From the Passenger's Seat: How We Choose Our Next Camp Spot
Updated: Aug 1
Location
Location
Location
Top: Spearfish City Campground in Spearfish, South Dakota
Middle: Rutherford Beach in Creole, Louisiana
Bottom: Aguirre Spring Campground in Las Cruces, New Mexico
There are many, many ways to find a place to stay. I am going to list a few that we use to find our camp spot for the night. Stay tuned til the end, because I am saving my favorite app for last!
Campendium - Campendium is a free app that we use most of the time. Their app provides a map/list with Public Land, RV Parks, Dump Stations, Fuel & Charging, Rest Stops, Bars & Restaurants, Sights & Attractions, The Great Outdoors, Hotels & Unique Stays, Activities & Experiences, Shopping, and Sports & Wellness.
When we choose a desired location, there are photos, the last price paid (sometimes $0 and sometimes a fee), the longest RV allowed, pad type, elevation, reviews, cell signal, and amenities. When choosing a camp spot, we make sure to read several reviews. We have found this helpful in many ways, especially the condition of the road going into camp area!
You can upgrade to the RVPro tier, which includes advanced tools like Autopilot trip planning; CAMPalerts for sold-out campgrounds; RV Safe Navigation with your unit's specific height, weight, and propane status; map overlays with public land boundaries, wildfire smoke, and more, layered onto the route; and offline maps which are downloaded before your signal disappears.
We prefer the FREE version, because we love FREE!
Harvest Host - Harvet Host is an annual membership program for self-contained RVs. Their app lists over 9,000 locations that allow you to stay overnight - - golf courses, restaurants, breweries, etc. How it Works on the app: find a desired location, request date of stay and wait for approval. Once approved, arrive at your destination and spend a recommended $30 at their establishment in exchange for an overnight stay. We have been to approximately 50 Harvest Hosts over time. We used Harvest Host mostly when on the Eastern side of the country.
Recreation.gov - An app to explore camping & lodging, tickets & tours, permits, passes, and lotteries. There is plenty to explore on this app and you can make reservations right on the app.
Reserve America - When opening the app, a list of nearby campgrounds appear, showing you their distance from your location and giving full descriptions of each one. You can make reservations in app.
Hipcamp - This free app connects landowners with travelers seeking outdoor stays on privately-owned land, farms, vineyards, etc. When opening the app you will see a map with prices. Clicking on desired location reveals photos, description, site type, amenities, and reviews. Booking is done in the app.
National Park Service - This is my favorite app. This app displays nearby national parks and their distance from your location. Selecting a desired park will provide you with a wealth of information: photos, description, address, directions, hours, amenities, things to do, visitor center information, news, the current weather, activities calendar, and where to stay. You can even explore the app by activity: astronomy, wildlife watching, auto touring, hiking, guided tours, museum exhibits, etc. The app also has articles to learn and explore. See the Fees & Passes section for entrance pass fees. We HIGHLY recommend full-timers get the America the Beautiful Pass. This pass is for National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands. The price of this annual pass varies. Here are the prices as of 5/1/26:
$ 80. U.S. Citizen
$250 Non-U.S.
$ 20 Annual Pass U.S. Seniors (62+)
$ 80 Lifetime Pass for U.S. Seniors (62+)
Free Military
Free Permanently Disabled
Free 4th Grade Pass
Free Federal Recreation Site Volunteers with 250 service hours
We purchased the $80 U.S. Citizen Pass and it has been well worth it! The pass provides free entrance to 2,000+ federal recreation sites, including National Parks. We have been to countless National Parks and National Monuments. We are definately renewing our Pass! The Pass pays for itself after 2-3 visits!
If you do not have a pass, the following days in 2026 are FREE:
Monday, February 16 - - President's Day
Monday, May 25 - - Memorial Day
Sunday, June 14 - - Flag Day
Friday, July 3 - Sunday, July 5 - Independence Weekend
Tuesday, August 25 - - 110th Birthday of National Park Service
Thursday, September 17 - - Constitution Day
Tuesday, October 27 - - Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday
Wednesday, November 11 - - Veterans Day
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