How to Find the Best Motorcycle Campgrounds

Motorcycle camping has helped people get away from mundane life. But the most challenging part of motorcycle camping is finding the right campground. The most popular motorcycle campgrounds in metropolises and national parks can be expensive and require reserving spots months in advance. During busy seasons, most campgrounds operate on a first come first serve basis.

With the growing popularity of motorcycle camping, new websites and mobile apps have been launched to help motorcyclists find and book spots at campsites.

These online resources help motorcycle enthusiasts locate off-the-grid primitive campsites, reserve their spots, check possible activities, find nearby scenic motorcycle routes, or look for campgrounds along their route when going on a motorcycle tour. Websites and apps that provide information on campgrounds can also help you find nearby restaurants, stores, services, gas stations, motorcycle repair shops, and ATMs.

This article provides a comprehensive list of websites and apps that can help you find an ideal motorcycle campground. While all resources mentioned in this list are neither motorcycle camping-specific nor free of cost, they will help you find a campground en route, book your place in advance, or capitalize on canceled reservations.

Technology has simplified the process of finding a campsite for your vacation. Most of the websites and applications mentioned below are free, have a mobile-friendly interface, and offer an extensive selection of campgrounds to choose from.

Google Maps is the most common and inexpensive way of finding a motorcycle camping area. Riders can search for national parks, state parks, BLM lands, and dispersed campgrounds that permit motorcycles. Once at the location, they can wander deeper into the area to look for a peaceful, scenic place away from noisy crowds.

Another way to find a campsite on Google Maps is to pick a general area you’ll be riding towards and pinning possible camping spots. All the necessary information, reviews, and pictures about the campground will immediately pop up on your phone’s screen. If the motorcycle campsite appeals to you, check its satellite preview before saving the route. You can also add the route on a social media page to encourage motorcycle campers for suggestions, reviews, and insight.

Reserve America is one of the most popular online campsite databases. The website manages most reservations at national and state parks in the United States. Riders can look up campground searches by filtering dates, locations, and types of campgrounds.

Make an account on the website so you can save your favorite motorcycle campgrounds and organize lists of possible campsites.

Reserve America also helps you maintain a record of all your past and future reservation dates. This information can help you refer campsites to fellow riders. For motorcycle camping enthusiasts looking to camp at California state parks, a separate website Reserve California has been launched.

Though not a campground search tool, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is a privately-owned campground franchise with over 500 campgrounds across the United States for family and motorcycle camping.

All motorcycle camping sites featured by KOA have high-quality amenities, including hot showers, laundry facilities, clean washrooms, running water, fire pits, grills, and food supplies. Riders can pack less and travel light as the campsites are equipped to meet most of the riders’ needs.

Motorcyclists can reserve a spot at designated campgrounds for tent camping, a tent cabin, or a deluxe cabin.

Recration.gov is a website that can help you search and reserve campsites across the United States. Recreation.gov especially comes in handy when planning to camp at a federal campsite that other platforms do not have access to.

Recreation.gov is a user-friendly website, best for booking spots at designated national parks. The interactive map is easy to understand; riders can easily search for a suitable campground using site type, amenities, and availability filters. Since campsites at national parks get booked six months in advance, it is best to reserve your spot early.

Campendium features over 27,000 seats for tent and RV camping at national parks, national forests, state parks, free camping sites, RV camping sites. With user reviews, you can get reliable insight into the quality of different locations.

Through Campendium, you can also get quick facts about the campsite, including reservation fee, amenities, GPS coordinates, best routes, and photographs. Once you choose a campsite, you can reserve your spot through external links.

You can also use Campendium’s platform to share your experiences with other motorcycle campers.

Ultimate Campground covers over 40,000 campgrounds in the United States and Canada. Although an underdeveloped tool, Ultimate CG provides comprehensive lists of different types of campgrounds, including military sites for veterans.

This user-friendly app color codes the campsites according to their type and camping style. Campers can enter the name of the campground they want to visit or use the interactive map to locate a possible campsite. The images of the landscape can help you decide whether the campground is right for you.

Just like KOA, Hipcamp helps overlanders and motorcycle camping enthusiasts find privately owned campgrounds. The only difference is that KOA provides access to its own lands, while Hipcamp provides access to all privately-owned farmlands, ranches, vineyards, and estates.

HipCamp comes in handy when looking for a developed campsite for a relaxing weekend getaway. The locations available at HipVCap require paying a fee to stay. If you are on a tight budget, use a price filter to get the best deal near you.

Compared to other private campsites, options provided by Hipcamp tend to be more expensive; however, you get the benefits of privacy, solitude, comfort, and quality amenities.

Go Camping America can help you find a place to stay at privately-owned developed campgrounds. With an extensive database of more than 3,000 campgrounds, including RV campsites, farmlands, and parks, finding motorcycle-friendly campgrounds near cities and towns becomes easier.

However, Go Camping America does not list any government-managed campgrounds and national parks.

