New Feature Spotlight: Campgrounds Now on Trails Offroad

When it comes to camping, most people end up choosing between two main options: dispersed camping or staying at a campground.

Up until now, Trails Offroad™ has made it easy to find dispersed sites since almost every trail guide includes at least one. Campground information was only available on a handful of guides. That meant if you wanted to stay at an established campground, you had to do some extra work, starting with researching a trail on Trails Offroad™, then hopping over to another website to figure out which campground was nearby and see if it had any open sites. It worked, but it added an extra layer of hassle to planning your trip.

That’s exactly why we’re so excited to launch our newest update: established campgrounds are now on the Trails Offroad™ Trail Map! You’ll see them right alongside your favorite trails, and with one click, you can head straight to the campground’s website to check availability and book your spot. Planning your adventure just got a whole lot easier.

Why Does This Feature Matter?

One of the biggest advantages of this update is the flexibility it gives different types of campers. We’ve always prioritized dispersed camping in our guides by giving members reliable spots and saving them the time of searching on their own. But not every trip, or everyone, prefers to camp this way. Families may want bathrooms and picnic tables, groups may need more space to fit their vehicles together, and some people just prefer the peace of mind that comes with a campground reservation. Until now, finding that information meant leaving Trails Offroad™ and piecing it together on your own.

With campgrounds now built into the Trail Map, those choices are right at your fingertips. Instead of guessing which campgrounds are close to the trails you want to run, you can see them directly on the map. But what makes the feature especially useful is how it ties everything together. Instead of thinking about trails and camping as two separate pieces, they’re now connected in one place. You can pick a campground that makes sense for your plans, whether that means staying close to the trailhead or picking a spot with a few more amenities.

This is one more way Trails Offroad™ is making off-road travel simpler, smoother, and more reliable.

How the Campground Feature Works

The best part about this update is how easy it is to use. Nothing on our Trail Map has changed; you’ll just notice more information right where you need it.

When you open up the Trail Map, you’ll now see campground icons wherever there is an established campground. Click on those icons, and a box will pop up with details about that campground. From there, you can follow a direct link to the official booking page to reserve your site.

This works whether you’re on a desktop at home planning out a weekend trip, or on your phone mid-adventure, making adjustments on the fly. If a trail takes longer than expected or you decide to stay another night, you don’t have to scramble to figure out where to camp; you can see your options on the same map you’re already using to navigate.

Once you have your campsite reserved, all that’s left is for you to head out on your next adventure!

Why Campgrounds May Be a Better Option Than Dispersed Camping

For a lot of people, dispersed camping is the easiest and best option. You pull off the trail, set up somewhere quiet, and enjoy the kind of quiet that’s hard to find at a campground. Not only that, but it’s free. While it has its charm, it doesn’t always fit every trip or everyone. Sometimes an established campground just makes more sense.

When you’re choosing between the two, the biggest difference really comes down to certainty. With dispersed camping, you can’t always be sure the spot you’re aiming for will be open or even reachable when you get there. Roads wash out, areas close, or sometimes another group beats you to it. Even with a vetted site listed in our guides, things can change, and by the time you roll in, it might already be taken for the night.

Campgrounds take that gamble away. Being able to reserve a site ahead of time means you’ve got somewhere to set up at the end of the day, which is a big deal during busy weekends or when you’re spending multiple days on the road.

Amenities are another factor. Dispersed camping means bringing it all yourself: water, a bathroom setup, fire gear, and a plan to pack everything back out. That responsibility is part of the deal: what you haul in, you haul out. And for some, that means carrying more than they’d prefer. Campgrounds lighten the load. Most have the basics like bathrooms, potable water, picnic tables, and fire rings, and some go further with hookups or dumpsters.

Then there’s the environmental side. As mentioned above, dispersed camping relies on every camper to follow the Leave No Trace principles, and not everyone does, which is why some areas are starting to see closures. Campgrounds are built to handle traffic without putting the same strain on the land. That structure keeps areas cleaner and helps ensure they stay open for years to come.

That’s not to say dispersed camping isn’t worth it, because it absolutely is, and plenty of people will always prefer it. But if you want the reliability of a reservation, the convenience of a few amenities, or simply less stress in your planning, campgrounds are a smart choice.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Campground Feature

This new feature already takes a lot of the work out of planning, but there are a few simple ways to make it even more useful:

• Book Early: Popular campgrounds near busy trails can fill up quickly, especially in summer or over holiday weekends. Reserving a site ahead of time saves you from rolling in late and scrambling for a backup plan. And if it’s a first-come, first-served site, try and get there earlier on in the day or set up camp and then hit the trails.
• Check the Location: If you’re running a long or technical route, having a site close by makes wrapping up the day much easier. On the flip side, if the trail is shorter or more relaxed, you might choose a campground a little farther out that has more amenities.
• Seasonal Reservations: Many campgrounds are only open for part of the year, while others take reservations months in advance. If you’re planning a summer trip, it’s smart to check how far ahead you’ll need to book. For winter adventures, access can be more limited and conditions can change quickly. If you're interested in doing more winter camping, check out our guide to open campgrounds during the winter months.
• Have a Backup: It never hurts to have a backup in mind, especially for first-come, first-served sites. Checking the map for a second option keeps you covered if things change.

Over the past year, our goal has been to make trip planning easier than ever. We started by rolling out Lists, then added Navigation, and now we’ve taken the next step by including established campgrounds directly in our map.

Each of these features builds on the same idea: giving you the tools to plan your adventures without the extra hassle. It all adds up to a smoother process from start to finish.

So the next time you open the Trail Map, take a look at the campground icons. It’s a small addition, but it makes a big difference, and it’s one more way Trails Offroad™ is helping you spend less time planning and more time on the trail.