Finding Campsites & Overnight Parking

How do you find campgrounds or overnight parking when you're on the road?  Back in our tenting days we travelled with a well worn Woodall's camping directory that was about 4 inches thick.  Fast forward to our favorite campground apps!

AllStays ($) --  This app is at the top of our list to check, but sadly only available for Apple iOS. It's $9.99, but money well spent.  With over 60,000 locations, you can filter by--Cracker Barrels, Cabelas, Walmarts, casinos, municipal, state, and national parks; as well as dispersed sites in forests, BLM land, and Corp of Engineers.  It's super comprehensive!  Why would you want any other app?  Well...read on.




Campendium (free) --Use Campendium if you're looking for detailed reviews by other campers. One reason I like Campendium is because the reviews often include information about cell service and/or WiFi access.  It's available for iOS or you can search the website in your browser.


RV Parky (free) -- is a great choice for iOS or Android and like AllStays it includes a wide variety of options--private, public,  casinos, Walmarts, Cabelas's, Cracker Barrels, truck stops, rest areas, and more. It even provides warnings for low clearance roads.  I like the filters for amenities like laundry, pool, pet friendly, wifi, and more.



Recreation.gov (free) --  Yay! The update to this National Parks reservation app has been long overdue.  If used the clunky old Recreation.gov you know exactly what I'm talking about.  I love how you can now see availability IN REAL TIME(!) at 12 participating partners including National Parks, Seashores, Forests; BLM, Army Corps of Engineers, Tennessee Valley Authority, and more. It is SO much easier to see what sites are available and to reserve them.  Ditch the old app on your phone and download this one.  Note: this brand new update is currently available for iOS only, but an Android version is expected soon.

Harvest Hosts (app is free, annual membership required) -- We're big fans of Harvest Hosts.  Why stay at a noisy truck stop or crowded Walmart, when you can stay at a scenic winery, rural farm, or fascinating museum?  For an annual membership fee, Harvest Hosts provides over 700 locations in the U.S. and Canada, where all it takes is a quick phone call to ask if they have room for overnight parking.  You can thank the owners with a purchase of a bottle of wine, some farm fresh produce, or a museum ticket while you're there.  We love getting off the beaten path and supporting local businesses.

RV Parks and Campgrounds (free) -- Another popular app that includes a variety of campgrounds (over 40,000) including private, public, RV friendly stores, truck stops, and more.

Here are a few other options that we don't use, but other folks have recommended: KOA, Passport America, Overnight RV Parking, Ultimate U.S. Military Campgrounds, and iOverlander.

And I saved my favorite for last! I love using the website, freecampsites.net. Hard to believe, but we found free overnight parking on Cape Cod with this website! Unfortunately there's no app, but use it in your browser to locate free places to overnight.

What other apps and websites do you use?  Please share them in the comments!