Hipcamp\u2019s <\/a>tips and tricks on how to snag that last-minute camping spot. After all, there\u2019s no better way to celebrate the \u2018ol red, white, and blue! Even if you bought the metaphorical celebration card a bit late.<\/p>\nLast-Minute Camping Woes<\/h4>\n
I know first-hand how busy nature can get. On one fateful Thursday, I drove up to Lake Granby in Colorado with a car full of friends, food and excitement. We didn’t have a campground reserved and planned to drive down forest service roads until we could find a place to pitch our tents. After all, we were getting a head start!<\/p>\n
After hours of driving around, as the sun set, we realized that there wasn’t anything available. Nada. Zilch. We turned around and drove several hours back home, completely bummed. Thankfully, this doesn\u2019t have to be you. From strategically choosing less popular regions to camp at, to planning ahead with the absolute least amount of effort necessary, you can make sure you\u2019ll be roasting those marshmallows in the wilderness and not in your back yard.<\/p>\n
Ditch the Popular Spots<\/h4>\n
Some RV parks can book up over a year in advance, and many campers make their holiday weekend campground reservations beginning in March, right when reservations open. That doesn\u2019t leave you with many options? While everyone else is cruising to your area\u2019s most popular state and national parks, you can locate some hidden gems of your own.<\/p>\n
How do you find these places? The good \u2018ol U.S. of A\u2019s National Forests are full of fantastic established and dispersed campsites, so don\u2019t forget those. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. After all, we wandered around Forest Service roads that one fateful July 4th weekend and couldn\u2019t find a thing, thanks to Lake Granby\u2019s superstar status. (You\u2019ve gotta admit, its scenery is off the charts.)<\/p>\n
![\"Lake](\"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/lake-granby-web.jpg?resize=600%2C450\")
<\/p>\n
Lake Granby Sunset<\/em><\/p>\nReserving a Last-Minute Campsite<\/h4>\n
You may be planning at the eleventh hour, but you can still plan. Reserving a campsite isn\u2019t out of the question, even if you\u2019re only a few days away from the big holiday weekend. You might not get that coveted spot with sweeping views of the lake, but you\u2019ll still get the opportunity to smell like a bonfire each and every night. Even popular sites often have a few spots available mere days out from major holidays, so it doesn\u2019t hurt to check.<\/p>\n
Have 4×4, Will Drive<\/h4>\n
Do you have a buddy with a 4×4 vehicle, or do you have one yourself? Perfect! Some campsites can only be reached with a high-clearance vehicle, so you\u2019re limiting your competition. Bonus points if the campsite is super remote.<\/p>\n
Throw on Your Backpack<\/h4>\n
Car camping is popular in part thanks to its accessibility\u2014it\u2019s a breeze. But, if you\u2019re willing to hike in and are craving a more isolated experience, you\u2019ll be able to beat some of the crowds by backpacking. You could use the long weekend to set off on an epic multi-day trip, or you could mosey down the trails a mile or two to find some more dispersed camping options.<\/p>\n
So, how about you? Do you have any last-minute camping tips and tricks for the 4th of July? Don\u2019t be shy\u2014share them with other campers in the comments below! Together, we can make sure all of the procrastinators of the country are happy campers throughout this patriotic weekend.<\/p>\n
Featured photo\u00a0via Hipcamp Staff, Julian Bialowas<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The great outdoors can get jam packed, especially on holiday weekends. But even if you haven\u2019t planned a darn thing, you can still spend the night under the stars this 4th of July! It’s no secret that tons of Americans love heading outside for some good, old-fashioned camping fun, especially when things heat up during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[393,66,138],"internal-tag":[1672],"class_list":["post-4872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-megan-hettwer","tag-tips","tag-united-states","internal-tag-pre-redirect-camp"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/tips-for-last-minute-camping-for-the-4th-of-july","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Tips for Last-Minute Camping for the 4th of July","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/tips-for-last-minute-camping-for-the-4th-of-july","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/tips-for-last-minute-camping-for-the-4th-of-july"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/eldorado-julianB-web.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/07\/eldorado-julianB-web.jpg?fit=1500%2C1001"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["megan hettwer","tips","united states"],"dateCreated":"2015-07-02T17:30:19Z","datePublished":"2015-07-02T17:30:19Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T05:43:12Z"},"rendered":"