Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel

Find the Most Unique, Undiscovered Campsites in the U.S. With Hipcamp

Mike Richard
By
Şahin Yeşilyaprak/Unsplash

Anyone who’s tried to find and book a campsite on public land knows the struggle. Without an all-in-one metasearch engine — think Kayak or Expedia — for campgrounds, searching for campsites was a painful, time-consuming task. Now, with the release of its new mobile app, Hipcamp has streamlined the process, making it easier than ever to book right from your phone.

By the numbers, Hipcamp is impressive. With more than 300,000 sites available, it claims to be the largest resource of its kind in the United States. That number includes public park campsites and private campgrounds, making it easy to zero in on the site that fits your needs. Most impressive are the niche options available for specific types of camping. Hipcamp curates lists for lake camping, beach camping, pet-friendly campsites, and glamping (glamour camping) options. Like Airbnb, many of Hipcamp’s sites are unique and destination-worthy in their own right like this off-grid tiny cabin in Oregon, California’s The Sanctuary Treehouse, and this rustic campsite on a vineyard in Minnesota. 

Recommended Videos

For at least a decade, most campground-booking engines around the country were siloed, closed off from one another. That made it almost impossible to do a quick, location-based search for, say, all available campsites in Yosemite this weekend or the best beach camping near Savannah, Georgia. Instead, it usually involved an arduous process of searching dozens of sites, all with different layouts, requirements, contact forms, payment systems, and owners. Even today, some systems aren’t online at all, forcing would-be campers to pick up the phone and — brace yourself — call the reservation office (the horror!).

Related

There’s no shortage of peer-to-peer options for campers looking to reserve a temporary stay on their own secluded patch of Earth. Most, however, tend to cater to a specific niche. GlampingHub, for example, is the country’s largest booking engine for upscale camping, where campsites typically offer most, if not all, the comforts of home. On the other end of the spectrum is FreeHouse — a site dedicated to disconnected, off-grid accommodations where nature-lovers can expect a proper digital detox far from civilization. Hipcamp is unique with a comprehensive catalog that offers luxury and barebones accommodations, plus everything in between.

The Hipcamp app is free to download for iOS, and the company promises an Android version is in the works. Users can also book through the Hipcamp website. It’s free for campers to register, and money only changes hands when a site is reserved.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
This is how strong the U.S. passport really is
THe U.S. passport may have slipped in the rankings, but it's still pretty strong
A person holding up their passport in an airport.

Which countries you could get into with your U.S. passport used to be something you never had to worry about. If you had a passport from the U.S., it seemed like almost no country was off limits, and you wouldn't need to double-check your travel plans. But beginning in 2014, the U.S. passport started to lose some of its star power. Here's where the Henley Index (which ranks passport strength) dropped the U.S. passport on their latest updated list.

Why passport strength matters

Read more
These are the most affordable times to visit the most popular U.S. national parks
Long lines, sky-high prices, and crazy crowds. Here's how to avoid it all on your next national park trip
Rocky Mountain-National Park

Let's cut to the chase: In general, the best time to visit most U.S. national parks is during the summer. The wildlife is its most abundant, the weather is beautiful even after dark, and, frankly, is there anything better than sipping a lawnmower beer in a hammock by the campfire? But since many parks have exploded in popularity, outdoor enthusiasts must contend with insane traffic, large crowds, and ballooning rates on everything, including entry fees and hotel stays.

It is possible, however, to dodge most of these headaches with a little planning. According to Priceline, here are the best — or, more specifically, most affordable — times of year to visit the five most popular U.S. national parks.

Read more
Don your best seaman’s cap and head to the most incredible lighthouse hotels in the U.S.
For ocean lovers and salty maritime souls, it hardly gets better than a stay at a genuine lighthouse hotel
View from the water of Maine's Portland Head Lighthouse at sunset.

A proper digital detox is good for the soul, whether for an hour, a day, or a week. But sometimes, you want solitude and soul-searching without getting too far away. Whether you just love nautical-themed vacations, you like seabirds more than people, or you fancy yourself a salty maritime soul, you’ll love an escape to the best lighthouse hotels in the U.S.

Sitka Lighthouse
Sitka, Alaska
New England may garner all the fame when it comes to picturesque lighthouses, but it's not the only area of the country with a rich maritime history. Sitka — a tiny town in Southeastern Alaska best known as the launch pad for Alaska cruises — has one of the most charming lighthouses in the U.S. This ultra-private "hotel" sits on a 1-acre island, and overnight guests have exclusive access to it all. The 50-year-old lighthouse got a refresh in 2018. So, while it maintains much of its original charm, it's a thoroughly modern affair inside, complete with a living room, dining room, full kitchen, and an outdoor tub. There's even satellite TV (not that you'll need it).

Read more