How to Take Online Reservations for a Campground
To take online reservations, pick the site types and rates you will sell, set your rules and taxes, choose reservation software that pays guests' money straight into your own account, and put a Book Now link everywhere guests find you. Then test it with one real booking before you tell anyone.
This guide is for a park with roughly 30 to 120 sites that runs on the phone, a paper chart, or a spreadsheet today. You do not need to be good with computers. You need about a week of evenings and a clear order of operations. Here are the ten steps, then a one-page checklist you can print.
Step 1: Decide what you sell
Software cannot decide this for you, and it is the step most owners rush. Walk the park and write down every kind of site you rent. Then write down what makes one site different from another.
Start with these questions:
- Site types. Full hookup, water and electric, electric only, dry, tent, cabin, park model. Each type gets its own name and its own price.
- Hookups. 30 amp or 50 amp. Sewer or no sewer. Pull-through or back-in.
- Rig length limits. The longest rig each site can really hold, including the tow vehicle. Guests will book what looks close enough, so state the limit in feet.
- Seasonal or nightly. Decide which sites are held for seasonal guests and which stay open for nightly stays. Seasonal sites usually should not appear on the booking page at all.
- Rules that change the booking. Pets, extra vehicles, extra guests, quiet hours, and age limits on certain loops.
Give every site a short, stable name or number that matches the sign on the post. If your paper chart says "Site 14" and the post says "14," keep it. Guests and staff will both use that number.
Step 2: Set your rates and rules
Online guests cannot ask you a question at the counter, so your rules have to be written down where they book. Decide these before you touch any software.
| Decision | What to settle |
|---|---|
| Nightly rate | One price per site type. Decide if weekends and holidays cost more. |
| Weekly and monthly rate | Often a discount for longer stays. Decide when the discount starts. |
| Minimum stay | For example, two nights on weekends or three on holidays. |
| Deposit | A flat amount, one night, or a percentage. Decide if it is charged at booking. |
| Cancellation policy | How many days before arrival a guest gets money back, and what is kept. |
| Check-in and check-out | Times, and what happens with late arrivals. |
Minimum stays and the median stay
Campspot publishes a yearly summary of its own parks. For 2025 it reports that the median length of stay was 3 nights (checked 2026-10-25). That covers Campspot parks only, so it is not a national number and it may not match your park. Use it as a loose reference when you think about minimum stays, then look at your own old reservation book. Your own history is the better guide.
Deposits and cancellation
Policies vary by park. There is no single standard that every campground follows. As one example only, a Scottsbluff, Nebraska campground hosted on Campspot charges $10 per night for stays under 28 nights, with a maximum deposit of $100, and keeps the deposit if the guest cancels less than 30 days before arrival (checked 2026-10-25). That is one park's choice. Yours may be a one-night deposit and a seven-day window. Pick something you can explain in two sentences, and be ready to stick to it.
Write the policy in plain words. Then check that your software can enforce it the way you wrote it.
Step 3: Know your taxes
Lodging tax rules depend on your state, and sometimes your city or county. Do not guess. Call or visit your state department of revenue and ask how campsites are taxed.
As one example, the Minnesota Department of Revenue's page on lodging and related services (page updated May 15, 2024, checked 2026-10-25) lists campgrounds as taxable lodging when the rental is less than 30 days, or 30 days or more with no enforceable written lease. It also notes that local sales taxes and city lodging taxes may apply. The page does not state the rate, so you would use the department's rate tools or call them.
Rules differ by state and by city. What is true in Minnesota may not be true where you are. Ask your state revenue department these questions:
- Is a campsite rental taxable in my state?
- Does the stay length change that, such as 30 days or more?
- Are there local or city taxes on top of the state tax?
- Do I collect it, and where do I file?
Once you know the answers, you will enter the tax rates in your software so they are added at checkout and show on every receipt. This is general information, not tax advice. Your revenue department or accountant has the final word.
