By Sara Baird.
I previously wrote about how much I enjoyed traveling with Boondockers Welcome when taking long trips in our camper. You can read about my Boondockers Welcome Experience here. Boondockers Welcome was acquired by Harvest Hosts in 2021, so when we set off on a trip last summer we decided to try it out. I loved it so much that I wanted to share my experience with Harvest Hosts will all of you.
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What is Harvest Hosts?
Harvest Hosts provides access to one-night stays at a variety of business host sites. Host sites include wineries, breweries, farms, museums, churches, and more. The stay is free but you are expected to spend at least $30 at the location or make a similar donation. I was reluctant to sign up for Harvest Hosts because I was under the impression it was just for wineries and we were traveling with our son and dog but as I learned more about it after they acquired Boondockers Welcome I decided to try it out.
When you sign up you can choose different levels of membership. We already had a free Boondocker’s Welcome membership because we are hosts so we just needed to add on the basic Harvest Hosts membership. There is another level of membership that includes golf courses but we decided not to try that at this time.
To locate a site you simply log into the app and open up a map of sites. You can filter the sites to meet your needs. Hosts list the size of vehicles they can accommodate, how many vehicles they can host, as well as other things like if pets are okay. It was simple to input our total length (the length of our camper and tow vehicle together), that we were traveling with a dog and the date I wanted to stay. Then I could view the hosts that were available on the map. From there it was as simple as requesting a stay by answering a few questions. Most hosts approved our stay within an hour of requesting it.
Our Experience
Our first stay was at a coffee shop and ranch in Greymill, Montana. When booking a site, it is important that you pay attention to the open hours of the business and ensure that it is okay to arrive after business hours if you do not arrive within them. We miscalculated our travel time and found that we would be arriving much later than expected. I called the site and thankfully they assured me that it was okay.
They gave us directions for our arrival and showed us where to park when we arrived. From our parking spot, we could see and clearly hear the interstate and were in the middle of the ranch surrounded by horses and even a cow. We slept well and, in the morning, stopped by for some coffee and pastries from the coffee shop then went on our way. It was a quick little stop. Our objective for the stop was to be close enough to Bozeman Montana to be able to spend the day with a friend and still travel to our next destination the following day.
The following night we stayed at a sheep dairy in Helena, Montana. This was a super cool experience. We attended a tour of the dairy and heard the story of the couple who owned it. Then we enjoyed a cheese tasting. We paid for the tour and of course, purchased some sheep cheese to enjoy on our travels. My favorite part of that experience was listening to the working dogs overnight. I found their soft check-in barks soothing and reassuring as they communicated to keep the sheep safe. I would have thought they would keep me up all night but the opposite was true.
Our ultimate goal on this trip was to stay as long as possible on the Oregon Coast so we headed west through Idaho and booked a stay at an orchard outside of Spokane Washington. Here we were directed to park in one of the orchards. There were other campers there that night but we were all separated from each other. We purchased some mead and duck eggs from their farm shop and enjoyed a nice walk in the countryside. The sunrise viewed right from my bed through our camper window was a spectacular part of this trip.
The following night we stayed north of Kennewick, Washington at a winery and orchard. We met the owner when we arrived for a wine tasting and learned about his interesting story. We also learned so many things about what it takes to run an orchard. I shared with him that one of my bucket list items was to eat a cherry off a cherry tree.
The climate at home in Minnesota is too cold to grow sweet cherries and I had never even seen a sweet cheery on the tree. He said I was in luck because they had just picked the orchard and I was welcome to sampling some of the cherries left of the tree. He directed us to park in the orchard, besides some people working on the irrigation equipment we were the only ones there. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the orchard and enjoying some leftover cherries. He warned us that there would be people there to work at 4 am in the field next to us, they were starting to harvest apples but we didn’t hear a thing.
The following night we made our way to the Columbia Gorge where we stayed in the parking lot of the Discovery Center. We enjoyed visiting the museum for a couple of hours. I was a little bit worried about spending the night there. The parking lot was right off the interstate and it was extremely busy and loud. We were unsure if it was okay to leave our camper and go explore the area.
We did learn that in the future we should just ask the host if this is okay. Many hosts encourage you to go explore the area. The night actually turned out pretty great, we found a great walking path that ran along the Columbia River and enjoyed viewing wildlife. The traffic noise was constant but we managed to sleep just fine.
From there we traveled to a farm north of Portland where we enjoyed a quiet evening. We enjoyed watching the farm animals and hung our hammocks in a grove of trees for an enjoyable evening. We purchased some fermented goods and more eggs from the self-serve farm store. After that, we had a short drive to the coast where we had reservations to enjoy a few weeks camping in state parks along the Oregon Coast. We took a much faster route back home to Minnesota so only fit in a few stays on the way home. A fantastic Aerospace Museum south of Portland, Oregon, and a Winery in Idaho. Both were great experiences.
Getting the Most From Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts adds adventure to one-night stops on a long road trip. It can also be a fun way to just explore an area. We found that we had to try a few stays to find out what we liked most, what we could tolerate for an easy stay somewhere, and places we would want to avoid in the future. The places that were not our favorites were actually the favorites of others we met along the way. It is important that you are willing to try new things and see the experience as an adventure. When you chose a place to stay keep an open mind and explore what you can find to enjoy about it.
Harvest Hosts is not always the cheaper option. You can easily spend $100 or more on merchandise or admission at a host site so you should make sure you know what is available before selecting a host to stay at. It is important that you spend the minimum and make sure you follow the rules set by the host. I was blown away by the effort that many of the hosts put into hosting us, and the community that developed among other campers enjoying Harvest Host sites. Hosts do not get paid for hosting us, they only get your business, so also be sure to show your gratitude and let your host know how much you enjoyed your visit.
