In this world where everything from work to payments, and even entertainment can be found online. It’s difficult to completely get rid of the online world even you are in outdoors.
New campers and hikers usually have this question in their mind, which is – “do campgrounds have wifi?” Along with that some also want to know how to get wifi while camping? Well, if you have the same questions then don’t worry, today I will provide answers to your questions in this guide on campgrounds Wi-Fi.
Table of Contents
Do campgrounds have wifi?
Yes, most of the campgrounds do have wifi facilities for guests. However, not all campgrounds have wifi availability because getting internet access on campgrounds requires great investment, and most campgrounds don’t have that amount of budget. So you need to check in advance if the campground has wifi availability or not.
Do campgrounds have free Wi-Fi?
Some Campgrounds that offer wifi are free while others will charge you some amount of fees for using the service. However, in some cases when you are staying at expensive private campgrounds then they might not charge you directly, instead, they include the wifi fees in the staying cost.
How to find campgrounds with wifi
I know it’s difficult if it’s your first time to any campground. I have already made this mistake, so it’s always best to do your research in advance.
Finding a campground with wifi is very easy today. There are a lot of apps and websites on the web that allows you to search Campgrounds in detail, you can also check if wifi is available on the particular campground.
WiFiFreeSpot.com is a free website that shows you places or campgrounds that offer wifi.
Another option is campendium.Com. This website is one the best website that let you know about the campgrounds that offer wifi. Along with that, you can also read camper reviews of who stayed on campgrounds. This will let you know how good is the speed of wifi on the campground.
If you want more information then there are some websites and tools that will give you enough information about campground wifi services. Some are –
Do campgrounds have good wifi speed?
Well, most campgrounds don’t offer high-speed wifi because of overload or bad signal in outdoors. However, there are some expensive RV campgrounds that do offer great wifi speed and have fiber cable connections.
Speed of the campground wifi depends on three factors – number of users, area, and conflicts.
If you are staying on a campground and the speed of wifi is low. Then it may be because many people are using it. You will likely get low speed at night because more people use the internet at that time to watch Netflix, surf the internet, or social media. The more people are connected to the wifi, the lower the speed gets, especially if the campground doesn’t have fiber cables laid down.
How does campground wifi works?
There are three ways for campgrounds to get an internet connection – DSL, cable, and satellite. Further, the campgrounds have broadcasting points, which allows campers Or visitors in campgrounds to access the internet.
These broadcasting access points can be anywhere in the campground. Some campgrounds have towers for these points, some locate these on the top of a building or clubhouse for better signal.
How to get wifi while camping?
There are various ways to get wifi while camping. Below I have provided possible ways to use wifi while camping.
Use local wifi
As discussed above, now most the campgrounds near big cities do have wifi for visitors utility. However the speed may vary and sometimes because of low speed, you can not do anything at all. So, do your research before visiting any campground, and make sure the campground has wifi and offers good speed. You can read reviews online or you can reach out to campers and ask them.
Use hotspot tethering
This is one of the advanced and easy methods of getting wifi while camping. Everyone in today’s world has personal smartphones and internet in them. If you have one then, you have the option to share the internet from your smartphone data plan to any other device like a laptop via hotspot tethering.
In case you want to use wifi on a pc then you need to make sure, it has a wireless network adapter. There are a few options that you can do.
- The first is to install a wifi card.
- Second, buy a motherboard with a built-in wifi option.
Before doing any of that, first, check your pc as most PCs today have a motherboard with a built-in wifi feature.
If your pc doesn’t have a wifi option and on top of that, you also don’t want to waste your money on buying a wifi card then you still have another option. Which is data cable tethering(sharing data via data cable)
Some best plans for USB tethering
| T-mobile | 2GB – $10/month 5GB – $20/ month 10 GB – $30 / month 30 GB – $ 40 / month |
2GB internet(limited not good for entertainment while camping, however, you can buy more data with data pass) | Cheap and best plan for camping(good for work-related purposes) |
| Verizon | Unlimited plus – $85/month | 30 GB high speed, after that reduce to less than 1 MB speed | if you want high-speed internet then this is best, provides 5g speed |
| Verizon | Unlimited do more – $80/month | 15 GB / month | If you want a hotspot then this is the best |
| Visible | unlimited Prepaid Plan – $40 +(extra charge for hotspot) | One device connectivity only | This is a prepaid Plan good for work purpose |
| AT and T | 100 GB – $55/ month | If you buy an unlimited plan, you get a free hotspot tethering option | Prepaid plan with autopay |
Sharing data via data cable
This is one of the best methods to share data from your phone to your laptop or pc. This method is best for pc that doesn’t have wifi options in them.
The best thing about sharing the internet from smartphone to laptop or pc is that it doesn’t drain your battery, instead, it charges your smartphone. The speed of charging is less but it does charge your smartphone.
Another plus point of this method is the speed. You get slightly fast internet when you share it through a cable rather than a hotspot.
The most important and best thing about this method is that you will not be charged any extra money by a cell provider for the internet. You can use your smartphone data with a laptop or any other device through a data cable, while camping or hiking.
How to watch movies without internet
There are high chances that you may not get the superfast internet on the campground to stream movies. Even if you have your own data plan still, if the campground is in a rural area the speed may get low. Nobody wants to see the buffering on their smartphone, after 5 seconds(I know it is one of the frustrating things). To avoid any burn or frustration, there are some ways to watch movies without wifi. I have created a list for you to watch movies without the internet, let’s find out.
