How To Find Unique Camping Sites
and The Best Glamping Worldwide
If you’re looking for fun, interesting and unique camping sites- you’ve come to the right place. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I have been camping and “glamping” around the world for the last two years in epic destinations like the Great Smoky Mountains, the countryside in Spain or at festivals across Europe.
Well I’m excited to share with you guys exactly how I find these epic camping sites!
Whether you’re camping to save money, glamping to connect with nature or simply looking for a trip more memorable than staying in another generic hotel, these apps, websites and companies will help you find the coolest accommodations outdoors and around the world.
Hipcamp
By now, just about everyone everywhere knows about Airbnb. But have you heard of Hipcamp? It’s a resource similar to Airbnb that allows privately owned properties to be rented out to travelers.
This could mean anything from a basic camping spot in someone’s backyard to large privately owned glamping sites.
Just like with Airbnb, sometimes you’ll meet the owners and sometimes you won’t. It just depends on the site you book. There may be other campers around or you might have the property to yourself! Hipcamp is home to a wide range of properties- even cute cabins and lodges.
Get $10 off your first Hipcamp!
I have personally used Hipcamp a number of different times during my travels in my home state of Minnesota and while traveling the Great Smoky Mountains.
Read: GLAMPING IN MINNESOTA: THE PERFECT SUMMER GETAWAY!
The first glamping site we found in Minnesota was exclusively featured on Hipcamp and was one of my favorite summer adventures this year! The property had multiple campsites surrounded by gorgeous trails. We stayed in the stunning safari tent. And for extra fun, try showering in the very cute and charming outdoors shower.
The second Minnesota glamping trip I went on was at the Dancing the Land farm also found on Hipcamp. This stay was an absolute 10/10 experience!
Read: DANCING THE LAND FARMSTAY: A STUNNING MINNESOTA GLAMPING EXPERIENCE
Get $10 off your first Hipcamp!
Under Canvas
If you’ve fallen in love with the “glamping” (glamorous + camping) craze that has taken the travel industry by storm, you’re not alone! People who want to connect with nature but still have a few comforts (like a bed, ha!) are growing in number.
Under Canvas is a company that provides “glampsites” near beloved national parks.
We stayed at the stunning campsite near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and were thrilled with the property. However, this isn’t the most budget friendly campsite. Under Canvas is very trendy and will cost just as much as a hotel room. But it’s an awesome experience if you can swing it!
2021 Camp Dates
Moab: March 4 – October 25, 2021
Zion: March 11 – November 8, 2021
Lake Powell – Grand Staircase: April 1 – October 31, 2021
Great Smoky Mountains: April 1 – November 29, 2021
Grand Canyon: April 15 – October 25, 2021
Mount Rushmore: May 6 – September 27, 2021
Acadia: May 13 – October 31, 2021
Yellowstone: May 20 – September 6, 2021
Glacier: June 10 – September 13, 2021
Read: GLAMPING AT GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK WITH UNDER CANVAS
The Dyrt Website & App
This website and app are an amazing resource for campers. It’s like Tripadvisor or Yelp but just for campgrounds which makes it easy to find and review campsites near you or your destination.
The Go-To Resource for Campers
However you camp — in a tent, trailer, RV, or cabin — we believe that finding outdoor accommodations should be just as easy as finding the indoor kind.
Camping at International Festivals With Stoke Travel
Did you know you can glamp at the legendary Munich Oktoberfest?! Well neither did I until I came across Stoke Travel.
Read: GLAMPING AT OKTOBERFEST
Since then, I have camped or glamped at several festivals around the world with this crazy, party orientated company.
So how does it work? Stoke Travel sets up campsites at all of your favorite festivals around the world. You just show up and everything is ready for you: your tent, your meals, your drinks, and hundreds of other travelers to meet!
You can even get unlimited beer, wine & sangria with a promo code. It’s the best way to do a festival on a budget!
Stoke Travel Promo Code: thewanderlustrose
I worked with Stoke Travel at the 2018 Oktoberfest as part of their festival crew. Read the blog post to find out how to apply!
Airbnb Unique Stays
Of course you already know about Airbnb. But did you know you can filter searches by scrolling down and selecting “unique stays“? Everyday more camping and glamping options are being added to Airbnb so it’s worth checking in the unique stays sections while on the hunt for a great camping or glamping site.
One of my favorite unique Airbnb stays of all time was this gorgeous glamping yurt in Australia on Great Ocean Road. It perfectly faced the ocean for sunset and we had the entire beach to ourselves!
Harvest Host
If you have a camper van or RV, you can find free amazing campsites through this network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms and attractions that invite RVers to stay in any one of the 1274+ campsites.
There is a yearly membership of $79 but the campsites are FREE. It’s only applicable if you have an RV but it’s a cool way to campout somewhere unique!
Check out Harvest Host.
Tents of any kind aren’t allowed and the van or RV must be fully self contained with a toilet, water tank and inside cooking facilities.
Interested in camping but feel intimidated or don’t own any gear?
Glamping is a great option for new campers because everything is provided for you. But if you don’t have any gear yet and are interested in camping, try an all-inclusive camping trip with a company like Bindlestiff Tours.
These small group trips are great because you don’t have to provide any of your own camping gear- just show up and the guide will have everything you need loaded in the trailer.
Read: BINDLESTIFF TOURS: AN EPIC, ALL-INCLUSIVE SOUTHWEST ROAD TRIP
Follow along & stay tuned for when I go camping in Antarctica in 2021- my most unique camping site of all time, ha!
