Need a real Hipcamp review from someone who actually lived through the experience? My 30 nights of solo camping at different Hipcamp locations gave me insights you won’t see in regular reviews.
The platform has connected nature lovers with unique camping spots since 2013. Now it stands as the largest campsite booking platform in the US with more than 500,000 campsites. Luxurious treehouses, yurts, and remote forest tent spots next to waterfalls showcase the platform’s impressive range. My month-long adventure taught me what makes this platform exciting and sometimes challenging when traveling alone.
The platform’s legitimacy shows in its verified 4.5-star rating on Trustpilot and stellar app reviews. The price range surprised me most – hosts set their own rates, which run between $5 to $100 per night for simple campsites. Upscale glamping options can reach $300.
My 30-night experiment took me through blueberry farms, private forests, and everything in between. This experience will help you decide if Hipcamp suits your next solo adventure, whether you’re planning your first booking or comparing costs with traditional campgrounds.
What Is Hipcamp and How Does It Work?
Hipcamp leads the world’s outdoor stay booking platforms and helps nature lovers connect with unique camping spots. I spent a month testing the service and found that there was something special about how it works compared to regular camping options.
Platform Overview and Host Model
Hipcamp works as a detailed marketplace for outdoor accommodations. The platform brings together camping options from peaceful private lands, iconic public parks, and well-equipped campgrounds in one searchable database, serving over 7 million users worldwide. The easy-to-use interface lets you search by location, dates, and accommodation type to see what’s available.
The platform’s host model sets it apart. Private landowners – farmers, ranchers, and vineyard owners can list their properties to earn money by hosting campers. Each host creates their own rules, pricing, and schedules. This explains the variety I saw during my experience. Some hosts just shared coordinates while others loved showing guests around their property.
Types of Stays: Tent, RV, Glamping, and More
Hipcamp’s variety of places to stay amazed me. You’ll find more than simple tent camping:
- Traditional camping spaces: Simple tent sites and spots for car camping
- RV-friendly locations: Sites with various hookup options (40% longer average stay than tent campers)
- Glamping experiences: From canvas tents and safari tents to yurts, domes, and treehouses
- Unique structures: Converted shipping containers, earth houses, vintage trailers, and other one-of-a-kind stays
Glamping has grown popular on the platform. It makes up approximately one in three Hipcamp bookings. This matches broader travel trends where 30% of leisure travelers have tried glamping in the past two years.
My 30-night stay included different types of accommodation. I wanted to learn about everything Hipcamp offers. Property quality varied by a lot – an important point for any Hipcamp review.
Availability Across the U.S., Canada, and Australia
Hipcamp keeps growing. You can now book stays in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The US has the most options.
The platform expanded to Canada through a partnership with camping startup Pitched, adding more than 500 Canadian hosts. Listings appear in every Canadian province, with Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta having the most options.
Australian Hipcamp includes caravan parks and holiday parks along with traditional camping experiences.
Many hosts provide extras beyond just a place to stay. You can book farm-to-table meals, yoga sessions, boating trips, and horseback riding. These activities created my best memories during the month-long test.
Solo travelers often ask “is hipcamp legit?” The platform’s verification process and review system helped me pick properties that felt safe for someone camping alone – a significant factor I’ll discuss later in this review.
30 Nights of Solo Camping: What Surprised Me Most
My month of solo Hipcamp adventures on properties of all sizes taught me surprising things about remote camping that no website FAQ could prepare me for.
Unexpected Perks of Remote Campsites
The best part about booking remote Hipcamp sites was the pure peace and quiet. These private spots gave me something you won’t find in crowded public campgrounds – what another Hipcamper called “an entirely different kind of quiet”. More than that, I found that being alone in nature gave me a chance to let go of everyday stress. The sight of mist settling over private lakes at dawn made work deadlines and city noise feel worlds away.
The speed at which I adapted to solitude surprised me. My original discomfort turned into a chance for personal growth. I spent some nights writing in my journal or reading by firelight. Other evenings passed as I watched stars from lookout towers, experiencing what many solo campers describe as “leaving worries behind”.
Challenges with Directions and Cell Signal
Remote properties were often hard to find. Even with Hipcamp’s instruction system, vague directions led to wrong turns on unmarked rural roads. Some hosts didn’t realize that newcomers weren’t familiar with local landmarks.
Cell reception became my biggest practical hurdle. Most sites sat in remote areas where signal strength ranged from spotty to nonexistent. To name just one example, Big Bend locations showed me that only Chisos Basin Campground and Panther Junction had somewhat reliable coverage. This raised real safety concerns as a solo traveler – help wasn’t always a phone call away.
Host Interactions: From Friendly to Overbearing
Hipcamp hosts showed different levels of involvement. Kevin in Pennsylvania stood out as exceptional – he offered hot tub access, shared local tips, and created thoughtful amenities. Hosts like him made the experience better by sharing their land’s secrets.
Some hosts, however, pushed past comfort zones. One host checked in every hour despite my clear request for privacy. Hipcamp’s own guidance states that personal welcoming is good but optional. The best hosts found middle ground – ready for emergencies but respecting privacy.
Privacy vs. Isolation: A Solo Camper’s Dilemma
My trip highlighted solo camping’s central challenge: wanting solitude but sometimes feeling too isolated. Remote forest hikes brought amazing peace but also moments of vulnerability. Many solo campers report this same struggle between “peace and quiet” and too much isolation.
Safety concerns hit home when unexpected ATV riders showed up despite fencing at a mountaintop site one night. In spite of that, filtering properties by remoteness helped me find my comfort zone. Time taught me to value what solo campers call “learning to enjoy your own company” as a “powerful, rewarding experience”.
Those 30 nights showed me that Hipcamp gives you unique experiences you won’t find at regular campgrounds. Just remember that convenience and predictability trade-offs come with the territory – something every solo camper should think over before booking.
Is Hipcamp Legit and Safe for Solo Travelers?
Safety becomes crucial when you’re alone in the wilderness. I spent 30 nights reviewing Hipcamp’s safety measures from a solo traveler’s view.
Host Verification and Safety Standards
Hipcamp uses several verification steps to ensure everything’s legitimate. New hosts need to verify who they are and pass a background check before they can list their property. On top of that, it runs internal quality checks to make sure sites meet their standards. These checks focus on criminal records, sex offender registries, and federal sanctions watchlists.
The verification system isn’t perfect though. Background checks work only for US-based hosts, and international records aren’t always available. Recent incidents might not show up if they haven’t made it to public records yet.
Hosts must follow clear safety rules. They need to keep hazards minimal, explain what to do in emergencies, and have someone nearby who can help within an hour. They also need to warn campers about possible dangers like wildlife, fire risks, and any natural hazards in their area.
Inclusion Policy and Community Guidelines
Hipcamp doesn’t tolerate discrimination. Their policy clearly bans discrimination based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, political views, religion, national origin, or culture.
They handle problems by looking into reported incidents, talking to the person who reported it, and speaking with the person involved. Hipcamp might give feedback, suspend temporarily, or kick people off the platform if they break these rules.
Both hosts and campers need to follow community guidelines that focus on respect. Campers must follow property rules, keep noise down, handle waste properly, and stick to Hipcamp’s motto to “leave it better”.
Tips for Staying Safe When Camping Alone
My 30 nights of solo camping taught me these key safety practices:
- Trust your instincts – Something feels off when you arrive? Leave right away, whatever the reason. I’ve done this several times and never looked back.
- Share your location – Let someone you trust know where you’re camping and check in often.
- Do your homework – Look at what other solo campers say in their reviews before you book.
- Keep valuables safe – Important stuff should stay with you or be locked in your car.
- Plan for dead zones – Remote sites often have no cell service, so have other ways to communicate.
Hipcamp works well for solo travelers, but you need to be smart about it. While their verification system isn’t perfect, it gives you more security than most public campgrounds. During my trip, I found other campers’ reviews really helped me figure out which spots felt safest for camping alone.
Pros and Cons After a Month of Use
My month-long trip with Hipcamp showed me what works and what doesn’t when you’re camping solo and looking for something different from the usual spots.
Top 3 Things I Loved About Hipcamp
Privacy was the best part by far. Most Hipcamp sites sit on properties bigger than five acres, which means you get complete solitude. The days of loud neighbors and humming generators are gone. Most places I stayed at had just one campsite where I could spread out and relax.
