Top camping spots provide a range of outdoor experiences. Select a campground with RV hookups for an opulent camping trip, or pitch a tent along a beach or in the woods to find peace and solitude.
Dry Tortugas National Park of Florida features an incredible barrier reef just beyond your tent, while Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland draws near wild horses and brings them within touching distance. Maui offers Haleakala National Park’s campsites on its dormant volcano slopes for an unforgettable camping experience.
1. Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains and unique rock formations is an awe-inspiring attraction, drawing hikers, climbers and nature lovers of all types from hikers and climbers alike to its incredible landscapes – from majestic waterfalls to massive granite walls – making it one of America’s top visited and highly-rated destinations.
Yosemite Valley is the star attraction, but don’t miss other must-see sites such as Merced River Canyon, Upper Pines Campground, Tuolumne Meadows and North Pines for breathtaking sights and activities like summer hiking, camping and snowshoeing/cross-country skiing in winter months.
Hodgdon Meadow is an ideal location for campers seeking something less hectic and primitive, with 75 sites located in a high-altitude pine forest accessible only by rough dirt road from Tioga Road. Although not suitable for trailers or RVs, tent campers will enjoy its serenity among towering mountaintops. Hodgdon Meadow also provides picnic tables, fire rings and food lockers – wood and charcoal fires can also be lit year-round!
Tenaya Lake is another excellent camping spot in Yosemite National Park. Surrounded by majestic granite domes and verdant forests, this tranquil alpine lake provides the ideal setting to take in Yosemite’s magnificent scenery while relaxing with family or enjoying swimming and kayaking in summer and ice skating in winter.
Yosemite Mariposa County is an ideal camping location near Yosemite National Park and features everything from rustic tent sites to glamping in vintage trailers. Additionally, this family-friendly area includes amenities like a pool, playground and petting farm full of friendly alpacas – making for an exciting camping trip experience!
2. Valley of Fire State Park
Valley of Fire State Park provides some of the most breathtaking desert landscapes in Nevada. Boasting everything from majestic sandstone arches and breathtaking slot canyons to jaw-dropping geological marvels, Valley of Fire State Park will leave you speechless with its astounding geological wonders.
Valley of Fire State Park is an absolute must-visit for photographers. The striations and colors in its rock formations provide endless photographic opportunities, particularly the Beehives, Fire Wave and Silica Dome which are great places for taking great shots. Furthermore, visiting during sunrise or sunset offers even greater photographic potential!
Valley of Fire State Park’s most beloved activity is hiking. There are various trails throughout the park offering different perspectives and experiences, such as Arch Rock Trail which showcases nature’s masterpieces or White Domes Loop Trail which leads to fascinating sandstone formations and slot canyon formations.
Valley of Fire State Park’s star-filled sky is truly magnificent to witness, particularly at night when temperatures begin to drop in the heat of summer.
Valley of Fire State Park provides two campgrounds offering 72 campsites: Atlatl Rock Campground and Arch Rock Campground are both RV-friendly with some sites providing electric hookups, as well as restroom facilities, picnic tables and water hookups. Both campgrounds provide restroom facilities, picnic tables and water hookups – plus group camping is allowed within its borders!
Valley of Fire State Park provides an ideal getaway from Las Vegas or an opportunity to see one of America’s most stunning national parks – it can easily be reached as either a day trip from Vegas, or as part of a road trip into southern Utah and northern Arizona.
3. Assateague Island National Seashore
Assateague Island National Seashore lies along Maryland and Virginia’s Atlantic coastline and is famous for its sandy beaches, wild horses, and wildlife trails. Comprised of both a State park and National Seashore on one site, each offers different activities and attractions to visitors.
The park provides camping at both State Park and National Seashore campgrounds, with reservations required from March through November; these tend to fill up quickly during summer weekends and holidays. Campsite options at Oceanside Campground include 104 sites while Bayside Campground boasts 54 campsites as well as five group sites and six backcountry campsites and two equestrian sites available for reservation.
Camping on Assateague Island allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in nature, taking full advantage of all its sights, sounds, and wildlife. Sleep to the rhythm of ocean waves and wind; awake to breathtaking blue skies and white sandy beaches awaiting discovery on Assateague’s nature trails for birding or wildlife observation!
Assateague Island offers visitors an enjoyable viewing experience when it comes to herds of wild horses grazing the beach and dunes. Be wary when approaching them though as these wild creatures can become aggressive when startled or scared and could kick or bite if startled or startled too quickly.
The island provides habitat to numerous other animals as well, including wild deer and sika deer as well as many birds such as gulls, herons, egrets and bald eagles. Furthermore, it serves as an ideal location for hunting and fishing activities with an open fishing pier at its southern tip that operates year round.
4. Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park on Maui offers spectacular natural attractions from volcano summit to coastal beach, from lunar-like landscapes and giant craters, to sunrises and sunsets you won’t forget. Plus, Haleakala also protects native species such as the Hawaiian goose (nene), which narrowly avoided extinction during 1950s’ human hunting efforts.
Hosmer Grove in the Summit District offers first come, first served camping. Hosmer Grove is also just minutes from one of the park’s primary hiking attractions: Ohe’o Gulch where visitors can marvel at Haleakala Crater’s multicolored landscape.
Paliku Campsite in Haleakala provides another great camping option, providing a more remote experience than Hosmer Grove. Perfect for stargazing at one of nature’s quietest natural locations on Earth and home to several native bird species, the campsite features an adjacent bamboo forest containing many bird species native to Haleakala.
Haleakala should be visited between the spring and summer seasons when weather conditions are at their most favorable. Enjoy its diverse landscapes that range from Mars-esque red deserts and rock gardens in Summit District to lush waterfalls and streams in Kipahulu District near Hana. For added adventure, join a guided hike or horseback ride for expert insights into Haleakala Park’s flora and fauna.
5. Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park is a land of cascading waterfalls, breathtaking vistas, fields of wildflowers and peaceful wooded hollows – an outdoor adventurer’s dream! You’ll never run out of activities in Shenandoah; be it hiking one of its 500 miles of trails from your campsite or just relaxing by the campfire with a good book – Shenandoah has something special in store for every adventurer.
Shenandoah National Park provides an amazing experience year-round, not just during leaf change season. The National Park Service operates four well-spaced campgrounds along Skyline Drive for family camping; backcountry camping options can also be found throughout Shenandoah.
Big Meadows Campground is the most widely booked, and can be reserved up to six months in advance. With spacious tent and RV sites and scenic mountain views, Loft Mountain Campground provides an intimate camping experience near Big Flat Mountain’s summit with scenic vistas. Over Jordan Farm is another family-friendly campsite situated on 200 acres of fields and woodland home to both domestic and wild animals, where fishing, kayaking, hiking and relaxing around a campfire make for wonderful daytime activities before retiring to bed at night!
If you’re visiting Shenandoah and looking for an idyllic glamping option, take a look at this incredible cabin. Spanning over 2,000 square feet and boasting four bedrooms as well as four decks – you’ll have ample opportunity to take in its panoramic vistas while lounging on one of its outdoor loungers and taking advantage of its fully equipped kitchen featuring outdoor dining space!
Although Shenandoah River State Park campground isn’t technically part of Shenandoah National Park, it does offer a host of amenities close by and only eight miles from Front Royal entrance. RV-friendly spots feature water and power hookups along with a dump station for added convenience – not forgetting its proximity to Overall Run Falls hike!