Harvest Host

[SteveW123]

Is a Harvest Host membership worthwhile?

[R.Wold]

Originally Posted by SteveW123

Is a Harvest Host membership worthwhile?

It is if you use it. I find that at times when I could use it I dont because I dont feel like interacting with hosts. When Im tired from a day of driving, sometimes I just want to relax by myself.

At other times I do feel like meeting the people and sampling their products, and there is a wide variety of locations: farms, vineyards, museums, restaurants, distilleries, breweries, and some other misc types of locations. There are many sites all across the country (nearly 3000) and the website has a good mapping function to locate sites within x miles of your route. So it makes planning stops easy.

And with rv park prices these days, one night can pay for the year. Also I added golf courses because you can arrive in the late afternoon, spend the night in a secure, clean, level location, and be on you way in the morning. I dont golf, but I like golf course parking lots a lot more than wallmarts, so for me it serves that function.

[amosnandy]

Originally Posted by SteveW123

Is a Harvest Host membership worthwhile?

I’ve never found any value in it. Mostly a bunch of places that would let you park your camper free anyway if you spent a bunch of money at their business.

[DavidEM]

Harvest Hosts now includes what was formerly Boondockerswelcome. A membership to either the old HH or BW costs $50/yr or $100 for both.

I find that BW sites are marginally useful. If I had the time to enjoy the site and if it were a scenic one overlooking a pond or something, I would use it. But 90% of the time I am travelling, getting in late and a Walmart, Cracker Barrel or ??? works better because there is no host interaction involved.

I guess the same thing could be said of the original HH sites as they are destination places like wineries, golf courses, etc.

David

[n2zon]

We find it worth the cost. Nice people and good products. We sometimes spend less, sometimes more, but we come away with something more than just a parking space at the end. Good jellies, wines, beer, wool products...

[dvspl]

Well it depends on how you like to travel/camp. If you want to drive all day, duck in for a quick overnight and depart early in the morning, then Walmart/Cracker Barrel or some other free boondocking site may be a better fit. We think HH is worth the nominal annual cost, though. We typically plan for short travel days, arriving early in the afternoon then spending some time relaxing and don't want to get up too early either. So we've met lots of great people and had some incredible campsites with HH. We've also purchased some jams, jellies, salsas, and fresh produce that we probably would have bought anyway. YMMV.

[deckape]

We have used our HH several times. Usally spend more at the business than planed ,but have had good beer , fine wines and great BBQ. With the price of a one nite stay at a camp ground we feel that a membership is worth it. Walmarts are not my thing.

[ktn1966]

As far as money value, I would say no. You have to pay the yearly membership, then there is usually some kind of compensation to the host, buying wine or other products. You are not staying and camping just stopping for the night. With proper research and planning you can just as easily find a free spot or cheaper campsite after two bottles of wine are bought from the HH winery.

A lot of people like the HH travel lifestyle. You can meet new friends or just enjoy a drink. More places are opening up for HH and that makes planning easier. Maybe you like wine and touring wineries/breweries/long list...., them it would definitely be worth it. There is always the added benefit of helping out a local business.

Your travel and camping style is what makes or breaks the question of HH. We prefer local government parks, boondocking spots, even casinos for overnight stops.

[Souljourner]

The suggested purchase is $20. In exchange you get a safe and oftentimes beautiful spot to overnight at a business I would not have discovered otherwise. And it’s way more than wineries. We’ve stayed at all sorts of farms, orchards, golf courses, restaurants, general stores, museums. For us it’s not finding a quick overnight off an interstate. It’s choosing small businesses that are of interest to us, and the minimum $20 purchase is always for something I’d enjoy - whether that’s wine or a good meal, and the location is usually quieter than a Walmart, truck stop, or rest area.

I began with HH. Enjoyed it so much added golf courses, and recently added Boondockers Welcome. Considering I paid $70 last week for a quick overnight when I needed to be in a certain place at a certain time, I’d say the HH membership fee is well worth it, for our style of travel at least, and it has paid for itself many times over.

[PKI]

You have to try it for yourself. We thought it might, but it does not work for us.

[KenZ71]

Fantastic for us.

Sure you might be able to spend $50 - 75 or more at a place then say ”hey can I park my RV overnight” but they might say no.

With the membership you have a predefined list with member reviews that will help determine if your rig will fit.

[RV Vagabond]

I would love it if the places listed had electric outlets you could use, or for longer term use, but I don't need more help finding nothing more than a parking spot for one night.

[n2zon]

You'll get lots of opinions, and there are other threads about this. I suggest using the Search box at the top and reviewing them to save time.

We ourselves find it worthwhile for reasons I've shared in other threads. Others, not. My suggestion is to try it and see.

[Souljourner]

Originally Posted by RV Vagabond

I would love it if the places listed had electric outlets you could use, or for longer term use, but I don't need more help finding nothing more than a parking spot for one night.

I have to share some pictures from Harvest Host stays to demonstrate that it’s more than finding a parking spot for one night. Frequently, the HH location has BEEN our destination!

As they say - a picture is worth a thousand words! Not exactly parking lots: