me a tiny 4% off. I include notes on the parking situation at these restaurants as well as at the attractions.

You would think with all this pre-planning, I would make more reservations. I don't. Only for places that are difficult to get into, places that I have to get into and for holiday weekends. And I try to avoid holiday weekends. Places that are difficult to get into, I make reservations ahead of time, but I tend to avoid places that are that popular. The most recent exception was when we stopped at the popular Indian Boundary CG on the Cherohala Skyway in 2021. I HAD to be up there because I scattered my husband's ashes at a specific overlook per his oft repeated request. I kept my promise.

On that particular trip, we stopped at a beautiful state park someplace in Arkansas (where the RV Life trip planner app lost it's mind and stopped working - kept trying to reroute us off the interstate onto very questionable side roads). It was in a long stretch of nothing. I had made a reservation late that same morning because we knew we would be pulling in long after office hours and leaving out early the next morning before office hours. It meant I paid for the site in full online. I had no reason to stop by the office. It was a situation that was for my convenience rather than actually needing a reservation. It was also one of the few campgrounds we stayed in as we were in parking lots most nights.

On that trip, we left a day late (electrical problems that we were still working on at 2AM) and somehow got there a day earlier than planned. We still haven't figured that out. We certainly didn't speed.

I did have to make a reservation in TN at a county park on our way back west. It was the only way we could get in. So I reserved while standing in the ranger's parking lot and paid for two days (their minimum stay) for one night. It used to be our favourite campground. But after paying $60 for what was one night, I will never stay there again. There's a nice state park nearby that we like just as well. But it wasn't my choice or my money. Nor did either of us want to brave the rush hour traffic in Chattanooga again that day.

I generally know where I'm going to stop before I need to. I build my own personal state travel directories (Google My Maps) with campgrounds that suit my needs and preferences as well as attractions, restaurants, stores and vet offices (for the fuzzy ones). I add to & update these maps all the time so they have gotten quite substantial. They don't cover every inch of any state, but they do hang heavy to the routes and areas I prefer. I use these maps to plan my trips. I make a copy and rename the copy with my trip name. So it keeps my original map intact.

I use freecampsites.net, campendium.com and rvparky.com to locate campgrounds to add to my personal travel directories. I also use Pinterest to actually find places to visit as well as onlyinyourstate.com . For example, we're going to Lubbock next week for a few days. I searched Pinterest for Lubbock and found several lists of places to visit. Most of them out of date as many places have permanently closed since covid. I picked out the places that sounded interesting, hunted down their websites and added them to my "Texas Travel Directory". Then I double checked the few campgrounds in the Lubbock area that suit my personal criteria and updated prices as needed. I date the point of interest (POI) box when I make or update the POI. I have not made, nor will I make, reservations. I know, just from looking at the map I made, all the nearby campgrounds and rv parks that I would stay at. I know the places I can just park overnight (those are on my maps). I know the camper is set up for staying overnight in a parking lot so there is always that option.

Some folks think that this sounds like a lot of work. I guess it is to get it set up. But I don't sit on Facebook so that leaves a lot of personal time. I have already sifted thru all the dross to find the places that suit me and my needs. I don't have to do it for every trip. I don't set up an entire state at one time. I have places where I can stay overnight (ONS) while traveling. I have free campgrounds listed (many city and counties in TX have free w/e or w/e/s hookup sites for a limited number of nights). I have restaurants that I like, such as Cracker Barrel (which tends to be ONS) and the restaurants that I buy gift cards for from Sam's Club (I get gift cards for 25% off for Logan's Roadhouse, gift cards for 20% off for Saltgrass Steakhouse, Bubba Gump, Hard Rock Cafe and PetSmart (puppy toys) and gift cards for Cracker Barrel which saves me a tiny 4% off. I include notes on the parking situation at these restaurants as well as at the attractions.

You would think with all this pre-planning, I would make more reservations. I don't. Only for places that are difficult to get into, places that I have to get into and for holiday weekends. And I try to avoid holiday weekends. Places that are difficult to get into, I make reservations ahead of time, but I tend to avoid places that are that popular. The most recent exception was when we stopped at the popular Indian Boundary CG on the Cherohala Skyway in 2021. I HAD to be up there because I scattered my husband's ashes at a specific overlook per his oft repeated request. I kept my promise.

On that particular trip, we stopped at a beautiful state park someplace in Arkansas (where the RV Life trip planner app lost it's mind and stopped working - kept trying to reroute us off the interstate onto very questionable side roads). It was in a long stretch of nothing. I had made a reservation late that same morning because we knew we would be pulling in long after office hours and leaving out early the next morning before office hours. It meant I paid for the site in full online. I had no reason to stop by the office. It was a situation that was for my convenience rather than actually needing a reservation. It was also one of the few campgrounds we stayed in as we were in parking lots most nights.

On that trip, we left a day late (electrical problems that we were still working on at 2AM) and somehow got there a day earlier than planned. We still haven't figured that out. We certainly didn't speed.

I did have to make a reservation in TN at a county park on our way back west. It was the only way we could get in. So I reserved while standing in the ranger's parking lot and paid for two days (their minimum stay) for one night. It used to be our favourite campground. But after paying $60 for what was one night, I will never stay there again. There's a nice state park nearby that we like just as well. But it wasn't my choice or my money. Nor did either of us want to brave the rush hour traffic in Chattanooga again that day.

Thank you for the information.

 

[beer family]

I like RV Life. Routes me on a trusted site based on my RV size. List the campgrounds I’m interested in in any area. I can play routes from my cell phone on CarPlay to view on the trucks entertainment system large screen.

