Road Trips

The Best RV Campgrounds in the U.S. for Your Next Trip

From temperate rainforests to under-the-radar national parks, here are the best spots to explore the great outdoors on wheels. 
RV driving on highway with mountain landscape in background view
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In this golden age of RV travel, with ownership at an all-time high and myriad new ways to book a getaway, exploring RV campgrounds is as exciting as embarking on the journey itself. Spectacular RV-only destinations are bookable through membership programs like Harvest Hosts, boon docking on public land is easier than ever via Campendium, and national park campgrounds can now be easily reserved with the Recreation.gov app. 

Since the idea of RV parks originated in the 1920s with places like Overland Motor Park in Denver, there are now roughly 13,000 across the country. But just because you drive an RV, doesn’t mean you need to be surrounded by them everywhere you go.

Whether you’re renting an RV or driving your own camper, these campgrounds—from the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary in Minnesota to a volcano in Maui—are breathtaking basecamps for adventure. To inspire your next road trip, here are the 12 best RV-friendly campgrounds in the country.

Trail's End Campground, Superior National Forest, Minnesota

Best for: Seeing the northern lights

As natural areas continue to dwindle in the United States (only about 2.7 percent of land is designated wilderness in the lower 48, according to the U.S Forest Service), pulling into the realm of the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, feels like entering sacred ground. Many of the Trail’s End Campground sites are perched on Seagull Lake, which offers several popular access points into the one-million-acre park. You can easily spend a few days here, paddling across its clear glacial lakes, traversing the boreal forest ecosystem on the Gunflint Trail, and taking in the northern lights, best seen between September and March.

Wellesley Island State Park in the Thousand Islands region, New York

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Wellesley Island State Park, Thousand Islands, New York

Best for: Island hopping

Wellesley Island State Park has the second largest camping complex in New York, with more than 400 sites—69 of them directly on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Situated across the border from southeastern Ontario, the 2,636-acre park is the ideal launch pad for aquatic adventures in the archipelago of 1,864 islands. Consider renting a pontoon boat, taking a guided kayak tour, paddling to Boldt Castle, or ferrying to Rock Island Lighthouse from Fishers Landing. Beyond RV amenities like electrical hookups, dump stations, and a laundromat, Wellesley Island has the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, a 3.5-mile Wellesley Island State Park Loop Hike, and even a working farm with an edible pick-your-own-produce forest filled with fruits and flowers.

Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Memphis, Tennessee

Best for: Escaping the crowds

If Memphis is best known for its BBQ and blues, Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park is its best-kept secret. Make the most of Memphis with a rib sandwich at Pollard’s BBQ, a visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, and live music on Beale Street at Rum Boogie Cafe, then head 20 minutes north of downtown to the park’s nearly 13,000-acre hardwood bottomland forest bordering the Mississippi River. After parking at one of the 49 campsites, equipped with picnic tables, grills, electrical and water hookups, take a ranger-led canoe tour through Eagle Lake, where towering Bald Cypress trees rise up from the flooded lowlands to create a supernatural environment. Locals also love this hidden haven for the three-mile Woodland Trail, 36-hole disc golf course, and live bluegrass concerts.

Leo Carrillo State Park Campground, Malibu, California

Best for: Beachgoers

Open your door to a grove of giant sycamores and the sound of distant crashing waves, here in a canyon behind South Beach. From the 135-site Leo Carrillo State Park campground, it’s a brief walk to the park’s 1.5-mile beach and kid-friendly tide-pools, natural rock arches, coastal caves, and consistent groundswell surf in the summer. After catching waves, hike along the moderately difficult 5.1-mile Leo Carrillo Beach Trail or dig deep and head up the mountain on the 6.9-mile Nicholas Flat Trail that ends with rewarding panoramic views of the Pacific. If you don’t have an RV, Camping Adventure Rentals will bring a trailer to your site and handle set-up, dumping, and pick-up.

Chisos Basin Campground in Big Bend National Park, Texas

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Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park, Texas 

Best for: Stargazing

At an elevation of 5,400 feet, the Chisos Basin Campground is the highest point in Big Bend National Park. Known to attract night owls like RVShare CEO Jon Gray, who recently took his daughters here for stargazing, this national park has the least light pollution of those in the lower 48 states. “You are surrounded by beautiful mountain peaks and the sunset through the nearby ‘window' is a Big Bend highlight,” says Gray. The 60-site campground has all the RV amenities, but its star feature by far is the Milky Way.

Devils Fork State Park Campground, Salem, South Carolina

Best for: Boat enthusiasts

Tucked away in the Southern Appalachian mountains, you’ll find Jocassee Gorges, the sole temperate rainforest east of the Rockies. Devils Fork State Park offers the only public access to the gorges and the 7,500-acre Lake Jocassee, named for the Cherokee word meaning “Place of the Lost One.” Devils Fork State Park campground has 30-amp hookups and 60 woodsy campsites along the lake shore, which is a visual feast of gorges and emerald water visible down to 30 feet (yes, scuba diving is available). Whether you take out your own motorboat or rent a kayak, discover the secluded coves, white sandy beaches, waterfalls, and swimming holes accessible only by boat.

