USA National Parks App - The app will provide users the ultimate utility in planning their next park vacation offering robust guides for the 20 most visited parks in the national parks system.
Alltrails - The most comprehensive website and companion app to help you find the best trail nearby. It includes maps, data, and reviews from other users.
TripAdvisor - Find destinations worldwide with reviews and reliable information.
Free Campsites - Freecampsites.net is a great database of free camping sites and campgrounds in North America. Many of the locations are on public lands and have great reviews.
The Dyrt - A great all-around campground finder covering state parks, national parks, RV parks, glamping, free camping, and more. Camper reviews make it especially helpful when comparing places to stay. The Dyrt describes itself as bringing many types of camping together in one place.
Recreation.gov - An important resource when your adventure takes you to federal recreation areas. It can be especially useful for finding reservable campsites and other federal recreation opportunities.
Hipcamp - Looking for something different from a traditional campground? Hipcamp is worth checking for camping opportunities on private land.
iOverlander - A particularly useful resource for overlanders, road trippers, and travelers searching for community-reported places along their journey.
Campendium - Another helpful option for RV travelers and campers. Listings include campground and public-land information as well as camper reviews, photos, dump stations, and cell-coverage reports.
Roadtrippers - Great for the journey as well as the destination. Roadtrippers is geared toward planning the driving portion of an outdoor road trip.
Gaia GPS - A useful addition for people heading farther into the backcountry, with an emphasis on backcountry navigation.
onX Backcountry - Another option to consider for off-road adventures, navigation, and land information.
The Outbound Collective - Incredible adventures created by people like you, from across the globe.
Windy - Don't forget to check the weather. Windy is another tool outdoor travelers can add to their planning toolkit for weather information.
No single app has to do everything. You might use The Dyrt to research campgrounds, Recreation.gov for a federal reservation, AllTrails for a hike, and Roadtrippers for the drive. Current comparisons of camping apps similarly separate campground discovery, road-trip routing, trail navigation, and trip organization into different jobs.
A little research before you leave can go a long way toward finding that perfect campsite, trail, or unexpected roadside adventure.
Happy Trails,
David F. Garner