Constructing a campsite on your island undoubtedly gives it some extra charm. However, it also serves other purposes. Having a campsite on your island is necessary in order for K.K. Slider to come to your island. The campsite is also a useful way to meet new characters and even invite them to live on your island. Here is a guide on how to unlock the campsite in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

How To Unlock The Campsite On Your Island

Gameplay is more slow-paced in Animal Crossing: New Horizons than in previous Animal Crossing games. Therefore it takes a bit of time and a few requirements in order to unlock the campsite.

You will first need to have upgraded the Residents Services tent into a building before Tom Nook will suggest the construction of a campsite.

In order to upgrade your Residents Services tent into a building, you will need to do the following: 

• Pay off your getaway package debt and upgrade your tent to a house
• Provide the materials required by the Nooklings to build Nook’s Cranny
• Build a bridge
• Craft the required items for three homes and have three new villagers move in

After completing these steps, the Residents Services building will be built. It will take a full calendar day to construct the building, and you will be unable to access the recycling bin or Nook Stop terminal during that day.

Once you have built the Residents Services building, you need to talk to Tom Nook inside and select the ‘What should I do?’ option twice. He will then explain that he wants K.K. Slider to visit the island and put on a show. However, he wants to build a campsite to attract tourists to the island first. He will then give you a recipe for a campsite construction kit to craft at a workbench.

In order to craft it, you will need 15x iron nuggets, 15x wood, 15x softwood and 15x hardwood.

Once you have constructed the kit, you will be able to choose where you want it to be built on your island. 

After choosing a spot for the campsite, return to the Residents Services building. Tom Nook will then tell you that he can proceed in constructing the campsite.

The campsite will be built and ready for visitors the next day. 

What Purpose Does The Campsite Serve?

Once the campsite is built, there will soon be a tent in its place with a visitor. You can invite any visitors that you want to live on your island by speaking with them and convincing them to move there. 

You can also use amiibo cards to invite an animal to your campsite. In order to unlock this feature, you will need to have convinced the first visitor to your campsite to move to your island. Once they have officially moved in, head to Residents Services.

Upon interacting with the Nook Stop terminal, Tom Nook will inform you that he’s added a new service to the terminal. This will allow you to scan in Animal Crossing amiibo cards and invite animals to your campsite. The process is pretty simple. All you need to do is select the ‘invite camper’ option at the terminal, and then when prompted, press your desired amiibo to the NFC reader on your Switch console.

The character will then be summoned to your campsite, where after talking to them several times, you may be able to invite them to your island to stay. Special NPC’s such as Isabelle, Resetti, Mabel, etc, are unable to pay a visit to your campsite. The only other characters you won’t be able to invite are those from the Animal Crossing Sanrio series.