CampScout Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 24, 2026

CampScout ("we," "our," or "the app") helps you search for campgrounds and get notified when a matching campsite becomes available on Recreation.gov. This page explains what information the app collects, how it's used, and your choices.

No account or personal information required

CampScout does not ask for your name, email address, or password. When you first open the app, it creates an anonymous, random identifier for your device using Firebase Anonymous Authentication. This identifier is not linked to your real identity and is used only to keep your own alerts and favorites separate from other users.

What we collect

• Alert and search preferences — the campgrounds, date ranges, length of stay, and site/loop/equipment filters you choose when creating an alert, so we can check availability on your behalf.
• Favorited campgrounds — campgrounds you bookmark for quick access.
• Push notification token — an identifier issued by Apple that lets us deliver an alert notification to your device. We do not use this for anything other than sending you the notifications you've asked for.
• Map coordinates you choose — if you use "Explore by Area," the center point and radius you set on the map are sent to our server to search nearby campgrounds.
• Device location (optional) — if you turn on "Near Me" sorting in Search, CampScout requests your device's location (with your permission) to sort results by distance and show how far away each campground is. This location is used only on your device for that sort order and is not sent to or stored on our servers. You can deny or revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings without losing any other app functionality.
• Calendar access (optional, write-only) — if you tap "Add to Calendar" for a matched reservation, CampScout requests write-only calendar access to add that single event. This permission lets the app add an event but never lets it read anything already on your calendar.
• Subscription/purchase status — Apple's App Store handles all payment processing. CampScout only receives confirmation of which subscription or one-time purchase you've made; we never see your payment card details.

What we don't do

• We don't collect your name, email, or any other directly identifying information.
• We don't use advertising or analytics SDKs, and we don't track you across other apps or websites.
• We don't sell or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

Third-party services we use

CampScout is built on Google Firebase, which stores the data described above (Firestore database, Cloud Messaging for notifications, Cloud Functions for backend logic). We also query:

• Recreation.gov / RIDB, the U.S. federal government's public campground database, to search campgrounds and check availability. No information about you is sent to Recreation.gov.
• Apple WeatherKit, to show forecast and historical weather information for a campground's location and your selected dates. Only the campground's public coordinates and a date are sent — no information about you personally.
• National Park Service API, to show richer descriptions, photos, cell service info, and current alerts for campgrounds located inside National Parks. Only the campground's public coordinates and state are sent — no information about you personally.

Data retention and deletion

You can delete an individual alert or favorite at any time from within the app. To remove all data associated with your anonymous identifier, delete the app, or contact us using the information below and we'll delete it on request.

Children's privacy

CampScout is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

Contact us

If you have questions about this policy or want your data deleted, contact us at campscoutapp@gmail.com.