An Affordable West Coast Campground Chain For Van Lifers And Nomads Has A Groovy DIY Vibe

If you've ever traveled around Europe, Southeast Asia, or Latin America and fell in love with the social energy of hostels then you need to experience Van Life Campgrounds. Traveling around the United States can be somewhat disappointing if you're used to the lively social scene that occurs in hostels around the world.

While there are few cool hostels in the United States — they're few and far between. Since the U.S. doesn't have an excellent nationwide public transportation system, many travelers longing for extended travels and a nomadic experience are opting for van life instead.

Van life is all the rage, and social media is full of people sharing stories of selling their home and possessions before hitting the open road for an extended road trip. The freedom of traveling in your home-on-wheels can't be beat, but it can be a tad isolating at times. Hostels make it easy to make friends with other travelers, but campgrounds and RV parks are mostly full of people who are on the move. Van Life Campgrounds, which currently has six locations around the country, aims to create a place where people nomadic vanlifers can relax and connect with fellow travelers.

The creator of Van Life Campgrounds has aimed to curate a special experience at each of the properties. It's more than just a place to stay for a night or two — they're attempting to cultivate a community for "nomads on wheels" as they travel around North America. Many travelers love hostel stays because it's super easy to meet people and hostels often organize group chats for guests and employees so that they can discover what's happening and make plans. Van Life Campgrounds has taken a page out of the hostel playbook by creating a Discord group that guests are added to when they book a site. You can stay in touch with fellow vanlifers long after you leave the campground, talk to onsite hosts and guests, join a caravan, and find out about events happening across the country. One of the many perks for people who have made the switch to full-time van life is that they can receive packages and mail onsite.

"A trip that was supposed to be 5 days grew to over two weeks. The vibes were too good. Two weeks of meeting some of the nicest people, watching movies together, playing games, cooking food, taking showers under the stars, the list goes on and on," wrote Sheena and Thom in a review posted on the company's website.

Prices start at around $25 per night for short stays at Boondock sites. There are significant discounts that kick in the longer you stay. If you need electrical hookups the short term rate is $50 per night. You can also book a monthly stay with electrical hookups at most properties. Prices vary slightly between locations, and some are only open seasonally.

Currently Van Life Campgrounds has multiple locations, some of which are operated by partners, scattered around the Western United States and Mexico. The Selma, Oregon location is on a 70-acre property in Illinois Valley. There's a shared camping area, hot showers, bathrooms, WiFi, and a clubhouse that's open during the week. The second spot in Oregon is about an hour from Portland on the banks of the Molalla River.

In the Southwest, you can stay at a property just minutes from downtown Tucson, Arizona. There's an area for campervans located at a retro-themed motel. Amenities include bathrooms, showers, a communal outdoor kitchen, coworking areas, and a communal fire pit. There's also a pool that's perfect for cooling off in the desert heat. This location has a hostel-like feel, so it's perfect for making new friends. The original VLC location is located 15 minutes from the Joshua Tree National Park. It's only open seasonally as Joshua Tree has some extremely hot summer temperatures. There are bathrooms, showers, shared kitchen facilities, a gym, a communal fire pit, and coworking spaces. The newest Van Life Campground location is in Taos, New Mexico. It's scheduled to open in June, 2025. It's located next door to a brewery at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

Van Life Campgrounds currently has one international location in Baja California Sur, Mexico. It's a partner property located at a glamping campground and guests can walk to the ocean. There's a shared kitchen, bathrooms, showers, a coworking space, and Starlink WiFi. Other amenities include inflatable paddle boards and a communal fire pit.