close

The Campnab Blog

Why we added campground reviews

Posted Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Eric Karjaluoto

Eric Karjaluoto

I’m one of the two people working on Campnab. I like to run, ski, bike, and camp with my family and friends. (I love saunas.)

Find me:

Some have asked us why we’re bothering with campground reviews. Aren’t we the campsite availability alert people? Well… they’re right. Sending info about campsite cancellations is what we do, and it gets 99% of our effort, and our nights, and our weekends, and… well, you get the picture.

We also know that finding a place to camp isn’t easy. I too have struggled to research unfamiliar parks. Sometimes I only find outdated descriptions and thumbnail-sized campground images. This makes choosing a campground feel like a roll of the dice.

Meanwhile, the campsite shortage problem isn’t evenly distributed. Yes, Yosemite, San Elijo, Bahia Honda, and Jasper book up fast. That said, many other remarkable parks are easier to get into. Some of these parks barely see any visitors because folks simply don’t know they exist.

This is why park reviews are compelling to us. Sure, we scan parks for new availabilities. Campsite notifications aren’t our mission, though. They’re simply a means to an end. Our mission is to help people find campsites.

Campnab members know a lot about parks. I also find that they like to share their insights and experiences. I think this is common among campers. I’ve often sat around a campfire and swapped tips with other campers at the campground. That’s just what we campers do. (A few beers and a session in the sauna also keep the conversation flowing.)

I’m unsure as to whether we can pull these reviews off. Although we have set up a place to add this information, the rest is up to you, the Campnab community. Sure, I’ve posted some reviews, but I’ve only visited a tiny percentage of the parks out there. To make this work, we’ll need folks like you to contribute your reviews.

Over the past weeks, you might have seen the contest we started. We know it’s a bit silly, but we think it adds some fun to the whole deal. (We also appreciate silliness, which may be why we work for ourselves.) Yes, there are points and even a leaderboard. Nevertheless, the real point of this whole thing is to bring together good park information. In doing so we can all tap this information to plan future camping trips.

So, there it is. We haven’t lost our focus. We’re as obsessed with notifying you of campsite and permit availabilities as ever. That said, we’ll do anything we can to help you find a place to camp. Hopefully, these reviews are another tool for doing so.

Got comments or feedback? Kick us an email. We love that you all are a part of this project, and appreciate your input. These aren’t empty platitudes. We’re truly thankful for your support. 🙌

P.S. If you’d like to contribute a review, you can do so by clicking here. Aces!

Back to Blog index

UNABLE TO RESERVE A CAMPSITE?

Get notified when a sold-out campground has availability

Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!

Create a scan