How to to get involved: advocacy 101

Three easy steps to creating change in your community

If you are interested in working with your local representatives to create more opportunities for low-impact camping in your area, there are a variety of avenues you can choose to change, create, or influence policy decisions. Read more below about how to get involved!


  1. Learn about local laws regarding private-land camping. Before you start hosting campers, familiarize yourself with the laws related to camping activity in your county, city, or state. The laws will likely show up in your government’s land use and zoning policy. Most governments put these online, which enable you to search for keywords, such as: “camping,” “RV park,” or “vacation rental.” It may also be helpful to schedule a call or meeting with your local Planning Department for help interpreting existing laws, or you may prefer to hire a local land use attorney to give you advice. Here is an online guide with more specific details on what to look for in current policies. 
  2. Develop thoughtful recommendations for change and understand who has the power to enact those changes. Are local permits too expensive or time-consuming? Are local laws unclear, too restrictive, or confusing? Once you figure out what you’d like to change about current laws, it’s time to figure out who has the power to change them. Most land use codes and permitting in the U.S. are governed by a county Board of Supervisors or Commission, while municipal laws are governed by city councils or town boards of trustees. Once you have figured out what you want to change and who can do that, it’s time to start advocating! Read Hipcamp’s Advocacy Toolkit online here for a step-by-step guide to creating policy change in your community.
  3. Prepare compelling arguments about why private-land camping is important to you and your community. Let elected officials, important local organizations, neighbors, and friends know how important private-land camping is to you, and the positive impacts it has on the environment and economy in your area. This document has talking points for you to pull from – check it out today!

Reach out to us for advice: If you’d like to discuss these or other ideas for how to advocate for private-land camping in your area, let us know by emailing us at policy@hipcamp.com.

The Camping Advocacy Network is powered by Hipcamp, Inc.