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The 20 best campsites in the US
From beginner-friendly camping to luxury glamping on the coast, these are some of the best bases to explore America’s natural landscapes
The best campsites are more than just a spot to catch some shut eye; they’re an opportunity to immerse oneself in nature, to see wildlife, and to bear witness to some of the world’s most incredible landscapes.
Across the US, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring and diverse places to camp: From the arid deserts of the Four Corners region to the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest, and from the rolling plains of Middle America to the beaches of Hawaii, there really is a camping destination to suit every taste.
Camping can fall into the category of adventure activities with caveats of what qualifies as the true experience – sometimes defined by uncomfortable nights spent sleeping on hard ground.
However, whether you’re looking for a remote place to unfurl your sleeping bag or would prefer more of a comfortable experience in a glamping tent or motorhome, it’s all in pursuit of proximity to the great outdoors.
That vast array of natural landscapes is a big part of the reason the United States has developed a culture of sleeping outdoors – there are thousands of campsites across the country. Of all of those, we’ve narrowed the list down to the top 20.
Read on for our picks of some of the best camping spots in the United States for eager beginners, regular RVers and hardcore backcountry seekers alike.
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Best for beginners
Malaekahana State Recreation Area, Hawaii
Minutes from the North Shore of Oahu, an area famed for its world-class surfing, campers at Malaekahana State Recreation Area are lulled to sleep by the waves crashing on the reef. Campers can pitch a tent or park a campervan directly on the beach and have access to toilet facilities, an outdoor beach shower and campfire rings. It’s also possible to rent bicycles, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards or take surfing lessons from the camp shop.
Contact: camping.ehawaii.gov/camping
Price: from $10
Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Campground, Maine
For more than 50 years this not-for-profit campground and organic farm has invited campers to explore this idyllic slice of coastal Maine. There are more than 130 sites spread throughout the campground’s 636 acres Though, for those who perhaps don’t have the necessary gear or would prefer a real bed, the campsite offers three aptly named Comfort Camping tents nestled amongst the pines, each with queen-sized beds, a Weber gas grill and fire pit. There’s also an onsite farm store, bike and kayak rentals and hiking trails to keep you entertained.
Contact: freeportcamping.com
Price: from $20
Big Meadows Campground, Virginia
Just 75 miles outside of Washington, DC, Shenandoah National Park boasts more than 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the famed Appalachian National Scenic Trail. And with hickories, maples, oaks and other hardwood trees, it’s a particularly lovely place to admire the fall foliage. For somewhere centrally located to base yourself while exploring the protected land, consider the Big Meadows Campground. Each of the sites at Big Meadows offers room enough for an RV or tent, a fire ring and a picnic table. There’s also a camp store, where it’s possible to purchase the basics.
Contact: nps.gov/shen
Price: From $30
Mammoth Campground, Wyoming
Encompassing over 2 million acres of pristine wilderness, Yellowstone National Park is home to an astonishing variety of geothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, bubbling mud pots and fumaroles. The only year-round campground within the world’s first national park is Mammoth Campground. Situated on a high sagebrush steppe, Douglas fir trees provide shade and some privacy between sites, making it a relaxing spot to hang out between hiking, fishing and wildlife watching (or in the winter, skiing and snowshoeing). The campsites are basic – with just tent pads, picnic tables and campfire rings – but there are modern bathrooms.
Contact: recreation.gov/camping
Price: $25
Best for glamping
Ulum, Utah
Just south of Moab, Utah, Ulum offers nature lovers and rock climbers easy access to the more than 2,000 nature arches of Arches National Park and the buttes and mesas of Canyonland National Park in Utah. This upscale glamping company offers 50 suite-style tents, each with a king-sized bed, seating area, a bathroom with a rain shower and flush toilets, evaporative coolers and wood-burning stoves and a private patio, most of which are angled to face Looking Glass arch.
To further elevate the experience, at the main lodge, there’s a full-service restaurant and bar that overlooks the ochre desert-scape, hot and cold dipping pools and a patio where there’s nightly music. The on-site concierge can also book guided adventures into the nearby parkland.
