Where the information comes from
Our current dataset is a snapshot of the Recreation Information Database (RIDB), downloaded on October 3, 2026. The source archive tables are dated 2026-10-02. RIDB brings together federal recreation information. Campmere is independent and is not endorsed by Recreation.gov or the agencies represented.
We use 116,145 supported overnight equipment-based campsite records across 3,759 campgrounds. This is not a complete inventory of camping in the United States. Campgrounds without supported site-level records are outside this planner.
What we include and exclude
The dataset includes individual and group tent/RV sites, plus overnight walk-in, hike-in, boat-in and equestrian camping records where the source supports them. Management, day-use, parking, mooring, cabin, yurt, lookout and other built-lodging records are excluded from this equipment-based planner. An excluded record is not a closed site.
Rows with missing parent campsite records are kept out of screening: 1,200 attribute rows and 4,825 equipment rows in this snapshot. No valid campsite is dropped simply to meet a record cap.
Deliberate upstream software-test fixtures are excluded only after checking exact source IDs and explicit statements that they are test records or nonexistent campgrounds. Their original rows and exclusion evidence are preserved in the reproducible source audit. Names alone do not trigger an exclusion.
Named recreation destinations
Park, forest, lake and other destination groupings use explicit RIDB recreation-area relationships. A link does not establish that a campground lies inside a legal park boundary. We retain all resolved, non-test associations for lookup. Comparison hubs require at least two linked campgrounds with useful multi-field campsite evidence; there is no minimum prose length or arbitrary destination cap.
Multi-field evidence means usable values in at least three decision groups: equipment, length, people, vehicles, electricity, shade and driveway details. A documented negative value is evidence, not a match. A hub-qualified campground has this evidence on at least half its sites, with at least three groups each represented on a quarter of its sites. Sparse associated campgrounds remain visible alongside better-documented options; the planner never treats their missing values as matches.
Three outcomes, with reasons
- Matches published details: all selected checks are supported by the structured evidence available in this snapshot. This is advisory screening, not verified fit.
- Conflicting detail: at least one selected requirement conflicts with a usable published field. Read the reason and confirm the source.
- Needs checking: a required field is missing, ambiguous, inconsistent or outside our conservative validation bounds. Unknown values never silently pass a strict check.
Lengths are different kinds of evidence
An equipment-specific maximum length, a general maximum vehicle length, a driveway length and a tent-pad dimension are separate fields. We preserve the source values. We do not replace an equipment limit with a longer driveway or assume a quoted length excludes the tow vehicle.
Clear numeric values and explicit feet/inches can be interpreted. Zeros, missing values, ambiguous ranges, multi-dimensional strings and questionable outliers remain unknown for screening. A listed length of zero is never “unlimited.” Even a numeric match does not establish safe access or maneuvering room.
Electricity, shade and other details
A specific amperage requires that exact socket rating to be listed; a 50-amp entry does not automatically prove a 30-amp socket. We do not assume adapters. A generic campground amenity does not establish a hookup at an individual campsite. Recorded water amenities do not guarantee present water service or potability; check current operator notices.
“Shade: Yes” means shade is recorded, but does not establish full shade. “Full” is treated separately. Shade changes by season and time of day; this is the operator’s recorded category, not a forecast.
Party and vehicle limits are distinct from prices or included fees. Minimum party rules are retained where recorded. We do not infer privacy, crowding, accessibility, quietness or safety from other attributes.
Access and motorized camping
Explicit boat-in or hike-in access can conflict with a motorized camping selection. Contradictory equipment listings or mixed drive-in access remain uncertain rather than creating a hard exclusion. A walk-in label alone does not establish that an RV is prohibited: it may describe access from parking to a tent or picnic area. We do not infer access restrictions from a campground name.
Notes and maps
The source CSV does not contain general campsite-specific operator notes. Campground descriptions and directions are shown only as campground-level information. Important warnings about combined towing length, sharp turns, tents or other restrictions can be absent. Each site links to its official detail page.
State groups use a published campground point against detailed 2025 U.S. Census TIGER/Line state boundaries when it is clearly inside one state. We hold points within one kilometre of a boundary, add a rounding margin and numerical guard, and reject coarse coordinates or unreviewed nonadjacent state conflicts. The reported address is preserved separately, including conflicts. Uncertain points fall back to a clearly labeled reported-address state or remain unlocated. Even an address labeled Physical may be an operator office. This process assigns the published point; it does not verify the point’s truth, datum, entrance location or a legal boundary. Nearby distances are straight-line comparisons between campground coordinates, not driving distances. Missing or invalid coordinates are not plotted as exact site positions. A campground location does not identify an entrance or route.
Boundary source: U.S. Census Bureau 2025 TIGER/Line state geography. Generalized cartographic boundaries are not used for these assignments. The accepted boundary snapshot, exact source coordinates and method version are retained for reproducibility.
Freshness and changes
Campmere uses a fixed, dated snapshot. It does not claim a live feed or automatic daily updates. Source record update dates are displayed separately from the snapshot date. Neither guarantees the current truth of every field. Operating status, closures, fees and availability can change after export.
Future refreshes must pass schema, relationship, record-count and rule validation before replacing the dataset. If validation fails, the previous validated snapshot remains in use. Removed records are recorded in the refresh audit rather than silently re-created.
Finding something wrong
For an error in Campmere’s display or screening, email hello@campmere.com. Include the Campmere page URL, campground and site identifiers, the field that appears wrong, and an official source link where possible. Do not include booking details or other sensitive information. To report a problem in the underlying operator information, use the contact details on the linked official site or campground page.
Images and illustration
The homepage hero image is an AI-generated illustration of an imagined campsite, not a photograph of a real campground. It is decorative and provides no evidence about any listed site’s appearance, facilities or conditions. No source photography is copied into Campmere.
Source use is governed by the RIDB Access Agreement.