Campground Basics And Primitive Camping (Free) For Campervan
Are you feeling over whelmed when you are looking around for a campsite? Don't know where to start? You have two basic options: Developed and Primitive
Things To Consider When Finding Your Campervan Campsite
How much do you want to spend?
How will you be camping?
In a Campervan of Course!
Know your campervan length.
Small/Medium -19ft and Large - 22ft Some sites have restrictions on length.
What amenities do you want or need?
Are pit toilets enough or do you need full bathrooms with showers?
Where is your campsite located in regards to what you want to visit?
If a free site is too far from what you want to see then it may not be worth it.
Developed Sites:
These sites have amenities like toilets and picnic tables or even showers.
Forest Service, BLM, and National Park service campsites are best found on recreation.gov. You can search for sites based on nearby cities and town. The majority of Forest Service and BLM will have a restroom, but no shower facilities. The National Park service facilities are usually a step up from the most Forest Service and BLM facilities.
State Park facilities are best found on reserveamerica.com. Most state parks are going to have showers and bathrooms and paved sites along with a picnic table and a fire pit.
Primitive Sites:
Primitive sites are generally free and lack toilets and picnic tables. We include a folding table and camp chairs with every campervan rental, but we would recommend a port-a-potty as an addon if you are primitive camping.
There is no reason to be intimidated by Primitive Sites. If it looks like someone else has camped there before and it is not posted as no camping then camp away!
How To Find Your Perfect Campervan Campsite
Free Campsites
Campendium
Campendium is a great place to start when you are searching for your next campsite. It is a community of campers, primarily geared towards those with RV’s, where you will find detailed information on campsites all over the U.S. You’ll find everything from boondocking to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land to campgrounds on this site. You start by searching for your destination. Or, choose to search from your current location. From there, you have several filters, including hookups, length, discounts, and land categories (such as BLM, Campground, etc.). There is also a price slider where you can choose your target budget or even choose to show only free options!
HipCamp
HipCamp lets you narrow your search for unique campsites based on tent camping, glamping or RV sites. There are over 300,000 choices for you to explore. Enter your location, desired dates, and type of camping and – voila! – you’ll find tons of unique options for your next adventure!
HipCamp is a great resource to find last minute campsites or locating places to camp near National Parks.
The Dyrt
Use The Dyrt PRO for free
Need help finding the best campgrounds? As a gift for renting with us, we're giving you free access to 14 days of The Dyrt PRO. The Dyrt is the #1 camping app and largest campground directory with access to 1 million+ campsites, reviews, and tips. The Dyrt PRO gives you offline access to the app (no reception needed), discounts for campgrounds and gear, and their awesome trip planner. Just use the discount code wander14 (Boise and SLC Trips) or pnw14 (Portland Trips) when checking out. link: https://thedyrt.com/get-pro
Wandervans is the sweet spot in between the tent and the RV. No matter if you are a seasoned travelers or out there for the first time, Wandervans is here to help you experience Van Life on your next adventure.