You can learn more about Harvest Hosts at https://harvesthosts.com/. If you have tried it, I would love to hear who your favorite host was.
I am an adventurer at heart, always looking for the next opportunity to learn something new. I spend my winter days working with high school students to explore their interests and develop passions.
I spend my evenings and summers developing new hobbies and being outdoors as much as possible. I enjoy camping, hiking, cross country skiing, and biking.
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
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Sara Bairdhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/sara-baird/
Wow, this is the first time I know about Harvest Host but it sounds interesting from your article. I think it’s an experience that I want to try if I have a chance, even it’s not a cheaper option for accommodation.
That is an interesting experience. I learned something from your post and haven’t done this before in Montana.
never heard of this before and now I am very curious. it sounds like a wonderful way to add so much to your travels and lower the costs greatly. thank you!
I’ve never heard of harvest hosts before now, this is soooo cool and I would love to experience something like that. The adventure and the people you meet along the way, amazing….
Harvest Hosts sounds like a wonderful experience. We have similar programmes here in Europe and I have stayed at farm and wineries during cycling trips. I think it is a win-win, you can buy the local products and have a cheap place to stay for the night. Although it feels less comercial (but of course it is).
I haven’t heard about this before and will have to check it out!
Wow, you have truly impressed me with your decision to book your accommodations via Harvest Hosts! It’s a wonderful way to visit interesting and stunning locations while also supporting small businesses. You clearly value significant experiences, and your choice to stay at wineries, farms, and other fascinating locations is incredibly admirable.
I have not heard of Harvest Hosts before your post but I am intrigued! I like how you can see several different spots of your choosing to enjoy while traveling. I love that it is a unique and makes for a memorable experience!
Adding some adventure to your stay sounds like a fun thing indeed. Harvest hosts does seem like a good concept. And the fact that they have so many locations to pick from makes it all worth it. To top it all, they seem to have a variety – coffee shops to wineries. Looks like you are actually spoilt for choice.
Harvest Hosts sounds like a great travel option! I’m going to check out the app for my next vacation.
Nnniiiccceeeee….the mere fact that there are still orchid trees here, makes it all so desirable to me. I wanna join Host Harvest if it means I get to be here!
I’m in the UK, so have never heard of a scheme like Harvest Hosts, but what a good idea it sounds. It is a good way to stay cheaply at various places that are destinations in their own right, like the sheep dairy you visited; I imagine that would be fun for all the family.
Definitely worth checking out 👍🏻
Your article on Harvest Hosts brings a breath of fresh air to travel enthusiasts! The concept of combining adventure and affordable stays is brilliantly presented, making it an enticing option for travelers seeking unique and memorable experiences. Well-written and informative.
I think that Harvest Hosts is such a great idea. I love discovering small producers when I travel and how amazing it would be to actually spend the night on their land, and see how their business works. Your stay at the cow farm sounds so lovely, especially that you got to try the local cheese. The orchard stay also sounds so dreamy. I can imagine how great would it be to camp there in spring, when the trees are in full blossom. The 30 dollars spending suggestion at each place is very worth it for such great experiences.
I love this idea and had no idea it was a thing in terms of traveling and vacationing 😉 Love it and would love to stay on a farm!
The idea of meeting new people, experiencing local hospitality, and supporting small businesses along the way adds an extra layer of charm to the camping experience. It’s a beautiful way to connect with the community and immerse oneself in the local culture.
I’ve never heard of Harvest Hosts before, but since I’ll soon be traveling again, I’ll keep them in mind as an option.
Harvest Hosts sounds like a great situation for both the traveler and the hosting site. It would be a great way to have an adventure to places one may not normally go to.
Harvest Hosts sound like a really good concept. I like the idea of spending a night or two somewhere like an orchard or a dairy farm, it makes for a unique trip! I appreciate your honesty about the cost; it’s good to know these things before booking something and being surprised later on.
I’ve never heard of harvest host before. It’s so neat. I didn’t realize there would be locations near me in Canada. Thanks for sharing
I had never heard of Harvest Hosts before. A fascinating concept to provide one night stays for a donation (even if that donation might sometimes be pricy). A great way to stay at a ranch, sheep dairy and orchard on your travels. I would look for stays at wineries. I can understand how people have different views about the different spots. Definitely worth checking out what kind of sites might be available when travel.
I think it’s a really fair tradeoff that you can stay for free provided you spend a fraction of what you would have spent at a hotel/BNB on the locals! This is a great idea. I’d love to see a post about your bucket list, eating a cherry off a cherry tree is a unique one and not one I’ve done before, so that’s going on my list too! Harvest Hosts seems like a nice alternative and an adventurous one at that, I’m happy you had a good experience.
Wow! This is awesome. It is really cool what Harvest Hosts does. It’s like Workaway but for 1-night stays. That’s actually cool. Sometimes Workaway scares me coz most expect at least a week’s commitment. I just checked Harvest Host’s site and they are really well-spread all over USA. Interesting about this Coffee Shop + Ranch accommodation, but I absolutely love the Sheep dairy accommodation. Aerospace Museum in the south of Portland? That’s a must-do for us!
I absolutely loved using Harvest Hosts during my travels. It was such a unique and exciting way to explore different sites, from wineries to farms to museums. The signup process was quick and easy, and the app made it simple to find available locations. Meeting our hosts and staying at their properties was truly a highlight of our trip. I highly recommend Harvest Hosts to anyone seeking an adventurous and unforgettable travel experience. And don’t forget to be respectful of the rules and show appreciation to your hosts!
Aww I love those cute goats!! Harvest hosts does sound like a unique experience! I want to try it out one day!