13 Amazing Campground Memberships for 2024 (from an expert)

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How to Choose Your Campground Membership

We have saved a ton of money over the last 1.5 years by utilizing campground memberships. Choosing the best campground membership for your family will depend greatly on how you intend to use it, but as a full-time traveling family, we have done the research for you! Full-time families like us may want to consider several campground memberships, while a weekend warrior may only need one or two campground memberships.

Some Things to Consider Before Making a Purchase

👉 Are there rules and restrictions for how often / long you can stay?

👉 Are the campgrounds in areas you want to visit?

👉 Is there a contract and what are the fees?

👉 How often will you use it?

To help with your decision here are 13 of the most amazing campground memberships for 2023.

13 Amazing Campground Memberships for 2023

1. Passport America

Passport America has over 1200 campgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With this campground membership, you will save 50% on your stay at each location. At $44 per year, a Passport America campground membership will pay for itself in just 2 nights of camping. This is one of the best campground memberships, simply because of the large number of locations they offer.

Pros:

50% off the nightly rate at all Passport America RV parks
No limit on the number of Passport America stays
No contract

Cons:

No online booking system – you must call each park directly
Each park has the ability to limit times of use and whether they will accept the discount or not.

2. Good Sam

Good Sam offers a 10% discount at over 2,000 campgrounds in North America. This campground membership also gives you discounts at Camping World, Gander RV, and select Pilot Flying J locations. While Good Sam has a lot of participating campgrounds, the savings aren’t significant so this membership may not be the best choice for everyone.

Pros:

Save 5¢ on gas and 8¢ on diesel at select gas stations
Retail discounts at Camping World
Free annual RV inspection at Camping World
Online trip planning tool
Free dump stations

Cons:

Additional fees for roadside assistance membership
Good Sam shares your information with marketing partners – tons of junk mail!
Gas discount is only at Pilot and Flying J

Cost: $79 / year

3. KOA Rewards

The KOA Rewards Program offers special discounts and exclusive program-only perks. With a KOA rewards membership, you will earn a reward with every stay at a KOA campground. A KOA Rewards membership gives you 10% off the daily rate at over 500 KOA locations, and a free night of camping during KOA rewards weekend. While KOA offers a great rewards program, this really isn’t a great membership for everyone. If you are looking to stay at KOA, I’d say this is probably worth it, otherwise you could probably skip this one.

Pros:

Your points will rollover year to year as long as you are a KOA rewards member
The more you stay, the more you earn
KOA App to track rewards, browse campgrounds, and reserve stays
Points earned can be redeemed like cash toward your stay
$10 off FMCA membership

Cons:

Can only be used at KOA
It will probably take you a long time to earn enough points to redeem toward a stay

Cost: $33 / year

4. Outdoor World

Outdoor World has RV resorts throughout Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. A campground membership with Outdoor World can vary from a single site to a program allowing usage at all of their resorts. Outdoor World amenities include indoor & outdoor pools, member lounges, boating & fishing, daily activities for children & adults, volleyball, basketball, Kid Kool’s Club, miniature golf, and day trip attractions. Buying into this campground membership seems to be like joining a secret club because no one is talking about it!

Pros:

No nightly camping fees
Can travel from Park to Park
15 parks with resort-style amenities

Cons:

Stays are limited to 14 days in / 7 days out
Locations on the east coast only

Cost: $549 / year

5. Travel Resorts of America

A Travel Resorts of America campground membership gets you access to amenities like mini-golf, horseshoes, live music, movie nights, and more at 11 locations across the United States. The fee for Travel Resorts of America varies depending on your membership level and is not advertised online.

Pros:

Resort style amenities
Camp as often as you would like
Access to 11 resorts

Cons:

Resorts are limited to the eastern and midwestern states
You will need to spend a week out of the park after a 14-night stay

Cost: $400 yearly maintenance + membership cost

Best Campground Memberships for Full-Time RVers

If you are on the road full-time, you understand the need to save money wherever you can. Traveling full-time can get expensive and knowing you have a place to stay is essential.

Campground memberships are perfect for full-time RVers who want to save money everywhere they can. When you have a campground membership, you are able to spend more time exploring and doing fun things because you know you will always have a place to park your home.

6. Thousand Trails

A Thousand Trails membership is one of the best campground memberships for full-time RV families. They have several levels of memberships that allow access to campgrounds all over the United States. Choose from a zone membership, nationwide access, or a cabin pass. A zone pass starts at $630 per year and can be upgraded to nationwide access with perks like longer in-park stays and booking windows starting at around $7,000. With a Thousand Trails membership, many families can travel the country hopping from park to park, which makes this a great choice for anyone looking to explore.

