FreeCampsites.net
FreeCampsites.net
UX Research Study
Nothing is better than an early summer morning drinking coffee in the middle of the forest. My ideal way to camp is dispersed camping around Colorado.
Dispersed camping is the term for camping anywhere in a National Forest outside of designated campgrounds. Dispersed camping means no services; such as trash removal, and little or no facilities are provided.
USDA Forest Service
My go-to sites for finding new campsites are either FreeCampsites.net or going on Google Maps and searching along miles of forest access roads for a hint of clearings.
However, I always run into the issue of finding camping spots that are:
Poorly maintained
Close to activities like hiking
Or near bodies of water
Away from busy roads/paths
No trash! (Pack it in, pack it out)
Secluded
FreeCampsites.net is an awesome resource to find camping spots and it hasn’t let me down yet! However, there are opportunities for improvement in the overall user experience.
What is FreeCampsites.net exactly?
It is exactly what it sounds like!
FreeCampsites.net was established at the end of 2008 by a couple who had recently bought an RV and realized there was a lack of resources to find free camping locations.
Camping spots on the site can be found across the United States and Internationally, all at little to no costs to stay. Users visit FreeCampsites.net to discover a place to camp near an area or find a camping spot along a driving route.
How? Why? What? Camping??
I created a survey to find out the in’s and out’s of camping. Why do people go camping? Who do they go with? What do they sleep in? Do they look for specific things in a campsite? What activities do they participate in while camping? How many days do they camp? How do they find spots? I asked a lot of questions, and I got results!
Quantitative Survey Results
68 participants
In the last year 30% of participants camped once or twice, 29% camped three to five times, and 31% camped over five times
84% of survey participants participate in traditional tent camping*
30% of survey participants participate in backpacking*
70% of survey participants camp for an average of 2 nights at a time*
Honorable mentions: Jeep trails, boat camping, picnic tables, and proximity to skiing.
*Respondents were able to choose more than one answer.
The main reasons people go camping:
I need to get away; “get away from all the noise,” “get out of the city,” “camping is a great way to get out and destress,” “The more secluded, the better,” “disconnect from social media”, “peace and quiet.”
I want to be outside; “to get fresh air,” “to be in nature!”, “to get out and be in nature,” “relaxing,” “hiking”, “going fishing,” “I love the mountains”, “see nature.”
I want to spend quality time with family and friends; “I love to hang out with friends,” “my family brings me to camping spots”, “I follow Liani to camping spots”, “ fun with the family!”, “hang out with friends.”
The main ways people find new camping spots:
I find camping spots through “word of mouth”; “recommendations from people on where to go”, “word of mouth”, “I find camping spots by word of mouth,” “usually word of mouth.”
I use the internet to find places to camp; “scout apps like Gaia and Outly,” “Alltrails app, and friends,” “Recreation.gov,” “Alltrails, friends, and word of mouth”, “I find spots on Recreation.gov”, “Alltrails”, “Google”, “I google campsites”, “online, but it is a bit of a struggle”.
I use forest access roads to find campsites; “I find camping through forest access roads”, “I offroad in national forests to find spots.”
Personas
Grant Walker 25
Denver, CO. Account Executive
“First camping trip with my friends,
and I’m in charge of planning?!”
Goals:
Find a camping spot for him and his friends
Have a spot large enough to accommodate him and his group of friends
Find a campsite that has bathrooms, not a loud location and secluded
Use his new 4 wheel drive jeep
Pain Points:
Not a ton of information on campsites
Little to no budget
Campsite organizations are confusing and hard to navigate
Not experienced with camping and different terms
Regina Townstead 23
Silverthorne, CO. Operations at the local ski resort.
“I love finding new camping spots near me
and sharing them with my friends”
Goals:
Add new campsites near Silverthorne
Document where she camps and other details for her friends
Find new spots in colorado and surrounding states
Pain Points:
Doesn’t have a lot of time
Her friends can’t easily access her camping information
Not tech savvy
Difficult to find a specific location on the maps
Can’t communicate with her friends once at the campsite