The Friday night campsite frenzy that causes weekly distress among US campers may have finally met its match. Unable to simply drive down a nearby Forest Service road and throw a tent up where they see fit, those in outdoors-inclined urban hubs like Denver, Seattle, and San Francisco are forced to hit the Interstate en masse by happy hour on Friday afternoon if they hope to secure a prime campsite for the weekend. Outdoors site Hipcamp is out to change that with its new camping app, available now for iOS devices.
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This New App Lets You Book Your Summer Campsite in Advance
“Our mission is to get more people outside, and as everyone starts planning for summer camping season, we wanted to create a resource that makes getting outside simple, straightforward, and fun,” Hipcamp Founder and CEO Alyssa Ravasio said in a media release. “With our new mobile app, you can now plan your next outdoor adventure entirely on the go, making it easier than ever to get outside.”
Hipcamp’s approach is unique in that it’s combined both public and private campsites into one massive, searchable database. What before could take multiple Google searches and ample time perusing the site of the National Forest Service or park you plan to stay in can now be done in a more streamlined manner. If everything in your desired area that’s publicly available is booked up, perhaps there’s a plot of private land with a sympathizing owner looking to make a few bucks by letting you pop a tent on the property.
The app also allows you to book glamping and RV sites and has brought community reviews into the equation, so you’ll know beforehand if the facilities at a certain campground aren’t up to par or the place tends to be crammed with late-night partiers. The app certainly isn’t making it any easier to disconnect from the digital world when we head outdoors, but it might just cut back on the stress of getting there. 