Pros:

Over 200 locations across the United States and Canada
Customize your membership based on your family’s needs
No nightly camping fees
Free RPI membership for your first year with an elite membership or higher
Resort-style amenities like mini-golf, swimming pools, and activity centers at most resorts
Day usage perks

Cons:

Membership levels are confusing
Not in all states
Many campgrounds need updating
Length of stay depends on membership level

7. Resort Parks International (AKA: RPI)

An RPI campground membership is a great option for full-time RVers. While this membership can only be purchased with an affiliate resort, it is often included as a bonus to other memberships. With over 100 locations across the United States and Canada, an RPI membership is a great way to save money. RPI is one of the best campground memberships for full-time RVers because of the low nightly fee.

Pros:

Camp for only $10 per night at over 100 resort locations
Non-RV travel program offers savings on condos, cruises, rental cars, and more
Free with an elite Thousand Trails campground membership
Stay up to 7 nights per visit
Reservations accepted 60 days in advance at most resorts

Cons:

Can only be purchased through an affiliate resort
Must have 7 days between reservations at the same resort
Only allowed to visit each campground up to twice per calendar year

Cost: Averages around $200 / year depending on your home resort

8. Coast to Coast

Like RPI, a campground membership to Coast to Coast can only be purchased through an affiliate resort. Coast to Coast has over 200 resort-style campgrounds across the United States and offers similar benefits to RPI. Full-Time families love coast to coast for the ability to stay for only $10 per night. A Coast to Coast campground membership is a great one to have if you can get your hands on it!

Pros:

Camp for only $10 per night at over 200 resort locations
Free 3-day/2-night stay at select resorts to tour the resort and learn more about their program
Stay for 14 – 21 days depending on membership level
Unlimited stays for deluxe and premier members during non-peak season

Cons:

Can only be purchased through an affiliate resort
Reservation window depends on tier and can vary from 3 days – 120 days in advance
Classic members can only stay at the same resort twice per year
7-30 days between stays depending on membership level

Cost: $90+ / year

9. Colorado River Adventures

Colorado River Adventure has parks located on the West Coast of the United States and Mexico. This is a great campground membership for families who are looking for adventure.

From water sports to mountain hiking to horseback riding on the beach, they offer it all. Colorado River Adventures only has 15 campground locations, but the price tag makes this one most beneficial to full-time families.

Pros:

Resort style amenities
Free 3-Day, 2-Night Vacation
Access to 15 parks

Cons:

Limited to the Western United States and Mexico
Customer service is not great

Cost: $13,000

10. Ultimate Camping Network

With an Ultimate Camping Network membership, you will have access to over 160 resorts across the United States. This campground membership also includes discounts on hotels, condos, and timeshare benefits.

You will need to have a “home park” with this membership and at this time, fees are not advertised online. Since members can not use any resorts within 100 miles of their home residence, this campground membership is best for full-time RV-ers.

Pros:

Camp at any ultimate resort for just $9 per night
Access to StarLight camping network for a 50% discount
Up to 3 reservations at one time
Day usage at all Ultimate affiliated resorts

Cons:

Can’t use resorts close to home
Need to stay out for 7 nights after a stay of 3+ nights

Cost: Unknown

Best Campground Memberships for Boondocking

While boondocking itself is primarily free, there are a few memberships that will help you locate some safe places to park. These memberships are great for shorter stays and for people who like to plan ahead by booking in advance.

If you are looking to park on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, these probably aren’t for you, but if you want to park your RV in a winery you should definitely consider one or more of these great campground memberships.

11. Boondockers Welcome

A Boondockers Welcome membership is great for anyone who needs short-term stays without all of the amenities of a campground. Boondockers Welcome is made up of over 3274 private host locations all across North America. Host locations include farms, museums, private property, and more.

Pros:

No additional camping fees
Over 3274 locations across the United States and Canada
See host location and photos before booking
Easily request stays
No contract
Easy-to-use app for requesting stays and communicating with hosts

Cons:

Length of stay is limited to only a few days at each host
Not all hosts allow generators
Must be traveling in a self-contained RV – toilet, sink, built-in grey tank
Size matters! Not all hosts will have space for large RVs

Cost: $79 / year

12. Harvest Hosts

Harvest Hosts is similar to Boondockers Welcome, but with even more options. With a Harvest Hosts membership, you will get access to over 3,700 wineries, breweries, farms, and more. TIP: Combine your Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome memberships to save even more money!