Contact: ulumresorts.com
Price: from $624
The Resort at Paws Up, Montana
You definitely won’t be roughing it at this luxurious Western guest ranch in Montana. Situated on 37,000 acres full of ragged peaks, meadows dappled with wildflowers and forests of ponderosa pines, this resort offers six separate glamping camps, each with one-, two- or three-bedroom tent suites. The canvas abodes feature king-sized beds with wooden frames, private en suite bathrooms (sometimes with a soaking tub) and private decks. By day, guests can go horseback riding or fly-fishing, before returning to camp where the onsite chef will have whipped up a meal fit for a ranch hand in the communal dining pavilion.
Contact: pawsup.com/glamping
Price: From $2,170 for two adults, including of meals and activities
Collective Governors Island, New York
Though it’s just a few minutes by ferry from Manhattan and within eyesight of the Statue of Liberty, this glamping retreat feels a world away from the bustle of the Big Apple. The Collective Governors Island features both canvas glamping tents and modern cabins (some of which have floor-to-ceiling windows offering magnificent views of the water, particularly at sunrise and sunset). There’s also an onsite spa, a restaurant that focuses on wood-grilled seafood, nightly s’more on the lawn and loaner bikes that guests can use to cruise around the 173-acre island.
Contact: collectiveretreats.com/governors-island
Price: From $600
Best backcountry wilderness sites
Havasupai Campground, Arizona
To get to this bare-bones campground on Havasu Creek – near the Grand Canyon and with the same red rock walls – you’ll first need to nab one of the handful of permits and then hike 10 miles down from the rim. But those lucky few are rewarded with views of dramatic turquoise waterfalls cascading into tranquil pools in the otherwise barren desertscape. There are no designated campsites, but there are restrooms, picnic tables and potable water.
Contact: havasupaireservations.com
Price: $455 per person for a three-night campground permit
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
With wave-carved caverns, red sandstone cliffs, old-growth forests and one of the largest collections of lighthouses in the country, the 21-mile Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in northern Wisconsin is a lovely place to get away from it all. Myriad individual campsites (with basic amenities like picnic tables, fire pits, drop toilets and bear-resistant food lockers) are spread throughout the area, though all require a kayak, motor boat, sailboat or water taxi to get to (except one, which instead demands a six-mile hike). For first-timers, consider Sand Island Campsite, which is within a short paddling distance of the mainland and has good trail access.
Contact: nps.gov/apis
Price: $15
Garden Key, Florida
You’ll need to make sure you bring absolutely everything you need for a night of camping (including tents, water, fuel and food) with you on the ferry to this primitive camping spot in Dry Tortugas National Park – there are no facilities for campers and the next ferry back to civilization won’t be until the following day. But, if you’re able to plan ahead, you’ll have unparalleled access to this little-visited park – and one of the world’s largest barrier reefs will be right outside your tent and you’ll have it almost all to yourself.
Contact: nps.gov/drto
Price: From $15
Best for campervans and motorhomes
Bay Point Landing, Oregon
Nestled in Coos Bay on the Oregon coast, this tranquil campsite has a slew of creature comforts, ranging from a heated saltwater pool and yoga classes to a general store and food trucks. There’s even Wi-Fi (though we’d recommend spending time on the myriad hiking trails here or in the nearby Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area). All the motorhome and RV sites offer full hookup and access to the bathhouse and other communal spaces.
Contact: baypointlanding.com
Price: From $50
AutoCamp Cape Cod, Massachusetts
If you like the idea of overnighting in a camper or RV, but don’t want to drive one around, AutoCamp has you covered. At its Cape Cod location, guests can sleep in modern Airstream trailers, each of which features a bedroom, sitting room, private bathroom and kitchenette for making one of the grilling kits from the onsite General Store. The campground is ideally located on the picturesque Atlantic shore – from here travellers can quickly catch a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, bike to historic towns or spend the day at the beach. AutoCamp also offers a range of activities for its guests, including oyster shucking classes, yoga classes and live music by the campfire.
Contact: autocamp.com
Price: From $206
Mount Pisgah Campground, North Carolina
Both RV and tent sites are available at this campground just off the famed Blue Ridge Parkway. Situated amongst a hardwood forest at nearly 5,000 feet of elevation, the views of the surrounding Appalachian Mountain Range are stunning, especially in the autumn when leaves take on fiery hues.