Netflix subscription – If you have a Netflix subscription plan then you are good to go. If you don’t have one then, buy it for one month(it’s not that expensive if you buy their cheap plan). Netflix allows its subscribers to download movies and serials in the directory that you can watch offline. Every time I go outdoors or far from home, I always download movies and serial on Netflix to kill my boredom. If you are going to use this method, then I suggest you download it in advance, so that you don’t have to wait for hours to download one movie. You should also know that not all shows or movies are downloadable on Netflix but most of them are.
Downloading movies or any show offline on Netflix is very easy, just click on the download arrow that is present under a playing screen. You can watch offline movies by clicking the me option and then downloads. Content downloaded from Netflix can only be viewed on Netflix and doesn’t support any other video player.
Amazon Prime – another ott platform, where you can download movies offline and watch them later. Just click on the free to me option in your Amazon Prime account and everything from movies to shows that pops up, can be viewed offline.
Just like Netflix and Amazon, there are other ott platforms that allow you to watch movies and shows with wifi Or internet. Some examples of those apps or platforms are –
- Hulu
- Disney+
- CBS
- Vudu
- Premium YouTube membership
- Stremio – stremio is proved to be one the best motivational and boredom killer for travelers. You can easily download content in streamio and then watch it later. You can also create your personal playlist.
If you are a camper then you may find these articles helpful –Outdoor Shower Ideas for Camping, How to Wash Hair While Camping: Step by Step Guide, How to keep bedding dry when camping?
How to work without wifi or internet?
If you have online work, or you are a blogger like me who needs internet to work then we have very limited options but still, you can work.
If your work is about writing or doing projects then there are two great apps that you can use on your mobile or laptop without internet.
- Microsoft Word – Microsoft Word is a great app to work offline. You can write, add tables images and complete your work without using the internet or wifi. The app allows you to save your work offline.
- Google docs– google docs is another great app to write articles, projects, assignments. I personally use google docs. It’s easy to use and also allows you to save your work offline.
Both apps work on mobile phones and are free to use. If your work involves editing, then I recommend you to download Microsoft word. If your work is more writing, then google docs is best.
How to navigate without internet
If you are outdoors and lost the internet connection because of some reason, then there is no need to worry, you still have the option to navigate your way out without the internet. It doesn’t matter if you have an Android mobile or I phone, still, you can navigate without the internet.
This process is a little bit technical and takes more time. But this is the only solution you have if you don’t have an internet connection.
While we all know that GPS needs an internet connection to work, however, that is not totally true.
The GPS operates in two ways. The first is A-GPS, also known as assisted GPS. This works when you have a data connection, and your phone uses the cell towers to figure out your location on the map. This is the usual and easy way.
The second is a GPS radio, which will load on your mobile without using internet. However, the accuracy of getting the exact location depends on the area and surrounding around you. This process takes time but is useful in emergency situations.
Another alternative option would be an offline map app. This is a great way as you will be able to see the map of the area offline on the map. However, you should also know that not all apps have a map of all the places in the world.
I suggest you download the map ahead of your trip if you are going hiking or outdoors for any other reason. Finding the exact route outdoors is tough and a lot of apps also don’t have that data. So, always check in advance and if necessary download it.
City map 2 go ( click here to install)
This is one of the best offline navigation apps that can help you in case of no internet connection. This app has data from over 150 countries online and offline.
Here Wego ( click here to install)
Another great offline navigation app, in which you can download maps of more than 100 countries before your trip. You can download this app on PC, on your Android, or iPhone. Moreover, it’s free to use.
Hey, if you are a hiker then you should know these dangers of hiking
Do koa have wifi
Yes, Koa takes care of the people’s needs, which is why you will find wifi on most of the koa campgrounds. There are a total of 500 koa campgrounds in the US. Out of those 500, around 128 do have wifi facilities for public use.
If we talk about the speed of the wifi on koa campgrounds then, it is enough to watch shows, for reading the information, emails, and social media. However, the speed is not super fast for playing heavy games.
If you are visiting any koa campgrounds, then do check before if the wifi facility is available or not. If not, then you can take your own option with you.
Click here to check more on koa.com
Do RV campgrounds have wifi?
Yes, most RV campgrounds do have wifi service. However, the speed of wifi is not the same or fast on every campground. If you are staying in a high-end campground then you get high-speed wifi with the cost included in your staying cost.
Besides that, there are some RV campgrounds where you get free wifi, but the speed is not that fast. The main reason for low speed is because of more users sharing the same wifi, or because of poor signal. If you are going to stay in a campground near a rural area then it’s hard to find good speed wifi to stream movies or play games online.
Do state campgrounds have wifi
Yes, there are many state campgrounds in the US that offer wifi facilities to their visitors. However, it is more likely that every second state campground may not have wifi service to offer. Search your campground online to know if the campground has wifi Or not.
Do NYS campgrounds have wifi
Yes, there are a number of campgrounds in NYS that provide free limited wifi to their visitors. However, the speed you get on free wifi is not efficient to stream movies, unless you are staying at an expensive private campground in NYS.
Check here to know campgrounds with wifi in NYS – NEW YORK CAMPGROUNDS WITH WIFI