Step 4: Choose how you will get paid
Online booking means taking cards. Two things matter: what the card processor charges, and where the money goes.
Processing fees
A processing fee is what the card network and processor charge to move a card payment. Stripe, a common processor, publishes a standard rate of 2.9% plus 30 cents per successful transaction for domestic cards (checked 2026-10-25). The same page says Stripe does not charge setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees. International cards and currency conversion cost extra. Other processors have their own rates, so ask what yours is.
On a $60 night, 2.9% plus 30 cents is about $2.04. That is an illustration, not a quote. Every park pays something to take cards, and you already do at the counter.
Booking fees are a different thing
A booking fee is charged by the software company on top of the card fee. Some vendors charge the guest, some charge the park, some let you choose. Campspot's pricing page lists a "Guest-paid booking fee for online reservations only," and the amount is not published on the pages we checked on 2026-10-25. Park With Us says guests who book online pay a small service fee, and that you can create a reservation manually without fees. Neither of these is wrong. They are two ways to pay for software. Just know which one you are buying. Our booking fee calculator lets you put in your own numbers and see what a per-booking fee costs you over a season.
Where the money lands
This is the question that matters most. Guest payments should go to your own account, not into a pool held by the software company that pays you later. Ask every vendor, in writing:
- Whose name is on the account that receives the guest's card payment?
- How many days until the money reaches my bank?
- Do you ever hold guest money? For how long, and why?
- What happens to deposits if I leave your service?
A good answer is short and clear. A vague answer is your answer.
Step 5: Pick the software
Now you know what you sell, what you charge, and how you want to be paid. That makes the software choice much easier. For a long comparison, read our guide to campground reservation software. For this step, ask each vendor these questions and write down the answers:
- What is the total monthly cost, including every fee? Ask for it in dollars for a park your size.
- Is there a booking fee, and who pays it? Does it apply to phone and walk-in bookings?
- Is there a setup or onboarding fee? Is there a contract?
- Will you import my current reservations and guest list, or do I type them in?
- Does it work on a phone and a tablet, so I can use it from the golf cart?
- Can more than one person log in, and does that cost extra?
- Can I get my data out if I leave?
What CampStack does here. CampStack is flat-fee software at $49 a month or $490 a year, with unlimited reservations, unlimited users, no booking fees, no setup fee, and no contract. It launched in 2026, so it is new, and you should weigh that. See CampStack for owners for the details, and how switching works if you already use something else.
Step 6: Load your sites and photos
This is the longest step, and it is mostly typing. Use your list from Step 1.
- Create each site type, then add each site to it.
- Enter the rates, minimum stays, deposit, and tax from Steps 2 and 3.
- Add the rig length limit and hookup details to every site.
- Upload photos. One good photo of each site type, plus the office, the bathhouse, the pool, and the entrance.
- Write a short description for each type. Say what the guest will see and do.
Photos matter more than owners expect. Take them in daylight, hold the phone sideways, and show the actual pad with the hookups visible. A guest with a 40 foot rig wants to see how much room there is.
What CampStack does here. If you have an existing reservation list or guest list, CampStack has CSV import for sites, guests and future reservations, so you are not retyping them. You still check the sites and rates yourself, because you know the park better than any import does.
Step 7: Put a Book Now link everywhere guests find you
The booking page does nothing if guests cannot find it. Put the same link in three places.
- Your website. A button at the top of every page that says Book Now. If you do not have a website, a one-page site with your photos, rates, and the button is enough.
- Your Facebook page. Add it as the main button on the page, and put it in the About section.
- Your Google Business Profile. This is the listing that shows when someone searches for your park by name. Google's help page says that in your Business Profile you can add your own booking link (checked 2026-10-25). A plain link is all you need. The same page notes that when guests book through Google's own booking providers, a provider might charge you. We have not confirmed that every reservation vendor is a supported Google booking provider, so do not assume yours is. Ask.
Use one link, in all three places, so you can see where bookings come from later.