There are some modern amenities, like flush toilets, potable water, a dump station and a country store where you can stock up on supplies. Each site also comes with a picnic table and a fire ring. There is a range of trails accessible from the campground, though one of the most popular is the Frying Pan Trail, which leads hikers to an old fire tower.
Contact: recreation.gov/camping
Price: $30
The Vintages Trailer Resort, Oregon
Another campsite comprised of restored vintage trailers from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, The Vintages offers 36 custom Airstreams in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. No two of the trailers are the same decor-wise, but each has luxury bath products in its en suite bathroom, pour-over coffee in the kitchenette and an outdoor grill. All guests have access to a seasonal pool and a set of cruiser bikes, which they can use to hop between the various wineries nearby.
Contact: the-vintages.com
Price: From $108
Best for social types
Miller’s Landing, Alaska
Alaska is spoiled for natural beauty and Miller’s Landing is proof you don’t have to have backcountry skills to have an epic camping trip in the 49th state. Situated on the shore of Resurrection Bay, campers can pitch their own tent in the well-shaded grove (important in the Land of the Midnight Sun) or rent one of the perennially popular waterfront lodging options (which range from yurts to Gothic Arch-style cabins), all of which have access to the indoor bathrooms, with hot, coin-operated showers.
By day, guests can go tide-pooling along the rocky beach, hike in Caines Head State Recreation Area, rent kayaks to paddle around Kenai Fjords National Park or sign up for a fishing charter – if they catch a trophy salmon or halibut, the crew will fillet it so the campers can grill it over the campfire that night.
Contact: millerslandingak.com
Price: from $30
Ramble Camp at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
With views of the Sangre De Cristo mountain range, this dune-side campsite has a style for everyone. The most basic sites are hike-ins and offer just a tent pad. The more luxurious offerings have space enough for 20 people and come with Solo Stove smokeless fire pits, Adirondack chairs, outdoor games and an outdoor kitchen with a two-burner stove, gas grill, sink, twinkle lights and picnic tables. The 25 campsites are spread across 640 acres and each has access to hot showers, flushable toilets and Wi-Fi.
Contact: ramble.camp
Price: from $59
Kalaloch Campground, Washington
Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by moss-covered old-growth trees, this campground in Olympic National Park is a stunner. It’s also incredibly popular and even with 170 campsites (all with just a picnic table and campfire pit), it can fill up in the summer. However, if you do score a site, it’s an excellent basecamp for exploring the coastal area, where sea urchins can be found in tide pools, sea otters float on beds of kelp, and whales and dolphins can be spotted just off the shore.
Contact: recreation.gov/camping
Price: From $24
Best for stargazers
Under Canvas Lake Powell-Grand Staircase, Utah
Under Canvas is known for its safari-style glamping tents, primarily found near national parks in the American West. In 2023, the Lake Powell-Grand Staircase site became the first-ever resort to earn a DarkSky Lodging certification from DarkSky International, an organisation dedicated to protecting and preserving our view of the constellations. Tents here are outfitted with king-sized beds, chic furniture, rechargeable bedside lanterns, USB power stations and an ensuite bathroom with a sink, hot shower and flush toilet. Staff Experience Coordinators can help plan daytime activities in the park and each night there is a slew of free programming, ranging from s’mores around the campfire to astrology talks.
Contact: undercanvas.com
Price: from $279
Rio Grande Village Campground, Texas
Spanning over 800,000 acres in southwest Texas, Big Bend National Park is often referred to as “three parks in one,” thanks to its myriad ecosystems, including deserts, mountains and river areas. Within this vast and rugged area is Rio Grande Village Campground, a 100-site campground adjacent to the Rio Grande River. Situated in a clutch of cottonwood trees, the campsite features flush toilets, picnic tables, grills and fire pits, around which travellers can swap stories under the incredible and expansive views of the Milky Way.
Contact: recreation.gov/camping
Price: $16
Death Valley Stargazing Camp, California
Some of the darkest skies in the United States can be found in Death Valley National Park, which spans California and Nevada. Far from any towns that would introduce light pollution, this 80-acre property offers just four campsites, all with several hundred feet between them. They’re basic, with just a picnic bench, a fire ring and a shared drop toilet. But the location offers unparalleled views of the galaxy at night and by day, quick access to the Trona Pinnacles, Darwin Falls and the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
Contact: hipcamp.com
Price: From $46