Is a Harvest Hosts Membership worth it?

black camper van parked on a hill with a view of sand dunes below

Harvest Hosts is “a network of farms, wineries, breweries & distilleries, attractions and more that invite campers to stay on their land overnight.” HH Members get a directory of safe, convenient, and unique places to stay during their travels.

Is a Harvest Host Membership a worthwhile investment?

This is a question we asked ourselves almost a year ago, when, after much hemming and hawing, we paid our $85* in yearly “dues” and joined the organization. (*The cost of a basic Harvest Host membership has since increased to $99).

So, is a Harvest Host membership worthwhile? To tell you the truth, our answer is a solid….. it depends.

old farm machinery as viewed out the window of a camper — The view from Blue Heron Cheese Company, our very first HH stay

We joined Harvest Hosts during a rainy spell on the Oregon Coast. There were few affordable camping spots nearby and stealth camping here felt a little sketchy. We’d been considering joining the organization for a while, saw that there were a few hosts in town and signed ourselves up.

woman standing on the shore with dog in the rain — Wet weather in the Pacific Northwest

Since then, we have stayed with nine different “Hosts” mostly in populated, urban areas where there are few other options. And, though Harvest Host began as a farm-stay sort of organization, we haven’t stayed at any farms at all.

Below, we’ll share the good, the bad, and the maybe of our experience with Harvest Hosts.

Harvest Hosts stays are fun

We have definitely enjoyed our HH stays, most of which have been busy microbreweries and local restaurants. They are a nice excuse to eat out, something we try not to do too often and the hosts are always welcoming and friendly.

two glasses full of beer on a table — Beers at Mount Shasta Brewing Company: Buying stuff is part of the deal

Through Harvest Hosts, we’ve sampled many “farm products” ….well, mostly beers, breakfast and coffee.

man in a bar looking at 3 green jello shots on the table — We “camped” with a friend at this HH dive bar in Nevada and each had a jello shot. Not our usual thing… but kind fun!

And, because buying something is a condition of our stay, we don’t second-guess any of it!

group of people sitting outside a bakery — In Florida, we met up with friends at Amy’s French Bistro, another great HH spot

Harvest Hosts stays can be convenient

This is especially true in more populated parts of the country. We have appreciated our membership when planning a day of urban adventure. Our visits to Yuma, Tucson, Albuquerque, and Asheville were much easier thanks to Harvest Hosts in those cities.

brightly lit diner entrance — Little Anthony’s Diner, a Harvest Host in busy Tucson, Arizona

We also appreciate Harvest Host when we are putting on the miles. It’s nice to have an safe, easy, and accessible spot along the way.

highway view with passenger side window catching the sunset — Harvest Hosts is a good option when you’re putting on the miles

Harvest Host stays are not really cheap

This is the biggest negative to Harvest Host Membership. To our way of thinking, Harvest Hosts is not a bargain at all. Our membership worked out to roughly $9 a night…. PLUS the cost of the “recommended purchase” per site. If cost were the primary factor, we could almost always stealth camp or stay at a rest area or Cracker Barrel instead of a HH site.

black camper van parked at a highway rest area — A free stay at a Texas rest area

HH recommends a purchase of at least $30 per stay, and we definitely do that, splurging on meals or other products we would not have bought otherwise. It feels a little strange to be compelled to spend a certain amount. If you’re planning to go out anyway, its a great deal. If you aren’t, it stretches your budget a bit.

black camper van in a rainy pacific northwest forest among trees — Not Harvest Hosts: This spot was beautiful and free

Harvest Hosts are geared toward traditional RVers

It’s rare that we see other “basic” self-built vans at HH sites. Generally, our neighbors have been RVs. There’s a reason for this. Hosts are not set up for “camping”, just overnight sleeping.

Because of this, Harvest Host stays are not all that easy for us. As we like to say, we live OUT of our van, not in it.

Truth here: Our van “bathroom” barely exists. We are “self contained” (a requirement of HH membership) only in the broadest possible sense. We mostly camp in wild places where this doesn’t much matter, or in “primitive” campgrounds with pit toilets where it doesn’t matter at all. But in an urban location it just isn’t great.

van parked on a dirt lot in the desert — Our “camp” at The Hubb Dive Bar in Pahrump, Nevada, another Harvest Host spot

In addition, we cook outside. If we have to, we can make our morning coffee inside on the counter and we can prep cereal or instant miso soup, sandwiches and pita, no problem. But that’s about it. Harvest Hosts stays stretch our ability to manage these basic tasks.

woman looking at a counter with pitas hummus and other foods on it — Pitas and Hummus for dinner: The only kind of indoor “cooking” we do

Harvest Hosts are rare in more remote places

…which is fine with us. We don’t need them when there are national forests and BLM lands around. We will always choose a “wild” spot when we have the option. But if you’re planning to use HH as a primary source of camping spots, you may want to check their map and see if it fits your travel plans

van parked in the arizona desert at sunset — Free camping on BLM land in Arizona: More our style

A Harvest Host stay is not guaranteed

Just because you paid your dues, doesn’t mean your HH stay is guaranteed. There have been a few times that hosts never got back to us about our stay requests. This can be frustrating. When we were in Johnson City, Tennessee last spring, we hung around town doing chores, waiting for a response from a host. After showers and groceries and lunch in a local park, we finally moved on. Our nearby state park stay wasn’t great. But it was a sure thing.

street scene in Johnson coty tennesee — Not much luck getting a response from our host in Johnson City

A “back pocket” option… if it’s within your budget

So, is a Harvest Hosts membership worth the money? To our way of thinking, HH is a good option to have in the “back pocket”. It’s great if you’re stuck without a safe spot while on the road, especially in areas with higher population density and less public land.

But keep in mind: Hosts are stops along the way, not full service vacation spots. As a Harvest Host member, your request must be approved before you pull up for the night to spend your $30. And plan to head out the next day; these are not campgrounds after all.

If your budget allows for HH, we think its a worthwhile investment. And the more you use it, the less it costs per stay. For us, Harvest Hosts is a way to broaden our options and make sure that our basic needs are met. It isn’t much more than that, and it isn’t a bargain. If you don’t mind stealth camping, you can almost always find a cheaper overnight option.

We aren’t too keen on getting “the knock” or trying to look like a work van… though we have done it now and then. We prefer safe, sanctioned spots. Even if they are friendly parking lots, which is essentially what a Harvest Hosts membership provides.