Get the tent and the sleeping bags ready because your next camping trip awaits you in one of these five states.
We have 50 beautiful and amazing states in which to plan your next camping trip. We love and cherish the memories of any trip taken around our nation to pitch a tent, set up a fire ring, and grill our favorite game meat. The states listed here offer up some great camping experiences and keep their names atop the list of the most desired places to reserve a campsite or go boondocking for a week.
Camping represents that time of the year to get outdoors and remember why we love the woods and rivers that adorn our blessed nation with beauty. It's a reminder of what is waiting for us outside the confines of a busy urban area.
For now, let's review some of the states that make great camping destinations, whether it's during the busy summer months or outside the peak season.
New York
Craig Raleigh
New York State is known for its vast amount of forests, rivers, lakes, and even mountainous regions. There really is something for everyone in the region. For example, the famous Finger Lakes area is home to not only great camping but for its fine wine tours as well. Avid bicyclists and hikers can get a lot out of the region even if they aren't pitching a tent for an extended stay.
But strictly speaking, New York continually tops the list for having some of the best woodland camping, great safety considerations, and some of the best in terms of variety and numbers of accessible parks and campgrounds.
Along with the amazing Finger Lakes, regions such as Watkins Glen, Lake Placid, the Adirondack Mountains, the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, and the esteemed Southern Tier area are all attractive. New York is home to many natural wonders and over four million acres of nature preserves, which makes for both a great place for camping and a difficult decision as to where in the state to reserve your trip.
Montana
Big Sky Country is not only consistently on top of the list as a camping state, but one that should been seen by all American citizens at some point in their lives. This sprawling state might be known for its vast expanses of nature and towering mountains, but Montana's boundless rivers also offer classic rafting opportunities while simultaneously serving as an angler's dream.
Hiking, rock climbing, and nature watching is just the beginning for those that want an excellent adventure is one of the most beautiful states out there. With two National Parks, ?Yellowstone and Glacier, plus an impressive 51 State Parks, you won't lack for things to do and see while living out of a tent.
Colorado
The Centennial State is consistently ranked highly for its best overall forest campsites, National Parks, diverse species for nature watchers, campsite quality, and convenience. If you want to be surrounded by mountains, breathtaking landscapes, wildflowers, or lakes and streams during your camping trip, then this is the place for you.
There are four National Parks in Colorado including Rocky Mountain, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, and Gunnison National Park, plus 42 State Parks and 54 mountain peaks taller than 14,000 feet.
New Hampshire
You may not have seen this entry coming, but you'll like what you find if you give it a chance. This beautiful New England state's campground facilities are well known for campsite quality, forest coverage, and even the convenient access to WiFi. If tent camping isn't your thing, many of New Hampshire's State Parks include affordable cabin rentals and RV sites that are high quality and easily accessible.
New Hampshire is similar in quality to the stunning landscapes of Vermont and Maine and is a lakeside and forest camper's dream. Between the plants, trees, and varied animal species, the biodiversity New Hampshire can provide deliver an experience that's quintessential camping.
California
With Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the Golden State offers some of the most extremely beautiful and famed camping anywhere.
Certainly, this state should be high on the list for woodland camping, species diversity, and the sheer amount of camping areas that it offers. Being such a large state in terms of area, California can have both rainy and drier zones depending on where you may wish to stay, but as far as it diverse range of vistas, you could stay in the mountains on one trip, and in the stark beauty of the rugged desert the next.
The Camping Experience
As stated, listing any states as the best without listing all 50 is rather like pretending that there is only one kind of bass in the water. In fact, Most are year-round and include water and electrical hookups, are excellent for boating, hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. Our esteemed camping parks have miles of trails, rock formations, and some like Assateague Island have wild horses running free!
States like North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Rhode Island have some of the best seashore camping experiences that a traveler could want. Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine are three of the most pristine states in the union that offer great camping along with terrific access to both woods and water.
Midwest states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota all offer beauty and outdoor access along with open arms for those of us who would travel there from out of state.
You can camp at the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys or on the Haleakala National Park, Hawaii overlooking a 10,023-foot dormant volcano. From Georgia to the badlands of New Mexico some of the best camping in the world can be had and the folks that are responsible for the management and upkeep of these areas in each state are more than welcoming to the camping crowd wherever they may come from.
What to Look For
The best overall camping experiences need to be arranged by several factors. Woodland camping should include forest diversity like hardwoods and evergreen trees. Those wishing to seek out a great campsite in the fall might favor the New England states, and those seeking the beauty of mountain vistas might prefer the smell of the pines over the sight of falling leaves.
Convenience needs to be looked at as well. While some may prefer the loneliness of boondocking the backcountry, others still want a more social adventure with like-minded folks. In this case it is safe too assume that features like wifi, electrical, and water access are the most important things.
Whenever camping in any of these areas, and with little exception, it behooves the car camping crowd or otherwise to consider the safety issues that come with it such as traveling in bear country or for that matter, areas where venomous snakes exist.
Overall rainfall may be a concern for some as much as heat or cold and campsite quality always needs a discerning eye. You may simply be asking yourself "what are the best places to camp near me?" or wondering aloud where the most picturesque spots to pitch a tent are, but one thing is for sure- make sure to bring your favorite camera because your wilderness adventure awaits, but the wild animals don't sit still for long!
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NEXT: 10 LIES WE TELL OURSELVES WHEN WE MISS OUT ON THE CAMPING SPOT WE WANTED
