Looking for unique overnight RV camping experiences?
How would you like to wake up on a vineyard in Kelowna or on a farm in Ontario?
Trade that boring parking lot for a unique experience and make lasting memories with your family and friends.
In this article, we’re going to talk about one of the most popular membership programs for RV’ers in both Canada and the United States.
Harvest Hosts is a membership program that offers RVers unique camping opportunities across the United States, Canada, and even select areas of Mexico.
Get 15% off when you sign up for Harvest Hosts using our referral link
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What is Harvest Hosts?
Harvest Hosts is a unique membership program that invites self-contained RVers to have unique overnight stays at 1445+ Wineries, Breweries, Farms, and museums throughout North America! Instead of spending the night at RV campgrounds, you can support a local business and spend the night on their property.
All of these places are free for one night as part of the membership program. The only recommendation is that you purchase something at the business, such as a bottle of wine or some fresh farm produce for your trip.
All of the host listings can be found by logging in to your account and searching the directory and the map provided by Harvest Hosts. In addition, they also provide an awesome mobile app, which makes it easy to find new hosts while on the road.
Keep in mind that most hosts provide a space on their property to park the RV overnight and therefore, do not provide water, electricity, sewer or bathrooms. That said, there are some Harvest Hosts that provide electricity and/or water but it’s not something that should be expected.
Whether you’re looking to stay at a brewery in Manitoba, a winery in Kelowna, a farm in Ontario, or one of the hundreds of locations throughout the USA, Harvest Hosts is a must for RVers looking to do a Canada road trip.
Harvest Hosts Membership Costs
A membership with Harvest Hosts costs only $79/year (USD) and includes access to a listing of 1,400+ hosts around the United States, Canada and Mexico. Each host listing contains information such as GPS coordinates, max RV length, number of spaces, pet policy, facilities, reservation requirements and more.
In addition to that small fee, Harvest Hosts also provides a 3-month 100% money-back guarantee. You can try the RV membership risk-free and see if it’s the right fit for you.
Your membership starts on the day you join and can be renewed a year later.
If you’re an avid golfer, you can also buy the Golf Add-on, which is only $40/year and includes access to 300+ golf courses and country clubs. Imagine waking up right on the golf course and being the first to tee off! If you do purchase the Golf Add-on, the golf courses will show up in green on the search map.
Once you’re signed up, you’re given access to a database and a map of hosts. This includes local wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums and a handful of other attractions. If you sign up for the Golf Plus plan, you’ll also get access to golf courses and country clubs. The hosts allow you to stay one or two nights free of charge and often have discounts on their products and/or services. It’s the perfect opportunity to purchase a local wine or try a new golf course.
Each Host has different instructions for how to book and this usually depends on availability. Some require booking months in advance, while others have enough space to take nearly anyone on short notice. As mentioned above, it is requested that you purchase at least one product from your Host. However, you are under no obligation.
In addition to all the above, you’ll also be notified by email when new hosts are added each month.
Get 15% off when you sign up for Harvest Hosts using our referral link
What types of RV’s are allowed?
Rigs of all sizes are typically welcome at most Harvest Host member properties. About 80% of the hosts can accommodate RVs of any size. You can also use the filter to find hosts that can accommodate the size RV you have.
Single-Night Stays and Beyond
The Harvest Host membership guidelines state that members are limited to one night with each host. In order to stay longer, the host must invite you to spend an additional night or two. You are not supposed to ask them. From what we’ve heard, this does happen though, especially when the business is not so busy.
Do keep in mind, however, that some hosts are only open on weekends or may have events going on, which will limit the number of nights a member can stay.
Buy Local
When spending the night, members are “asked” to make a purchase during the stay, with a suggested minimum of $20. This is only a recommendation but it’s certainly not hard to do. Take a wine tour, buy a bottle of wine, or buy some fresh produce from a local farm. In fact, if you do it right, you can just continue to stock up on supplies for your RV vacation. Plus, you’re supporting local businesses instead of the big guys.
Much More Than Wineries
Although Harvest Hosts got their start with wineries, there is so much more these days. Wineries are great places to spend the night, but there are other options as well such as dairy farms, flea markets, produce farms, air museums, breweries, and more. Travel across the country and you’ll never know who you’ll meet or what experience you might have.
Is Harvest Hosts Pet-Friendly?
One of the top questions people have is whether they can bring their dog or not. From what we’ve read, about 80% of the properties are totally okay with welcoming pets. However, each host page includes information on whether they allow pets or not. If they do, please read the description for additional information about pets, such as leash requirements and business pets on the property. Also, please pick up after your pet.
Connect with Fellow RVers
Another added benefit of Harvest Hosts is being able to connect with members. This can be especially invaluable if you’re new to RVing but is generally great for making friends who are into the same thing. The website also included comments, photos and videos submitted by members, which can offer a wealth of knowledge for those seeking to RV across the country and/or continent.
You can even search for hosts by location or along a route. There is also a trip planning feature where members can add hosts to a trip and refer to it at a later date.
Looking for Peace and Quiet?
Unlike a busy RV park, many members often cite that they’re the only ones on a particular Harvest Host member property at a given time. That means peace and quiet. Many of the hosts are typically outside of the cities and are closed during the night, which makes for quiet evenings.
Is Harvest Hosts for You?
While we personally are not RVers, we’ve heard great things from Harvest Host members. Because we run a travel site about the best things to do in Canada, this is a popular membership club with many of the RVers who follow Must Do Canada.
If you’re looking for “dry” camping opportunities at a variety of interesting businesses across the continent, this is a great option. After all, it’s less than $80 per year and includes a 3-month money-back guarantee. Their $79 membership fee often pays for itself in just one night.
While Harvest Hosts obviously have MUCH more locations in the USA than elsewhere, they do have quite a bit in Canada as well, with locations in all the provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. We even noticed some locations in Baja California down in Mexico. If you’re a Canadian Snowbird, it’s even better as you head down south to your winter home.
Plus, you can join their referral program. Members earn $15 for each new member sign-up. New Harvest Hosts members referred by the existing member will also receive a 15% discount. Members can also earn a one-year membership for each new host sign-up. If you decide to sign up for Harvest Hosts after reading our post, you can use our Harvest Hosts referral link to receive a 15% discount.
Get 15% off when you sign up for Harvest Hosts using our referral link
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April says
We are new to RV’s and this looks like something we should definitely try
Larry Peck says
Is the cost in Canadian dollars?
Matthew G. Bailey says
I believe it’s US…
Ali says
Definitely want to try this out! Love the aspect of supporting local!
Gillian says
I would like to know what places are available in Ontario before buying a membership. Where can I find that information? Thank you.
Matthew G. Bailey says
Hmm, I would shoot Harvest Hosts an email 🙂
Doug & Judi McDonough says
In travelling across Canada, where can I find the locations of the Harvest Hosts. This sounds like a great idea ! Looking forward to as much info as possible before I join. Thank you
We have a 40’ diesel pusher.
Matthew G. Bailey says
It’s not super simple without signing up. If you scroll to the bottom of https://www.harvest-hosts.com/8BX4CX/2CTPL/?source_id=mdc and look at the map, you’ll see some spots in BC, Alberta, and Ontario. Maybe more. I can ask them and see if they respond soon, but otherwise, I believe you need to sign up first.
Robert says
It is now fall of 2021, and we will be taking delivery of our FIRST motorhome next week.
How can we find out who offers FALL Camping, and when Hosts Shut Down for the Season?
Matthew G. Bailey says
Hmmm, we’re not quite sure on this one but will try to do some digging.