Hipcamp, the campsite booking platform, has announced that they’ve added the capability of real-time federal campsite availability and booking. That means that in addition to being able to view availability and book on any one of the 370,000+ private and public parks, campgrounds and campsites already on the platform, users can now nab a spot in national forests with just a few clicks.
The news may seem like small potatoes to some, but it could be a real boon for both casual and more seasoned campers. For way too long, simply finding out how to book or check availability on campsites proved to be a daunting barrier to enjoying public lands in and of itself. With access now made easier and more intuitive thanks to Hipcamp, we may see a lot more people spending time outside this summer. And in this writer’s opinion, that’s rarely a bad thing.

Los Padres National Forest, California Search campsites: Here