A camping trip is only as good as the camping site that you choose. For every unique and breathtaking camping stop in your area, there could be a dozen that simply are not what you are looking for – and you want to be prepared before you set off.
This means finding the best camping sites for your specific needs, whether that means a well-maintained glamping paradise with plenty or a simple, natural clearing that is perfect for an enthusiastic tent owner. But how can you narrow down your search, especially in areas with a lot of local camping sites?
Understand Your Preferences
No camping site is going to appeal to everybody. It is a good idea to get a better understanding of the kind of camping experience you want, no matter how specific that ends up being or how few options it would leave you with. For example, if you are into hiking and want a campsite that is close to a lot of different hiking locations, then you will want to choose a campsite that allows for varied hiking opportunities.
This should factor heavily into the sites you end up considering and will also mean that some campsites simply are not a good fit for your needs. It is important to examine the kind of experience you want before you start a serious search since this defines everything about how you will make your final choice of campsite.
While it might sound like common sense, it is easy to overlook your wants and preferences if you are caught up with planning the trip itself. This is also a great time to consider how much you are willing to pay for a camping experience, since the cost of each campsite can usually vary quite heavily.
If you are on a budget, it is important to keep this in mind and look for affordable options, which can eliminate many campsites that might have higher booking costs or other fees associated with them.
Do Some Searches
A basic Google search can be a great way to get a breakdown of campsites near you or in any specific location that you include in the search. While this will not be fully comprehensive, it still provides an easy way to see a good range of camping sites within a specific area. This can be a solid way to start an in-depth search.
Due to how search engines work, most of the campsites that come up will be popular or well-known, which can let you eliminate any that do not fit your needs straight away. Using the right search terms can also help you slowly nudge the results to be more relevant to your interests.
If you are interested in hiking, then the phrase “camping sites in (location) for hiking” can give you some better-focused results that are tailored closer to hikers, rather than a general audience. Remember that different search engines will also display different results. If you are constantly having trouble finding camping sites in a particular location, it might be worth trying a new search engine or adjusting your search terms to see if you can find anything else that comes up.
Look At Online Resources
There are countless websites out there focused on camping or just general outdoor activities as a whole. These can be a surprisingly useful resource for finding campsites that you might have overlooked, or getting more information about options that you are still considering. For example, you might find articles that are top 10 lists of the best campsites in a certain area, or even a blog that reviews camping sites and gives feedback on their experiences.
This can be a great way to get an outsider’s perspective on a potential camping location or to discover options that you otherwise would not have found. More importantly, many of these are going to be written by people who have experience with the campsites themselves.
This can be a good way to hear more about a specific option that you are looking at, especially if you are worried about having a bad time at a campsite you have never heard of before. Even looking at somebody’s personal hiking, camping or outdoor blog can be a surprisingly useful option. Sometimes you might discover a new campsite worth looking into or find out new information that makes a potential choice suddenly not appealing to you anymore.
Use Campsite Directories
One of the most useful resources you could turn to is campsite listings and directories, such as the Camping Sites Finder. These long, detailed breakdowns of countless campsites offer a very easy way to see a huge range of campsites you would never find on your own. This has the advantage of not being focused on any specific place or requiring you to make a search yourself, meaning that you are not being limited by specific criteria.
As you might expect, this means that you can discover all kinds of campsites in areas you had not even considered looking through. Of course, this also means that you are going to be presented with a lot of options at once, and you may not have filters to help narrow the search down. Even so, this can be a fantastic resource for people who are willing to try campsites all across the UK or who want to come up with ideas for multiple future camping trips.
Keep in mind that many directories require the owner to submit their campsite, which means that some simply won’t appear – especially brand new campsites. However, these are still invaluable for getting a huge variety of campsite options all in one place. While there’s no guaranteed way to find a campsite that’s ideal for you with only one or two searches, it’s not hard to put yourself on the right track.
The important thing is that you understand what kind of experience you want, and that you can use that information properly. Always take your time to explore as many campsites as you can find – or at least the ones that feel like a good fit for your preferences. Whether you’re looking for an easygoing and attractive holiday spot or a natural site that tests your resilience, there are plenty of ways to track them down.