If you have not already, search for your park in our Minnesota campground directory or the hub for your state, and claim your free listing so the information guests see is correct.
Step 8: Test with a real booking
Before you announce anything, book a site yourself. Use your own phone, not the office computer, because many guests book from a phone.
- Open your Book Now link on your phone.
- Choose dates, pick a site, and go all the way to payment.
- Pay with your own card. Use a real, small booking, such as one night.
- Check that the confirmation email arrives and reads correctly.
- Check the tax, the deposit, and the total against what you expected.
- Find the booking in your reservation grid.
- Cancel it and refund it. Confirm the refund shows up.
Then ask a friend or a family member to do the same on their phone. If either of you gets stuck, a guest will too. Fix it now.
Accessibility belongs in this test. The U.S. Department of Justice's web accessibility guidance (dated March 18, 2022, checked 2026-10-25) says inaccessible web content means that people with disabilities are denied equal access to information. This is not legal advice, and we are not lawyers. In practical terms, choose a booking page that works with screen readers and large text. Try it yourself: make the text bigger on your phone and see if the page still works.
Step 9: Train whoever answers the phone
Online booking does not end the phone. Some guests will always call, and walk-ins will always show up. The mistake is keeping a paper chart for them. Then your grid says a site is open when it is not, and you get a double booking.
Every booking goes in the same grid, whether it came from the website, the phone, or the counter. Train each person who works in the office to:
- Enter phone bookings while the guest is on the line.
- Enter walk-ins before the guest drives to the site.
- Never write a reservation on paper first and "enter it later."
- Take the deposit the same way online guests do.
- Know the cancellation policy well enough to say it out loud.
Check how your software charges for these bookings. Some vendors charge no fee on phone and walk-in bookings and some do. Campspot's pricing page, for example, describes its booking fee as being for online reservations only. Others charge per reservation regardless of how it came in. Ask, and get the answer in writing.
What CampStack does here. Phone and walk-in bookings are entered in the same grid as online ones. CampStack charges no per-booking fee on any of them, because the price is the flat monthly fee. Unlimited users means every person in the office can have their own login at no extra cost.
Step 10: Watch the first month
Check in every few days for the first month. You are looking for small problems before they become complaints.
| What to look at | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Bookings by source | Shows whether the website, Facebook, or Google sends more guests. |
| Abandoned bookings | If guests start and quit, something on the page confuses them. |
| Questions by phone | Repeated questions mean your descriptions are missing something. |
| Cancellations | Shows if your policy is too tight or too loose. |
| Payouts | Match the deposits in your bank to the grid. |
| Double bookings | There should be none. If there is one, find out which door it came through. |
| Reviews and emails | Read what guests say about the booking process. |
After 30 days, adjust. Change a minimum stay, rewrite a confusing description, replace a bad photo. Small edits add up.
What CampStack does here. The launch offer is free until your park's first 25 online bookings, then the rate is locked for life. There is also a 14-day trial. Between the two, you can run real guests through it before you pay anything. Read the details on the owners page.
One-page printable checklist
| Done | Step | What to finish |
|---|---|---|
| [ ] | 1 | List site types, hookups, rig length limits, and which sites are seasonal. |
| [ ] | 2 | Set nightly, weekly, and monthly rates, minimum stays, deposit, and cancellation policy. |
| [ ] | 3 | Ask your state revenue department how campsites are taxed. Note local taxes. |
| [ ] | 4 | Confirm guest money goes to your own account. Learn the processing fee and any booking fee. |
| [ ] | 5 | Ask each vendor the questions in Step 5. Get total cost in dollars. |
| [ ] | 6 | Load every site, rate, and rule. Upload photos in daylight. |
| [ ] | 7 | Add one Book Now link to your website, Facebook page, and Google Business Profile. |
| [ ] | 8 | Book one night from your own phone. Check the email and the total. Refund it. |
| [ ] | 9 | Train office staff to enter phone and walk-in bookings in the same grid. |
| [ ] | 10 | Review bookings by source, abandoned bookings, payouts, and double bookings for 30 days. |
Talk to other owners
You do not have to do this alone. State associations are a good place to ask other owners what worked. For example, the Michigan Association of Recreation Vehicles and Campgrounds, MARVAC, has a campground directory and member resources. Look for the group in your own state and ask what software they use and what they wish they had asked first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to take online reservations for a campground?
