How to Use the Harvest Hosts Map Search Feature

Harvest Hosts is a unique membership program that allows members to stay at various off-the-beaten path locations all over North America. These 3644 locations include stops such as museums, farms, wineries, breweries and distilleries, golf courses, and many other types of attractions. These off-the-beaten-path experiences provide the special experiences that many RVers set out to find when they buy an RV in the first place. Once travelers join Harvest Hosts as members, they gain access to an entire online database that lists each individual host location on its own profile page. Through the use of the search feature, members can sort locations by type, place, and route, while also filtering to include their specific preferences. Continue on to learn all about these features and how to use them to make the most of your membership.

Set preferences

Before searching for hosts, you will need to set your preferences. This first allows you to choose the type of host you are trying to find, if you have a specific type in mind. For those who prefer not to drink alcohol, they can select farms, attractions, and golf courses, allowing them to filter out wineries and breweries. Alternatively, someone who is specifically interested in staying on a farm, for example, can choose to only search for farms.Next, you can input your RV’s size range, allowing you to filter out host locations where you will not be permitted to camp. This keeps you from accidentally finding your dream host, only to realize that your RV is too large for their property. Finally, you can choose to select “pet-friendly” as an option if you are traveling with pets. Those without pets can leave this blank, as their options are not limited. However, if you travel with furry friends, you will want to be sure to check this box. Now that your preferences are set, you are ready to begin searching. 

Search Feature

The search features allows members to filter hosts through a variety of methods. See each method below for further explanation.

Browse

The browse feature allows members to drag the map around, zooming in on certain areas and regions to gain a closer look. This feature does not filter for anything other than the preferences you already previously set. This is great for those who are simply browsing host locations without a certain route or destination in mind.

Route

The route feature is a handy tool that allows members to input a starting location and an ending location. With the start and end places set, this feature will show you which Harvest Hosts locations are located along your route. For example, say you are beginning a trip in your hometown of Philadelphia and planning to travel to Acadia National Park in Maine. This trip totals eleven hours without any stops, so many people would suggest breaking it up over the course of two or three days, stopping for the night after a few hours of driving each day.If you are unsure of where to break for the night, allow the route search tool to show you which Harvest Hosts locations are located along your intended travel route. You can even set the maximum number of miles you are willing to veer off-route. This way, you do not have to travel far off the path to find a safe, scenic, and affordable place to rest after driving. Plus, stopping at a Harvest Hosts location for the night is always nicer than stopping at a Walmart or a rest area.

Region

The region feature allows you to search for hosts in a specific state. You can select up to five individual states to explore all of the hosts in that region of the country. For example, perhaps you are looking to travel through the Northwestern region of the US. In this case, you could search for hosts in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana to see all of your options. This will allow you to narrow down all the places you want to visit and choose the best Harvest Hosts locations for your trip.

Location

Finally, the location search feature allows you to search for hosts in a specific area. For example, say you are traveling to Jacksonville, Florida. This feature would allow you to see all the host locations available within a set proximity to Jacksonville. This is great for those who are wanting to visit a certain region but who are undecided on where to stay. 

Becoming a Harvest Hosts member is an exciting thing, and it’s even more exciting when you are able to see just how many host locations are available to you. Although it can be overwhelming to sort through all the potential options, the search preferences and features make it much easier to find exactly what it is that you are looking for. After all, there is a location out there for everyone, and we want you to be able to find it. Now that you know how to use the host feature, you can begin saving hosts to specific trips. Stay tuned for the next post, where we discuss our newest feature: saved trips.

What is your favorite way to use the search feature? Do you have any tips or questions? Feel free to share or ask in the comments below!