Works for me.

Thank you for this information.

 

[beer family]

I like RV Life. Routes me on a trusted site based on my RV size. List the campgrounds I’m interested in in any area. I can play routes from my cell phone on CarPlay to view on the trucks entertainment system large screen.

Works for me.

Thank you for this information.

 

[Dutch Star Don]

I think the days of calling a campground an hour before arrival disappeared three years ago, unless it's in the middle of nowhere. It also depends on what you're driving. A small RV or trailer might catch the last open spot, but a 40' DP pulling a toad is not just going to pop in. I don't want to be stuck some where without a campsite.

We just booked a 30 day trip from Los Angeles to Rocky Mountain National Park, then Mount Rushmore and then over to the Oregon Coast working our way down from Astoria.

I still use an old Microsoft program called Streets and Trips. I determine my route and then determine where I want to stop each night. We typically try to keep it at 250 -300 miles on a driving day. Using Streets and Trips, I check their "Find Nearby Places" which is set to only find RV parks. I look at what's available and if we've never been there before, I go to RV Park Reviews, now RV Life, and check out the campgrounds and reviews.

On this trip 30 day trip we booked for July, I first booked the most difficult sites to get, Estes Park and Rushmore area. Then we worked our way to and from the main stops. If we knew of a park where we wanted to stay, we booked there. In areas we were unfamiliar with, I like using KOA for overnight stops. They're kind of like McDonalds, you know what you're going to get.

 

[DKRITTER]

I enjoy planning a trip so I usually figure out the A to B and most of my stops a good ways ahead of time.

I start in the office with Google Maps and roughly plan out the route I want to take (as opposed to what GM want me to take. I figure in fuel stops usually around TSD info. If it's a multiday trip I'll cut it into 300 mile sections to roughly see where we'll want to stop for the day (this may end up between 250 to 400 mile days) depending on several factors. Along the road All stays is great for Rest Stops, fuel and Overnight Parking. Google Maps and All Stays have satellite images so you can look at a stop (or whatever) way before you get there.

Once I get the route figured out I'll go to Allstays.com and plan stops, we usually dry camp for overnights while on the road so a Walmart, Casino or something works out, If not we'll get a RV Park. At our destination we always get a RV Park with the amenities we prefer. My resources are Google Maps, All Stays and RV Life Campground Reviews.

 

[beer family]

My go to is RV Life. I have been using them since 2007. they seem to have the most coverage for regular RV Parks. For boondocking I use Campendium.

Safe travels

Darrell

I think the days of calling a campground an hour before arrival disappeared three years ago, unless it's in the middle of nowhere. It also depends on what you're driving. A small RV or trailer might catch the last open spot, but a 40' DP pulling a toad is not just going to pop in. I don't want to be stuck some where without a campsite.

We just booked a 30 day trip from Los Angeles to Rocky Mountain National Park, then Mount Rushmore and then over to the Oregon Coast working our way down from Astoria.

I still use an old Microsoft program called Streets and Trips. I determine my route and then determine where I want to stop each night. We typically try to keep it at 250 -300 miles on a driving day. Using Streets and Trips, I check their "Find Nearby Places" which is set to only find RV parks. I look at what's available and if we've never been there before, I go to RV Park Reviews, now RV Life, and check out the campgrounds and reviews.

On this trip 30 day trip we booked for July, I first booked the most difficult sites to get, Estes Park and Rushmore area. Then we worked our way to and from the main stops. If we knew of a park where we wanted to stay, we booked there. In areas we were unfamiliar with, I like using KOA for overnight stops. They're kind of like McDonalds, you know what you're going to get.

Thank you for the reply. I "googled" Microsoft Streeps and Trips and it said MST is obsolete. LOL

 

[Tnedator]

I think RV Life often has decent reviews, and I also check out google reviews. RV Trip Wizard/RV Life's trip planner is handy to see the parks along the route and within x miles of your departure.

 

[JRS]

campgrounds.rvlife.com (mentioned numerous times above) - my first choice
rvparky.com
I'll also use google earth at times to look from above

 

[garmp]

I always preplan, especially during the snowed in months.
This is just about my most used site,

Recreation.gov This is the COE reservation site.

Followed closely by https:www.campgroundreviews.com

ALL US AND CANADA CAMPGROUNDS LOCATOR: STATE PARKS NATIONAL PARKS FORESTS MORE california oregon washington new york pennsylvania more

ALL US AND CANADA CAMPGROUNDS LOCATOR: STATE PARKS NATIONAL PARKS FORESTS MORE california oregon washington new york pennsylvania more

www.uscampgrounds.info

CampsitePhotos.com - Campsite Photos and Camping Information is a good one, but does have limited listings.



And here are some more that I do frequent on occasions:

Best Campground Search Engine with 360 Virtual Tours

The only campground and RV park search engine with virtual tours, videos, photos and the information that helps pick better campsites.

www.campgroundviews.com

https://thedyrt.com/,

RV Parky | RV Parks & Campgrounds Directory, Reviews, Photos, is more for commercial or private campgrounds

Another decent search site is Log in to Facebook

This is about the best site for info on a given park, but the listings are limited, Toad Hall. He does a stellar job on photos.

This is also valuable info, A Guide to State Park Entrance Passes in All 50 States Show admission/use fees & discounts if available.



An amusing site is Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions.

Allstays.com, has decent info to offer.



This has some interesting info but is a bit awkward to navigate.,

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/byways/byways.