Goosenecks State Park Campground in Mexican Hat, Utah

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Goosenecks State Park Campground, Mexican Hat, Utah

Best for: A one-night thrill

On the rim of a 1,000-foot-high canyon above the serpentine San Juan River, there are just eight first-come, first-served primitive campsites. Less known than the Grand Canyon or Horseshoe Bend, Goosenecks State Park's views are equally, or dare we say more, impressive. It’s pure optic joy being able to see sandstone-pink canyon walls showcasing 300 million years of geological history and multiple views of a rare entrenched meander—all from the comfort of your bed. And with few, if any, other campers, Goosenecks State Park feels like your own private natural wonder at the edge of the known world. Designated an International Dark Sky in 2021, this small park in the remote desert of southeastern Utah offers not only dramatic sunrises and sunsets, but a stunning night sky, where the Andromeda Galaxy can be seen with just a pair of binoculars. If you’re so lucky, camping here may be the most memorable $10 you ever spend.

Peak One Campground, White River National Forest, Frisco, Colorado

Best for: Bike lovers 

Boaters and trout hunters may flock to this 80-site campground in the Rocky Mountains for its idyllic locale beside Dillon Reservoir, but Peak One is also a little known paradise for cyclists. With more than 50 miles of the Summit County Recreation Pathway System at its doorstep, there are seemingly endless scenic routes to discover. Pedal the 18.7-mile loop ride along the lake, bike 15 minutes to the picturesque town of Frisco, sweat off the s’mores on a 13-mile ride with a 1,500-foot climb from Frisco Marina to the top of Vail Pass, or enjoy neighboring Frisco Bike Park's dirt jumps, pump track, and dual slalom courses. You might not be able to linger for the full 14 days allowed without an electrical hookup, but this is dry camping at its finest.

Searsport Shores Ocean Campground, Searsport, Maine

Best for: Family reunions

Astrig Koltookian Tanguay and Steve Tanguay broke the mold when they opened Searsport Shores Ocean Campground, which sits on Penobscot Bay one hour south of Acadia National Park. Whether you pick a spot surrounded by 200-year-old trees or an oceanfront RV site, this 40-acre, 125-site campground has something for every family member. There are art and yoga classes, kayak rentals at the private beach, live concerts and impromptu jam sessions, a playground, wood-fired pizzas and lobster-bakes, not to mention heritage breed sheep and angora goats. Open May through September, the campground also welcomes visitors to compost their food scraps, eat fresh heirloom tomatoes from the organic garden, and learn about beekeeping at one of three hives on the property. Although nearby diversions abound, like the quintessential New England town of Belfast and world renowned restaurant The Lost Kitchen, road-weary travelers might find this utopia by the sea is more than packed with activities.

Silver Falls State Park in Salem, Oregon

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Silver Falls State Park, Salem, Oregon

Best for: Waterfall seekers

About an hour outside of Portland in the Cascade Mountains, the Silver Falls State Park is considered the crown jewel of the Oregon State Parks system. The main draw of this majestic temperate rainforest is being able to walk behind not one but four waterfalls. Grab a homemade packed lunch at the newly opened Big Leaf Coffeehouse to fuel up for adventure, beginning with the 7.2-mile Trail of Ten Falls, which has various access points and starts 1.5 miles from the fully equipped campground. After going behind the famous 177-foot South Falls and swimming at Upper North Falls via the Rim Trail, enjoy strolling under a canopy of old-growth Douglas firs on your way back to camp.

Lehman Lower Campground, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Best for: Spelunking

Wonders never cease at Great Basin National Park, where Lehman Lower Creek Campground is only a few miles from Lehman Caves, the park’s main attraction. Make reservations early for the guided cave tour, which takes visitors inside an otherworldly limestone chamber formed up to 600 million years ago. Leave time to hike the 4.5-mile round trip Bristlecone Pine Glacier Trail that leads to the rare grove of Bristlecone Pines, the oldest trees on the planet dating back 5,000 years. At the end of the trail, you’ll find Nevada’s only glacier at the base of 13,065-foot-high Wheeler Peak. As this is a designated International Dark Sky Park, end the day with a ranger-led astronomy outing. For all the concentrated masterstrokes by Mother Earth, perhaps the most surprising thing about Great Basin is that it’s one of the least visited national parks in the country.\

Hosmer Grove Campground, Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawaii

Best for: Epic hiking

Nestled in the cloud belt at 7,000 feet just below the summit of Mount Haleakalā, Hawaiian for House of the Sun, the six-site Hosmer Grove Campground is the only campground on the summit side of the national park accessible by car. After operating as a first-come, first-served campground for years, it recently began accepting advance reservations. Hosmer Grove is a 25-minute drive to the Haleakalā Visitor Center, where you can start the 11-mile out-and-back Sliding Sands Trail that descends into the crater’s Martian landscapes and is widely considered to be the most exhilarating hike on Maui. You’ll also want to set your alarm to catch the sunrise from the 10,000-foot summit of Haleakalā, where a 31-year-old reporter named Mark Twain once described the moment as, “The sublimest spectacle I ever witnessed.” In addition to tent camping, only Class B RVs or campervans are allowed at the campground, so consider using Maui Westy Campers when planning this trip.