The sort of thing I love was how much I learned. Hosts at three sites in a row took me on tours of their land and gave an explanation of their conservation work and environmentally responsible practices. These weren’t just camping trips – I learned so much about local ecosystems.
Each night brought something special that made the whole experience unique. You could pick from fancy treehouses to tent spots right next to roaring waterfalls. One camper even found a private lake all to themselves, complete with a dock, rope swing, and boats.
Biggest Drawbacks I Encountered
Getting there was often tricky. Many sites had unclear directions and no cell service, which made arriving more stressful than it needed to be. Google Maps became useless without signal in remote areas, and that created real challenges with navigation.
Some hosts didn’t quite get personal space. They were great overall, but a few got too involved – something Hipcamp calls “overly friendly hosts who didn’t understand boundaries”. Each property had its own take on balancing helpful hosting with giving guests their space.
The quality wasn’t always consistent. One person who’d been to more than 20 sites said, “It’s a mixed bag for sure. Never know exactly what you’re going to get”. Without any standard rules, booking felt like taking a chance each time.
Would I Recommend It for Solo Campers?
Solo travelers who don’t mind surprises will love it. We used Hipcamp because it offers something you won’t find at regular campgrounds – real peace and quiet, plus experiences you can’t get anywhere else.
All the same, new campers should take it slow. Reading reviews carefully before booking helped me avoid disappointments. Looking for specific details instead of general positive comments turned out to be really helpful.
My advice is pretty simple – give Hipcamp a shot for your solo adventures, but stick to places with good reviews and keep your expectations in check.
How Much Does Hipcamp Cost and What Are the Fees?
The way Hipcamp structures its pricing played a significant role in planning my budget during my 30-night adventure. Knowing the costs helped me choose the best places to stay each night.
Typical Price Range by Stay Type
During my experience, I found that there was quite a range in Hipcamp’s pricing based on where you stay:
- Simple tent sites: $15-30 per night
- RV sites: $20-50 per night
- Glamping structures: $75+ per night (cabins, yurts, etc.)
- Luxury glamping options: Up to $300 nightly
My stays reflected these ranges perfectly. I paid just $20 for an amazing stargazing spot and $59 for a site with premium amenities.
Service Fees and What They Cover
Hipcamp adds a non-refundable service fee to all bookings. Here’s what you should know about this fee:
- Starts at a minimum of $3 per booking
- Changes based on your specific reservation details
- Supports 7-day-a-week customer service and payment processing
Hosts pay their share too—15% for private landowners and 12.5% for PMS-integrated parks.
Is It Worth the Price Compared to Public Campgrounds?
Public campgrounds are predictable and budget-friendly. My time with Hipcamp showed its value through:
- Privacy you won’t find at regular campgrounds
- One-of-a-kind spots you can’t get anywhere else
- Support for local landowners who get 85-87.5% of what you pay
The value really depends on what matters to you—pick Hipcamp for special experiences or stick to traditional campgrounds if you want to save money.
Conclusion
My 30-night Hipcamp experiment showed the magic and challenges of this unique camping platform. Finding solitude was the biggest reward – something you rarely get at traditional campgrounds nowadays. During my experience, private properties offered moments that don’t exist anywhere else. I watched stars from personal mountaintops and woke up beside hidden waterfalls.
Notwithstanding that, solo campers should keep their expectations real with Hipcamp. Safety issues, unclear directions, and mixed host interactions create uncertainty you won’t face at established campgrounds. Solo travelers need to think about cell service limitations when they venture into remote areas.
Hipcamp’s costs sit between free dispersed camping and luxury glamping. Simple tent sites usually run $15-30 per night, while special structures cost more. These prices show what you’re really buying – not just a camping spot but access to private land you couldn’t see otherwise.
Does Hipcamp work if you’re traveling alone? I’d say yes, with some conditions. Solo travelers who don’t mind uncertainty will find extraordinary places worth every dollar spent. New users should pick well-reviewed properties and read past campers’ experiences before they book.
After a month of living nomadically, I’ve seen how Hipcamp opens doors to America’s hidden outdoor gems. The platform isn’t perfect, but it connects nature lovers with landowners in ways that help both sides. You’ll get camping experiences that feel special in today’s crowded outdoor world.