How to Find RV Campsites at Wineries, Farms, and Other Fun Spots

Sites like Airbnb and Vrbo have made it easy to find privately owned vacation rentals in pretty much any nook and cranny of the country. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the same were true for RV sites, especially given that RV ownership has soared as the pandemic has dragged on? Good news, then, because there are actually a number of sites and apps that help RV owners not only find privately owned land to park a rig on, but also properties that have something more to offer in terms of cultural or culinary experiences, like adjacent museums, vineyards, farms, distilleries, breweries, and lots of other exciting options. Read on for more details on a handful of sites that offer these services, as well as a property example from each one.

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Known as "the Airbnb of camping," Hipcamp promises to help RVers and other camper types discover unique outdoor stays on private land. Its listings include more than 300,000 experiences on campgrounds, ranches, vineyards, public parks, and more. It has both a website and app, and both offer campers lots of ways to explore sites, including sections for "near me," "hidden gems," "beach stays," "pet-friendly spots," and a section that lets you search by availability that very day, the coming weekend, or the weekend after that. You can also search just for RV or any other specific type of site. Finally, there is no fee to search sites, but there are fees to book them — most under $100/night.

Want to list your land and become a host with Hipcamp? Click here. 

Near Tampa, Florida
Rent it on Hipcamp

This RV campsite near both Little Manatee River State Park and Lake Manatee State Park is a prime example of what Hipcamp has to offer. Located on a 34-acre fruit and ornamental tree nursery property, the site is close to Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and more. There's a pond on-site and plenty of places and wildlife to seek out.

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This site is specifically for RV travelers, and it offers nearly 3,000 sites around the world, the vast majority of which are in the U.S. Boondockers Welcome's listings use icons to easily identify how large of an RV each host has room for, how many nights campers can stay, and more; and other easy-to-find information is included in the listings, including if pets are welcome, if there are hookups available, what amenities are on the property or nearby, and much more. While you can search listings without a membership, RV owners do have to pay an annual fee of $50 to contact hosts for booking, and there are no obligatory site fees.

Related: How to Find Places to Boondock or Free Park in Your RV

Rapid River, Michigan
Rent it on Boondockers Welcome

This Boondockers Welcome RV site is located in the Upper Peninsula's Hiawatha Forest and includes a gated private area, gravel pad, covered picnic table, fire pit, and more. Nearby destinations include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, nearby waterfalls and cliff jumping, and more.

You can also list your land and become a host with Boondockers Welcome.

A site that focuses more on tent camping, there are some RV camping options to be found on Tentrr if you're willing to search for them, especially, notes the site, in its backcountry options. If you need a break from the RV for a night or two, you can also rent one of Tentrr's "signature" or "partner" sites, which tend to offer a more luxury "glamping" experience in canvas tents with more amenities. There is no membership fee to search or book one of the more than 800 sites listed on Tentrr, but there are fees for booking a property. The service makes it easy to search by state and then narrow choices by activities, natural features, and more.

Want to list your land and become a host with Tentrr? Click here.

 

Related: 30 Crazy-Expensive Glamping Retreats for Upscale Social Distancing

Buellton, California
Rent it on Tentrr

Located on 43 acres in the hills and mountains near Buellton in the Santa Ynez Valley, this site has space for large and small RVs. It's dog-friendly, and amenities include propane fire pits, a barbecue grill, patio tables and chairs, hammocks, a game room, outdoor shower, and more.

Related: 16 RV Parks Your Pooch Will Love As Much As You

HomeCamper — also sometimes referred to as Gamping.com — has more than 30,000 campsite listings on its site all over the world, although only about 250 of those currently are in the U.S. You don't need an account to search listings on HomeCamper, but signing up for one is free and it allows you to contact hosts and book sites online. Property rental fees also apply here. The site can be searched by location, of course, but also around interests and amenities such as "seaside," "farm & animals," "family times," and more.

Want to list your land and become a host with HomeCamper? Click here.

St. John, Washington
Rent it on HomeCamper

Tucked into the verdant countryside of southeastern Washington's Palouse region, this site has great rolling hill views and is close to two lakes, trails, and other outdoor destinations. The property includes three game courts for horseshoes, bocce ball, and croquet, and the hosts will include breakfast for an additional fee.

CampSpace is a Europe-centric site that also has a few dozen properties available across the U.S., including a number of sites that can accommodate an RV. A login is required to send book requests, but creating an account is free. One thing to note: Rental rates, even on U.S. properties, are listed in euros, so you'll have to do some calculations to figure out pricing, but luckily Google makes that pretty easy these days. The listings also make it pretty simple to figure out what amenities and activities are nearby, if a site is pet-friendly, and more.

Want to list your land and become a host with CampSpace? Click here.

Morgan Hill, California
Rent it on CampSpace

This site calls itself a "working mini-farm" and has chickens, pigeons, pet emus, donkeys, llama, ponies, and goats on the property. It's a 30-minute or less drive away from a number of state and country parks, as well as some wineries and tasting rooms.

Related: 10 Countries Where They Love RVs as Much as Americans Do

This site offers nearly 1,500 RV-only sites across the U.S., including at wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums, golf courses, and more. Harvest Hosts offers a "classic" membership plan for $79 per year and a "golf" membership plan for $119 annually. What makes this service unique is that its sites have no camping fees — guests are asked to support hosts "by purchasing one of their local products with each stay!" There are other rules, too: No tent camping is allowed on host sites, and campers must have a self-contained RV with a toilet, water tank, and indoor cooking facilities. Finally, it should be noted that this program is set up for maximum stays of 24 hours, and campers are strongly encouraged not to try to stay longer.

Want to list your land and become a host with Harvest Hosts? Click here. 

Lyons, Colorado
Rent it on Harvest Hosts*

Park your RV at this Colorado distillery and not only will you have access to daily cocktails made from handcrafted spirits, but also an outdoor space that offers cornhole and other games. Just down the road a bit is Estes Park, one of Colorado's prime tourist destinations, as well as Rocky Mountain National Park. Or head south to Boulder to roam the Pearl Street Mall and do some shopping and dining. Popular RV site We Are the Russos named this location one of their favorite Harvest Hosts sites of 2020.

*requires membership to view

While this well-known vacation rental site is not RV centric, it's worth noting that it has many listings that offer vacationers an RV to stay in on private land and in some cases some pretty incredible pieces of private land at that. So if you've been itching to do some RV travel but don't actually own your own RV yet, this might be a great option for you. There are also some RV spaces listed in private campgrounds on the site, one example here. 

Ellijay, Georgia
Rent it on Airbnb

Located on a 7-acre farm in the northern part of the Peach State, this rental offers campers a silver bullet RV to rest their heads in, while also providing amenities like an outdoor shower, a deck with charcoal grill, farm fresh eggs and s'mores ingredients, and more. Campers can visit the farm and meet the goats, chickens, and dogs, head into nearby Ellijay to check out the charming small-town scene, or visit nearby scenic Carter's Lake.

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