Pros:

Unlimited stays with no camping fees.
Over 3700 locations across the United States and Canada
See host location and photos before booking
No contract
Easy-to-use app for requesting stays and communicating with hosts

Cons:

Stays are limited to one night
Not all hosts allow generators
Must be traveling in a self-contained RV – toilet, sink, built-in grey tank
Size matters! Not all hosts will have space for large RVs.

13. Overnight RV Parking

Another excellent option for boondocking is Overnight RV Parking. With this campground membership, you will have access to over 16,000 parking locations across the United States and Canada. Overnight RV Parking has an app where you can search locations, add new locations and leave updated reviews for a discount on your membership rate.

Pros:

No nightly camping fees
Over 16,000 parking locations in the United States and Canada
Read reviews and info from other RVers
Free road trip planner
Camping discounts
An easy-to-use app to quickly find locations
Submit a new listing or update info on a current listing for a discount on membership

Cons:

Stays are limited to one night
Some locations are outdated
Nothing unique – you could likely find these places on your own with some research
Size matters! Not all hosts will have space for large RVs

Cost: $25 / year

Other Ways to Save

Campground memberships are great for saving money on nightly fees, but as I’m sure you know, there are many other expenses while you are on the road.

Elks Club

The Elks Club, founded in 1868 as a social club works to promote and practice the four cardinal virtues of Charity, Justice, Brotherly Love, and Fidelity; to promote the welfare and enhance the happiness of its members; to quicken the spirit of American Patriotism and cultivate good fellowship.

As a member of the Elks Club you have the benefit of a place to park your RV. There is a fee based on location and this option is only open to Elk’s Club members, but if you already have a membership, this could be a great way to save money on the road.

Cost: Depends on location (average $50 to apply + annual fees and initiation)

Fulltime Families

Fulltime Families is a community for RV families. Along with discounts to other services (like a FREE Good Sam account), this membership gives families on the road the opportunity to make connections through Facebook groups, events, clubs for the kids, and so much MORE!

So far we have gotten the most benefit from the members-only Facebook groups and chats. The membership base is so large that they about a dozen (probably more) groups for each area.

This makes it super easy to find other families because we can post to just the area in which we are traveling. We have gotten campground recommendations, met new families in person, joined upcoming events, and gotten tips for things to do.

If you are already traveling with kids or getting ready to hit the road, a
Fulltime Families membership is definitely for you!

Escapees RV Club

Escapees RV Club offers an array of services for RVers across the country. From mail forwarding to legal advocacy and discounts on tires, Escapees has something to offer every camper.

Escapees also has the opportunity to connect with other RVers through local chapter rallies and events, organized regional gatherings, Xscapers Convergences, Head-Out Programs (HOPs), and Birds-of-a-Feather group activities.

Cost: $49.95 / year

Family Motor Coach Association (AKA: FMCA)

Like Escapees, FMCA offers many services for RV families. They have a mail forwarding service, an emergency medical evacuation program, international conventions, as well as area rallies.

FMCA also has a members-only campground located in Cincinnati, Ohio where as a member you are able to stay two nights a month for free, with additional nights only costing $20 per night.

Cost: $60 / year

Coach-Net

Coach-Net offers 24/7 RV roadside assistance. When you are traveling with your RV (or home for full-timers) the last thing you need is to get stuck on the side of the road. Coach-Net not only covers your RV, but offers unlimited roadside assistance for all your vehicles – anything you own, rent, or borrow.

With Coach-Net, you’ll have access to RV technical assistance, nationwide tire delivery services, concierge services, and more. Whether you run out of gas, get a flat tire, or need to be towed, Coach-Net can help. This service also comes with extra perks like discounts on camping, hotels, and vehicle rentals.

Conclusion: 13 Amazing Campground Memberships

There you have it, 13 amazing campground memberships to choose from! Many families will find they are good with one membership, while others (like us) will have several.

When you choose the right campground membership (or memberships) you will be able to save a TON of money while making memories to last a lifetime. While I have researched all of these campground memberships and think they all make sense for one reason or another, we personally have chosen to be members of Thousand Trails, RPI, Good Sam, Passport America, Boondockers Welcome, and Harvest Hosts to start.

The membership we use most is Thousand Trails, but having those other campground memberships is great to fill in the gaps because there are several states that do not have any Thousand Trails. Having several campground memberships means we will never be in an area without options!

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