Campground, RV park and glamping website accessibility: site maps, reservations, rates and access details

Campgrounds, RV parks, glamping sites and cabin resorts take most bookings online, usually through a clickable site map and a third-party reservation system. Campers with disabilities need two things from the site: a way to book that works with a keyboard, screen reader or magnifier, and honest details about which sites, bathhouses and paths they can actually use. Here's what to check.

1. Site maps need a list alternative

A clickable campground map where each site is a coloured dot is usually mouse-only, and "available" is often shown only by colour. Offer the same choice as a list or filter that works with the keyboard, with availability in text, and announce how many sites match. (WCAG 2.1.1, WCAG 1.4.1, WCAG 1.1.1, WCAG 4.1.3)

<fieldset>
  <legend>Show sites with</legend>
  <label><input type="checkbox" name="f" value="full-hookup"> Full hookup (50 amp)</label>
  <label><input type="checkbox" name="f" value="pull-through"> Pull-through</label>
  <label><input type="checkbox" name="f" value="accessible"> Paved, level site near an accessible bathhouse</label>
</fieldset>
<p role="status">4 sites available Nov 14 to 16.</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="/sites/a12">Site A12</a>: pull-through, 50 amp, 60 ft max, available</li>
  <li>Site A14: back-in, 30 amp, 40 ft max, booked</li>
</ul>
<!-- example values -->

2. Date pickers and guest counts

Check-in and check-out calendars must work with the keyboard, booked dates must say so in text (not just greyed out), and you should accept typed dates. Guest, pet and vehicle counters need buttons with real names, and the new total should be announced. (WCAG 4.1.2, WCAG 2.5.8) See online booking widget accessibility.

<label for="pets">Pets</label>
<button type="button" aria-label="Remove a pet">-</button>
<input id="pets" type="number" min="0" max="3" value="1">
<button type="button" aria-label="Add a pet">+</button>
<!-- example values -->

3. Site details, rates and fees as text

Site length limits, amp service, hookups, surfaces and nightly, weekly and monthly rates often live in a photo of a rate board or a scanned PDF. Put them in a real table with headers, and keep fees, deposits and cancellation rules as selectable text. (WCAG 1.3.1, WCAG 1.4.5) See accessible pricing tables.

<table>
  <caption>Rates per night</caption>
  <tr><th scope="col">Site type</th><th scope="col">Nightly</th><th scope="col">Weekly</th></tr>
  <tr><th scope="row">Full hookup RV</th><td>$55</td><td>$330</td></tr>
  <tr><th scope="row">Tent site</th><td>$28</td><td>$168</td></tr>
</table>
<!-- example values -->

4. Access details, stated factually

Say what you actually have instead of "ADA accessible" with no detail: the surface and slope of specific sites, the distance to the nearest accessible bathhouse, whether showers are roll-in, whether paths to the pool, store and dump station are paved, and how to ask for help. Example: "Sites A12 and B3 are paved and level, about 100 feet from the bathhouse on a paved path. The bathhouse has one roll-in shower with a fold-down seat." (example wording; only say what is true for your park)

5. Park maps, trail maps and photos

Map images need a short text summary or a linked text version (main loop, where the office, bathhouses and dump station are, which trails are paved or gravel and how long they are). Describe photos by what matters to campers ("Paved pull-through site with picnic table and fire ring under shade trees") and caption any video tours. (WCAG 1.1.1, WCAG 1.2.2) See alt text examples.

6. Park rules, waivers and check-in forms

Rules, pet policies and check-in instructions are often a scanned PDF. Put the key rules on the page as text, or make the PDF a tagged, text-based file. Registration and waiver forms need visible labels, autocomplete on name, email, phone and address, errors in text that say how to fix them, no asking twice for details already given, a warning before any time limit, and a typed-name alternative to drawing a signature. (WCAG 3.3.2, WCAG 1.3.5, WCAG 3.3.1, WCAG 3.3.7, WCAG 2.2.1) See accessible PDFs.

<label for="rv-len">RV or trailer length in feet</label>
<input id="rv-len" name="rv-len" inputmode="numeric" aria-describedby="rv-len-err">
<p id="rv-len-err" class="error">Enter a length like 32. Site A12 fits up to 60 feet.</p>
<!-- example values -->

7. Pop-ups, contrast and phones

Most campers book on a phone, often with weak signal. Body text needs at least 4.5:1 contrast (white text over a forest photo usually fails), the page must work at 200% zoom and on a narrow screen, and "book early" or newsletter pop-ups must close with Escape and not trap keyboard focus. (WCAG 1.4.3, WCAG 1.4.10, WCAG 2.4.3) See mobile zoom and tap targets.

Common mistakes

• A clickable site map as the only way to choose a site.
• Available and booked sites shown only by colour.
• Rates and site lengths only in a photo of the rate board.
• "ADA sites available" with no detail about surface, slope or bathhouse distance.
• Park rules only as a scanned PDF.
• A waiver that can only be signed by drawing with a mouse or finger.
• An overlay widget instead of real fixes; see overlays vs real fixes.

A 15-minute check you can do today

1. Using only Tab, Shift+Tab, Space and Enter, choose dates, pick a site and reach the payment step.
2. Can you tell which sites are available without seeing colour?
3. Find the nightly rate and maximum RV length for one site. Are they text you can select?
4. Read your access details. Would a wheelchair user know which site to book and how far the bathhouse is?
5. Zoom to 200% on your phone and check the Book button is still visible.
6. Run the free homepage scan for code-level problems.

What a scan can and can't check here

Our scan is automated, so it finds only part of the barriers on the pages it visits: missing alt text, unlabelled fields and buttons, low contrast and similar code problems. It can't complete a booking in a third-party reservation system, judge whether your map has a usable alternative, or check whether your access details are accurate, which is why the 15-minute check above matters.

Platform steps: WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy. Related: hotel and B&B websites, tour operator and activity booking websites, golf course and country club websites, accessibility statement template.

This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it doesn't certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Want the fixes written for you?

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This is general technical guidance, not legal advice, and it does not certify compliance with the ADA or any law.

Related guides

• ADA Title II web rule for small towns, libraries and special districts: dates, what's covered and first steps
• WCAG 2.2 explained for small-business websites
• Squarespace accessibility fixes: alt text, contrast, forms and more
• Wix accessibility fixes: a practical checklist

All guides

This guide is general technical information, not legal advice. Following it does not certify ADA or any legal compliance. Automated checks find only part of accessibility barriers.