It depends on the vendor. Some charge a flat monthly fee, some charge per reservation, and some charge the guest a booking fee. You also pay card processing, such as Stripe's standard 2.9% plus 30 cents for domestic cards. Ask each vendor for the total in dollars for a park your size.
Do I need a website to take online reservations?
Not a large one. Many reservation systems give you a booking page with its own link. You can put that link on a Facebook page and your Google Business Profile. A simple one-page site with photos and a Book Now button is better, but it is not required to start.
How do I get paid when a guest books online?
The guest pays by card at checkout, and the processor sends the money to a bank account. Make sure that account is yours. Ask the vendor whose name is on it, how many days until payout, and whether the vendor ever holds guest money.
Should I charge a deposit for online reservations?
Many parks do, but the amount varies. Some take one night, some a percentage, and some a flat amount with a cap. Pick an amount that protects you from no-shows without scaring off guests, and state your cancellation window clearly on the booking page.
Do I have to collect lodging tax on campsites?
It depends on your state, and sometimes your city. Minnesota, for example, treats campground rentals under 30 days as taxable lodging, but other states differ. Check with your state revenue department, and set the rates in your software so tax is added at checkout.
Can I still take phone and walk-in reservations?
Yes, and you should. Enter them in the same grid as online bookings so you never double book a site. Check whether your vendor charges a fee on phone bookings. Some do and some do not.
How do I put a booking link on my Google listing?
In your Google Business Profile you can add your own booking link. Google's help page describes the steps. A plain link works with any booking software. Do not assume your vendor is also a Google booking provider, because that is a separate arrangement.
How long does it take to set up online booking?
For a small park, plan on a week of evenings if you have your rates and site list ready. Loading sites and photos takes the longest. If your software can import your existing reservations, you save the most time there.
Try it on your own park
CampStack is flat-fee reservation software for small independent campgrounds and RV parks. It is $49 a month or $490 a year, with no booking fees. The launch offer is free until your first 25 online bookings, and there is a 14-day trial. Start on the owners page, and use the booking fee calculator first if you want to see what per-booking fees cost you today.
Sources
All checked 2026-10-25.
- Campspot-hosted example cancellation policy (one park): https://www.campspot.com/park/captain-critters-country-campground/policies/cancellation-policy
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Sales: Lodging and Related Services (updated May 15, 2024): https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/guide/sales-lodging-and-related-services
- Stripe pricing: https://stripe.com/pricing
- Google Business Profile Help, add a booking link: https://support.google.com/business/answer/7475773
- U.S. Department of Justice, Web Accessibility Under the ADA (March 18, 2022): https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-guidance/
- Campspot 2025 year in review (Campspot parks only): https://software.campspot.com/about-campspot/year-in-review/
- Campspot pricing page: https://software.campspot.com/pricing/
- Park With Us: https://parkwith.us/
- MARVAC: https://www.michiganrvandcampgrounds.org
Sources
Facts about other companies come from their own public pages. Prices change, so open the source before you decide.
- Campspot-hosted example cancellation policy (one park), checked October 25, 2026.
- Minnesota Department of Revenue, Sales: Lodging and Related Services (updated May 15, 2024), checked October 25, 2026.
- Stripe pricing, checked October 25, 2026.
- Google Business Profile Help, add a booking link, checked October 25, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Justice, Web Accessibility Under the ADA (March 18, 2022), checked October 25, 2026.
- Campspot 2025 year in review (Campspot parks only), checked October 25, 2026.
- Campspot pricing page, checked October 25, 2026.
- Park With Us, checked October 25, 2026.
- MARVAC, checked October 25, 2026.