Experienced motorcyclists who enjoy a primitive camping style should use OnX OffRoad to search for campgrounds. This app distinguishes between private and public lands, wild camping areas, areas with open reservations, and designated campgrounds that operate on a first come first serve basis. The app allows you to find and save dirt trails and directions to campgrounds you can download for offline use.

AllStays has an extensive list of campsites and free parking lots. However, since overnight Walmart parking is not practical for motorcyclists, not all of the 30,000 options provided by AllStays are motorcycle-friendly. The category filters help motorcyclists simplify their searches based on types of campgrounds, electricity, running water, costs, pools, recreational activities, food establishments, and dump stations.

The Dyrt is a reliable tool to help you find the best campsites en route, where no reservation is required. If you plan to visit a dispersed campsite, you can use the Dyrt to find reviews and details about the campsite.

Riders can filter the campgrounds based on their camping style and modes of transportation, such as walk-in, drive-in, boat-in, and hike-in. Since you will be riding a motorcycle to the campground, choose the campgrounds with the drive-in option.

iOverlander can help you find dispersed campgrounds for freedom camping during a motorcycle trip. The app can provide information about campsites reviewed by other motorcyclists.

Using the iOverlander database, motorcyclists can learn everything about a campground, including directions, pictures, amenities, number of people who have visited recently, GPS coordinates, fuel pumps, propane refills for stoves, water, restaurants, and motorcycle repair shops.

The downside of this app is that most of the proposed campground suggestions involve parking overnight at a Walmart lot and sleeping inside vehicles like an RV or a car. Motorcyclists have to filter through these suggestions and find sites based on insider info.

Boondocking is the best tool for motorcycle campers who prefer primitive-style dispersed camping and enjoy visiting off-the-grid campgrounds.

This public forum lists over 1,260 possible campsites offering limited amenities. Riders can search campgrounds using GPS coordinates. Boondocking provides reliable information and directions provided by your peers who have camped in the areas.

Once you click on the search sites option, a map will appear on your screen. You can zoom in or out when looking for places where you plan to camp out. Once you select the campground, the app will direct you to Google Maps where you will get public reviews on different websites, campground ratings, photographs, and information about nearby restaurants, ATMs, parking lots, ful stations, pharmacies, and tourist attractions.

Many public lands open for wild motorcycle camping fall under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management. With over 245 million acres of public land, the Bureau of Land Management provides many opportunities for motorcyclists to camp out. However, not every BLM land is open for motorcycle camping. To find out which ones are, check out BLM’s official website and click on the Visit option to find an interactive map featuring different recreational opportunities. Choose the camping and cabins option, zoom in on the location you want to camp, and then click on the tent icon. A small window with necessary information about the campsite, including its name, directions, activities, reservation requirements (if any), and other details, will pop up. You can save the map and add markers for future use.

Riders can visit the National Forest Service’s official website to use the interactive map. Using this map, you can find dispersed and developed campgrounds suited for motorcycle camping.

On the website, you will find the following sites and recreational options:

• Camping & Cabins
• Accessibility Information
• Hiking
• Fishing
• Water
• Dirt Bike
• Trial Head
• Picnicking
• ATV/OHV
• Dirt Bike
• Highway-Legal

Riders can click on the camping/cabin or wear option to explore selections. Click on the state or city and zoom in to find the campgrounds available in the area you plan to set up camp or will be riding past.

Click on the tent icon to get a brief description of the campground, including the name of the campground, type of camping allowed, recreation opportunities, available amenities, camping season, terrain, route, nearby forests or wilderness, and a directional link to the detailed information about the campground.

The National Forest Service’s interactive map is now available on Apple and Play Store for easy access. Some motorcycle campers complain that this website is not user-friendly. As a beginner, if you have trouble navigating the map, then try using other websites, such as OnX Off-Road or the Dyrt.

Many riders who initially didn’t plan to go camping ask locals at diners or gas stations if there are any motorcycle-friendly campgrounds nearby. Depending on who you ask, you may get good suggestions and reliable directions.

You can also approach service departments in national parks, state parks, and forests. These offices have large maps of the area and you can ask for the following information:

• If there are any designated campgrounds
• Areas that allow free camping
• Dangerous wildlife in the area
• Leave no trace policy and dumpsites nearby
• If a campfire is allowed

You can find information on social media pages and Youtube. People fond of motorcycle camping can give you tips on how to find motorcycle campgrounds.

When planning your trip, check out different motorcycle camping pages and communities on Facebook and Instagram. Ask about potential campgrounds with the best spots and services.

When finding a motorcycle campground, never rely on only one website for research. Check out as many resources as possible to get the full picture of the best amenities, spots, prices, and discounts.

Before pressing the reserve button, look for the same campground on another website or app for reviews and information. To ensure that the campground falls within your route, use Google Maps for a satellite view. In addition, satellite images will provide information about the terrain, nearby places of interest, and the best routes to reach the campground.

When planning to visit popular camping sites like Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Badlands Area, or Glacier National Park, ensure you have booked a spot early.