This app can help you score sold-out national park stays.
Planning a summer trip to national parks can be challenging due to the high demand for reservations. But now there’s good news! Harvest Hosts just dropped the app CampScanner. Now RVers, tent campers, and other outdoor lovers can access a database of 12,500+ campgrounds at 4,900+ parks—including destinations like Yellowstone National Park, Zion National Park, Glacier National Park, and Yosemite National Park (among many others)—with the app helping them snatch up elusive spots at sold-out campgrounds and receive notifications when the camping stars align.
How does CampScanner work?
CampScanner scans Recreation.gov, CA.gov, and Reserve America for reservation cancellations. The handy tool then notifies campers when new spots become available at their desired parks on their desired dates. When an alert appears, campers can then (quickly) book their spot through the campground’s booking system.
CampScanner offers three pricing tiers: Basecamp ($39/year), Trailhead ($49/year), and Summit ($79/year). The tiers differ in scan frequency and number of scans available. Scans are conducted every five minutes, matching CampScanner users with thousands of daily last-minute cancellations. Just make sure your notifications are turned on and keep your fingers flexible for speedy clicking when the opportunity arises.
And while we’re talking about booking campsites, here are some more apps to check out:
HipCamp is essentially Airbnb for camping. Its 300,000 listings include campsites, cabins, RV parks, treehouses, and plots of private land.
The Dyrt gives you the scoop on what people loved or hated about various campsites.
Recreation.gov, the booking system used by the National Park Service, is often the only way to reserve campsites in national parks and forests.
ReserveAmerica focuses on campsites in state parks. And because it is affiliated with the RV rental platform Outdoorsy, you can use it to have a Winnebago delivered to any state park.
Twist’s Take: Your dream national park all booked? Campscanner can help you find a rez.
