Is Hipcamp Legit? My Hipcamp Review After 11 Years and 30+ Stays
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Tent camping, hike-in sites, RV spots, yurts, and tiny homes- one of the best parts about camping is that there’s always something out there to fit your personal camping style.
And that’s what Hipcamp is all about. One of the best apps for finding and booking campsites, Hipcamp has been unlocking access to new places to camp since 2013, offering everything from national parks to blueberry farms.
Hipcamp says it lists more than 500,000 campsites in the US, which it calls the largest catalog of its kind.
Sounds great, right? But here’s the real question:
Is Hipcamp legit? Is it safe?
I’ve used Hipcamp to book private campsites since 2015, and while my experience hasn’t always been perfect, it’s opened up plenty of unique, secluded places to camp close to home.
Here’s what we love about Hipcamp, what we don’t, and tips for staying safe and finding the best private campsites for your next adventure.
I’ll sprinkle in photos of some of our favorite Hipcamps, along with links to the listings in the captions.
Is Hipcamp Legit? The Short Answer
- Verdict Yes. Hipcamp has been around since 2013, and we’ve booked 30+ stays through it since 2015.
- What it is It’s a robust marketplace for camping, mostly on private land: tent sites, RV spots, cabins, yurts, and treehouses.
- Cost Hosts set the price. Basic tent sites start around $15 a night; glamping can top $300.
- Fees Hipcamp adds a service fee you won’t get back if you cancel. It’s refunded only if the host cancels.
- Safety Hipcamp may background-check US hosts. Your best protection is reading the listing and the reviews.
- Dogs Most of the Hipcamps we’ve booked welcome dogs. Some hosts charge a pet fee, so check the listing.
- Skip it if You need guaranteed bathrooms, cell service, and a ranger down the road.
Last checked by Tara: October 2026
My take
The Hipcamp platform is entirely safe, provided you read the listing carefully and stay at places with camper reviews. A more careful review of the listing could have prevented every stay that went sideways: directions that assumed we’d have cell service, a host who wanted more company than we did, and one memorable site the landowner didn’t know existed. When we knocked on the door, the man who answered blamed his adult daughter for the listing, told us he had nowhere for us to stay, and promised to talk to her about taking it down. We stayed at a nearby hotel.
These days I read a Hipcamp listing very carefully. If it’s a short listing with blurry photos, or has zero reviews, I keep scrolling.
I’ll also say it: when Hipcamp added RV parks and regular campgrounds in 2025 to double its inventory, it watered down the platform. I loved Hipcamp for finding unique, private properties I couldn’t book anywhere else. Now those search results include campgrounds I could book anywhere.
How Hipcamp Works
Hipcamp connects campers with private landowners offering unique camping and glamping opportunities across the United States. Choose from tent sites, RV sites, or accommodations such as cabins, yurts, and treehouses.
Using Hipcamp is a breeze.
Visit the Hipcamp website or download the Hipcamp app for iOS or Android.
- From the Hipcamp homepage, type in the city and state you’ll be traveling to, select ‘current location’ to find camping near you, or select ‘road trip’ to find camping along your route. Add your dates (optional) and whether you want to camp, glamp, or RV.
- Search the available listings to find your perfect private or public land campsite. Add filters based on your preferences, such as pet-friendly camping, Wi-Fi, swimming, electricity hook-ups, and more.
- When you are ready to book a Hipcamp site, you will see one of two booking notices. Many private campsites can be booked directly and instantly on the Hipcamp platform. For some private campsite listings, you will need to ‘request to book’ by submitting your dates for the landowner’s approval. Once your booking request is approved, you will be notified via a Hipcamp message in your inbox.
- After you book your Hipcamp, you will receive the contact info, address, and directions to your home-away-from-home. Be sure to review the amenities so you know what to bring on your trip.
Sounds simple, right? Let’s look at what makes Hipcamp awesome and where it falls short.
What We Love About Hipcamp
Private. Secluded. Distinctive.
Gone are the days of overcrowded campgrounds, noisy neighbors, and blaring generators.
Many Hipcamp sites offer total solitude. And even when there’s more than one campsite, they’re rarely close together.
In the 11 years we’ve been booking sites with Hipcamp, we’ve stayed in luxurious treehouses and yurts, tent camping spots in remote forests next to thundering waterfalls, and farmers’ fields next to herds of cattle.
Each campsite is unique to its property, and many hosts offer extras for purchase, like fresh eggs, meat, veggies, or maple syrup.
Most campsite hosts will give you as much privacy as you want, but they’re also available to answer questions, offer advice, or just chat if you’re interested, and we have made some great friends during many of our Hipcamp stays.
We especially love booking unique outdoor stays near popular attractions where we know the public campgrounds will be either all booked up or too crowded and noisy for comfort.
Hipcamp Complaints: What We Don’t Love
No platform is perfect, and Hipcamp has its quirks.
The downside of camping on private land?
You never know what you’ll get.
In the years we’ve been booking campsites on Hipcamp, we’ve had a few issues:
- Campsites with bad directions (and no cell service).
- Listings created without the landowner’s knowledge (awkward!).
- Overly friendly hosts who didn’t understand boundaries.
Because Hipcamp operates in the shared economy, it has less oversight than traditional campgrounds. When it’s good, it’s amazing.
When it’s bad… not so much.
