There are plenty of national parks in a country as big as the U.S. These parks are a great place to go visit and become one with nature. The parks give you an opportunity to get a taste of something different form the big city. Camp grounds aren’t uncommon in the national parks. People tend to go to these spots for camping purposes. In that respect, we’ll list the best parks for you to visit with your set of camping tents and camping gears.
1.Yosemite National Park
To start off our list, we have one of the more well-known parks. This park is loved by many because it’s all about nature (for a lack of a better way to phrase it). There are no roads, no electricity and no cars aloud. It’s just you, the wilderness and trails to hike. There are over 13 popular campgrounds inside the park. These grounds are so popular that the management normally advises reservations at certain times of the year. The best part about the park is that backwoods camping is allowed via a free permit. While at the park, you can go to Glacier points that overlooks some of the parks famous sites like Yosemite Valley and the Half dome.
2. Acadia National Park
Located in Maine, this park is well suited for both beginners as well as advanced campers. There is a campground for you. If we’re more specific the park is located on Mount Desert Island. The state itself is nicknamed “The Pine Tree State” as it has about 17 million acres of forest and plenty of lakes, ponds, rivers as well as streams. It’s safe to say that it meets the standards of many different types of campers. The park has 3 different designated camping spots. Each is located at different parts and are meant to satisfy the needs of different kinds of campers. Sadly, backwoods camping is not allowed.
3.White Mountain National Forest
This park is located in the North East and offers a more rustic experience. It offers a hiking trail for those that love hiking, but be warned it’s quite the challenge. For those looking for a great nature pic, then you’ll be interested to visit the park in the fall when the leaves turn different shades of red, orange and yellow. There are plenty of campsites in this park, but the best ones are the 8 walk in campgrounds. There are also some developed campsites but these require reservation. It’s up to you to decide where to set your camping tents and camping gear. Backwoods camping is also allowed in the park.
4. Shenandoah National Park
Let us get straight to it on this one. There are four campgrounds in this park and most of them require reservation, but you can get lucky with some first come first serve spots. Backwoods camping is allowed in this park via a free permit. The park offers over 500 miles of trails with many leading to some great viewpoints or waterfalls. The camp sites are normally not available during autumn and winter.
5. Minnewaska State Park Reserve
The park being in New York might be the reason why the camp sites are a bit on the high end. Many of the camp sites require some form of reservation beforehand. The park has plenty of activities for you to enjoy. You could go hiking, biking or just simply go for a walk and take in what surrounds you. There is plenty to see while you’re there. Waterfalls, lakes and dense forests are just some of the few things that you can enjoy. It’s no wonder that its considered a great place for outdoor adventurers as well as nature lovers.
6. Glacier Bay National Park
There is only one campground in this park and a permission in the form of a free permit is required to access it. The park is in Alaska and is mostly water. The inner section of the park is a glacier, which can be accessed via the bay. While at the park you can choose to take a tour of it via a charter or private boat. You can choose to go back packing which can get strenuous as there are no marked trails in the park. You can also choose to explore the rivers in the park via the use of a raft, but make sure you have an experienced person with you.
7. Joshua Tree National Park
Many people wouldn’t love to go camping at the desert, but we assure you that this is different. The park offers 9 established campgrounds with some requiring reservation while others are first come first serve. People are allowed to go backwoods camping, but registration in advance at a backwoods registration board is required. If you’re a rock climber, then you’ll love the fact that there are 10 mountain peaks that are 5,000 feet higher than sea level in elevation.
8. Sawtooth National Forest
This park is kind of a hidden secret, not many people know about the beauty that this park has to offer. There are so many camping sites around the park, it’s all up to you to choose which one works best. There are the smoky mountains, which are part of the Rocky Mountains that look quite majestic. Rock climbers be warned as these mountains are pretty steep. The park is definitely a well-kept secret that campers need to know about.
9. Crater Lake National Park
Here we have a park that’s kind of exciting. It’s exciting because you are camping in a sleeping volcano. The park has a water body, the crater lake. It’s the deepest lake in the United States. On top of that, scientists believe that it’s one of the cleanest and clearest water bodies in the country (Please let’s keep it that way). There are 2 camping sites to choose from that is Lost Creek and Mazama. Lost Creek is for those that want tent camping while Mazama offers electric hookups for those with RV’s. Background camping is allowed in the park, but a permit is required for such activities.
10. Haleakala National Park
We have read plenty about this place. Thrill seekers can have a bit of fun as there are bike rides being offered to the peak of the mountain. You do this to go the top as well as coming down, so it’s quite fun. The dormant volcano that is a feature of the park has amazing views at its summit. In addition to that, it also doubles as a great spot for star gazing. There are some few choices when it comes to the campgrounds. Kipahulu is a drive up camp ground, The Summit area is for those that want wilderness camping as well as a drive up camp ground. Finally, there is the wilderness area for tent camping as well as cabin rentals. It’s advised to make early reservations for the cabins.
11. Zion National Park
This park is located in Utah. Many have said that it offers a kind of other worldly experience as it has huge sandstone cliffs and plenty of animals and plants. The feel of the place is kind of different and can make you forget about the bustling city life. There are 3 established campgrounds in the park and a wilderness permit is needed for those that want to do overnight backpacking.
12. Great Sand Dunes National Park
If you ever get to visit the National park, then try your best to get to the Pinon Flats. Here you shall be right in the middle of the main attraction of the park. You can get to experience and see some of the tallest sand dunes in the country that can tower up to 750 feet high on one side. If you’re a hard-core hiker, then visit the sand dune and conquer it (it’s the tallest sand dune in North America). You can also simply visit the place to feel like a kid again. Enjoy the sand and grab some beach supplies with you to have fun (this is only for certain times during the spring).
There are 12 developed camp sites and plenty of established sites that operate on a first come first serve basis. There are a few though that require reservations in advance. You’re allowed to go back country camping, but a permit is needed and only in designated spots. There are some trails that you could go to either via car or foot. Either way, you’ll get to experience the beauty of the park as you go through the mountains and even get to see the alpine lakes.
As said earlier, there are many camp sites in the country. We do understand that it’s kind of unfair to sum it up into only 12, but these are what we found to be most popular. Do you have any other national park camping sites in mind? Let’s know in the comments section below.