Pro Tips for Using Hipcamp
Want to avoid hiccups? Here’s how to book your next Hipcamp like a pro:
- Read the listing carefully: The listing includes key details, such as the distance to walk with your gear, whether campfires are permitted, and whether facilities like toilets, showers, and potable water are available. Unlike many public campgrounds, nothing is guaranteed, not even porta-potties.
- Check reviews: It’s a good idea to choose Hipcamps with a few reviews already. Here, you’ll find useful details, like whether the campsite is on a busy road or if the sites are swampy or sloped.
- Contact the host: Got questions? Simply ask. In each listing, you can contact the host for specifics.
- Study the photos: The photos in a listing are a gold mine of information and let you see the campsite layout, check the cleanliness of the amenities, and scope out the lay of the land.
- Review the host’s cancellation policy: Different hosts have different cancellation policies. Here’s an overview of the cancellation policies Hipcamp hosts can choose from. Hipcamp’s service fee is non-refundable if you cancel. It’s refunded only if the host cancels.
Is Hipcamp Safe?
Hipcamp is a legitimate booking platform used by thousands of campers and RVers. We have stayed at 30+ Hipcamp sites, and we have never felt unsafe.
Hipcamp says it may run background checks on US-based hosts before their listings go live, and periodically after that, screening criminal records and sex offender registries. Those checks don’t cover records outside the US, so the listing, the reviews, and trusting your gut still matter most.
Hipcamp’s Inclusion Policy aims to promote and protect diversity by promptly addressing discriminatory behavior and removing content that violates it. We have found Hipcamp customer support to be prompt whenever we’ve had minor issues.
Be aware of the inherent risks when engaging in outdoor pursuits. Here are some safety precautions to take before and during your Hipcamp adventure:
- Let someone know of your plans, including where you will be staying and when you will return.
- Pack a first-aid kit and basic emergency supplies.
- Check the weather forecast before/during your Hipcamp trip.
- Check the Hipcamp listing or contact the local municipality to determine if fires are permitted in the area where you are camping.
- Store food properly to avoid attracting wild animals to your Hipcamp.
- Always be aware of your surroundings.
Hipcamp Listing Red Flags
Not all Hipcamps are created equal, and you may come across properties that aren’t right for you. The good news is that you can usually minimize your disappointment by paying close attention to each listing.
Here are a few red flags to look out for when booking your next Hipcamp getaway.
- Hosts who don’t communicate or answer questions before booking.
- Hipcamp listings that are too brief or seem incomplete.
- Negative reviews.
- No reviews.
- Blurry or poor-quality photos.
How Much Does Hipcamp Cost?
Hipcamp hosts set their own prices based on the amenities provided. A basic campsite may cost as little as $15 per night, while a fancy glamping setup can run upwards of $300.
Hipcamp tacks on a service fee to every booking, and you won’t get it back if you cancel. It’s refunded only if the host cancels. Most glamping sites (cabins, yurts, etc.) also add a cleaning fee to your total, and hosts sometimes charge for extras like firewood.
Read each listing carefully before booking your stay.
Is Hipcamp Better than a Traditional Campground?
We stay in Hipcamps and public campgrounds and love them both for different reasons. We book Hipcamps for privacy or when we want a special glamping retreat that traditional campgrounds can’t provide.
Traditional campgrounds offer predictability and affordability, and sometimes we’d rather stay inside state or national parks for easy access to trails and attractions.
What are the most common Hipcamp complaints?
We’ve run into bad directions to sites with no cell service, listings the landowner didn’t know about (admittedly, that was more than 10 years ago), and hosts who don’t respect your space. The non-refundable service fee is the other big gripe. Most of these show up in the reviews if you read them before booking.
So, Is Hipcamp Worth It?
Absolutely, as long as you read the listing carefully so you know what to expect.
Hipcamp opens the door to incredible, off-the-beaten-path adventures. Whether you’re craving a luxury glamping retreat or a quiet forest escape, chances are there’s a Hipcamp with your name on it.
Introducing the Back Road Ramblers X Hipcamp Collection
We’ve recently partnered with Hipcamp to curate a collection of unique glamping properties in the northeastern United States. Perfect for off-season glamping trips!
Here are some of our favorite properties from this collection:
- Carter’s XC Ski Center in Bethel, ME: Ski right to your cabin for an unforgettable winter experience.
- Quarry Brook Farm Dome in Putney, VT, is another favorite spot for winter glamping. The dome is 20 acres and has lots of great snowshoe trails.
- Zen Cabin in Craftsbury Common, Vermont: A tiny cabin in one of Vermont’s most beautiful areas.
Curious about glamping? Check out our Glamping 101 article to see if it’s right for you!
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My experiences with the Hipcamps I’ve stayed at have been good. I always want to be sure that the access roads are suitable for my small sedan. In a few I’ve checked, the road could get muddy and difficult to navigate in rain, so I avoid those. I did stay in a Hipcamp this year (northern California) that was indeed a small RV park, but the tent sites were separate, back in the woods, very peaceful and private, and the owners were wonderful.
Eight years of data is impressive – I appreciated that you broke down which property types actually delivered the experience promised. The note about hipcamp’s customer service responsiveness saved me from booking a place that looked great in photos.
While looking for a campsite near Dosewallips State Park in Brinnon, WA, I found a thing on Hipcamp that said the nearest park to it was Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck, WA. It also said that the distance between the two was 1 kilometer.
Welllll. Yes, perhaps, but that one kilometer is underwater. The two parks are separated by Hood Canal, and there are NO roads on the Canal.
It’s also odd that it’s in kilometers, because I’m reading this in the US.