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Best camping destinations in North America

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Algonquin Provincial Park
Lakes, forests and wildlife in serene wilderness
9.1
Algonquin became a park in 1893. Its 7,600 square kilometres hold more than 2,000 lakes linked by canoe routes and portages. Interior campsites sit on islands and shorelines far from roads. Loons call across the still water at dusk. In August rangers lead public wolf howls.
Highlights:
  • 🏕️ Camp under starlit skies in designated sites
  • 🦌 Spot moose and deer along the scenic riverbanks
  • 🥾 Hike the rugged trails of Algonquin's backcountry
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Pristine lakes, untouched wilderness paradise
8.4
More than 1,100 lakes fill 1 million acres of forest along the Minnesota border with Ontario. Paddlers carry canoes between lakes on portage trails and camp on wooded shores. Motors are allowed on only a few lakes. Permits are required for overnight trips. Quotas limit how many groups enter each day.
Highlights:
  • 💧 Discover waterfalls like Devil’s Cascade and Johnson Falls
  • 🥾 Hike to Eagle Mountain, Minnesota’s highest point
  • 🛶 Go on an overnight canoe camping trip through lakes
Glacier National Park
Crown of the Continent
8.9
Going to the Sun Road usually opens fully in late June or early July. It closes by October, so the camping season is short. Many Glacier Campground sits below tall peaks near Swiftcurrent Lake. Grizzly bears roam the valley, so campers carry bear spray. Wildflowers peak in July.
Highlights:
  • 🌲 Explore Avalanche Lake’s serene hiking trails
  • 🚗 Drive the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road for views
  • 🥾 Hike to Grinnell Glacier and stunning turquoise lakes
Voyageurs National Park
Watery wilderness of northern Minnesota
8.0
Like the Boundary Waters next door, this park is a maze of lakes and islands. Here motorboats are allowed. Most of the more than 270 campsites can only be reached by water. Northern lights show on clear nights. The park is an International Dark Sky Park.
Highlights:
  • 🛶 Paddle a canoe through the peaceful waterways and explore wildlife
  • 🌌 Witness the breathtaking northern lights over pristine lakes
  • 🚣‍♂️ Explore hidden islands by boat and camp overnight
Montana
Wild Beauty & Vast Big Skies
8.4
Bannack State Park has a campsite beside a gold rush ghost town founded in 1862. Paddlers camp on riverbanks along the Upper Missouri River, where Lewis and Clark travelled in 1805. Big Sky nights bring bright stars. Grizzlies live in the west, so campers keep food locked up.
Highlights:
  • 🐎 Go horseback riding through wide open Big Sky Country
  • 🦬 Spot wildlife and geysers in Yellowstone’s rugged wilderness
  • 🏞️ Drive the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park
Banff National Park
Majestic Peaks and Turquoise Lakes
9.2
Woodsmoke mixes with pine and cold glacier air at campsites ringed by peaks. Two Jack Lakeside Campground has water views and the long ridge of Mount Rundle. Elk sometimes wander through camp. Rangers ask campers to keep a safe distance. Parks Canada reservations open in winter. Summer sites go fast.
Highlights:
  • 🌊 Explore the scenic Johnston Canyon waterfalls trail
  • 🏞️ Hike to Lake Louise and admire turquoise waters
  • 🚡 Ride the Banff Gondola for spectacular mountain views
Olympic National Park
Untamed Wilderness, All in One
8.5
Waves boom on the Pacific shore while moss drips in the Hoh Rain Forest. Kalaloch Campground sits on bluffs above the beach. The Hoh gets about 12 feet of rain a year. Tide pools at Rialto Beach hold sea stars at low tide. Rain gear is needed even in summer.
Highlights:
  • 💧 Visit Sol Duc Falls and enjoy the tranquil waterfall
  • 🌲 Explore the lush trails of the Hoh Rainforest
  • 🏞️ Hike to Hurricane Hill for breathtaking panoramic views
Denali National Park
Wild Alaska’s peaks and wildlife
8.8
Private cars can drive only 15 miles into the park, so campers ride buses deeper in. Wonder Lake Campground sits at Mile 85 and looks across water to Denali, which rises 20,310 feet. Grizzlies and caribou cross the open tundra. Food must be kept in bear resistant lockers or containers.
Highlights:
  • 🛩️ Take a flightseeing tour above Denali’s snowy peak
  • 🥾 Hike the Savage River Trail for rugged alpine views
  • 🐻 Spot grizzly bears and moose in their wild habitat
Yellowstone National Park
Geysers, wildlife and untamed wilderness
8.8
Slough Creek Campground is a quiet spot near Lamar Valley, where wolves and bison show up at dawn. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes. The park has 12 campsites with roughly 2,000 sites. Carry bear spray and keep food in lockers or locked cars.
Highlights:
  • 🐃 Spot bison, elk, and bears roaming in Lamar Valley
  • 🌈 Walk the boardwalks of the Grand Prismatic Spring and admire its vivid colors
  • 🌋 Watch Old Faithful erupt and feel the geothermal power of Yellowstone
Yosemite National Park
Nature's Grand Cathedral
8.5
Abraham Lincoln signed a law in 1864 that protected Yosemite Valley. Camp 4 is a walk in campsite that has hosted rock climbers since the 1950s. Valley campsites fill in minutes when reservations open. Waterfalls peak in May and June. Upper Pines Campground sits near Half Dome and the Merced River.
Highlights:
  • 💦 Marvel at Yosemite Falls, one of the tallest in North America
  • 🏞️ Hike to Glacier Point for one of Yosemite’s best views
  • 🧗‍♂️ Stand before the towering granite face of El Capitan
Grand Canyon National Park
Epic Vistas, Timeless Adventure
8.1
The canyon runs 277 miles and drops over a mile deep. Mather Campground on the South Rim is near the edge. The North Rim campsite is cooler and open from mid May to mid October. Hikers need a permit to camp at Bright Angel Campground by the Colorado River.
Highlights:
  • 🏘️ Explore the historic Grand Canyon Village and lodges
  • 🌅 Enjoy sunrise views at Mather Point overlook
  • 🥾 Hike the iconic Bright Angel Trail into the canyon
Zion National Park
Red rocks, epic hikes and nature's beauty
8.2
Cottonwood leaves rustle and red cliffs glow at sunset around Watchman Campground. The Virgin River runs beside the sites. A free shuttle runs from the visitor centre into the canyon from March to November. Campers leave the car parked. South Campground is also near the entrance.
Highlights:
  • 🚌 Drive or shuttle along the scenic Zion Canyon Road
  • 🌊 Wade through the Virgin River Narrows slot canyon
  • 🧗‍♂️ Hike Angel’s Landing for breathtaking canyon views
Mount Rainier National Park
A Majestic Volcano and Wild Beauty
8.2
In 1899 the mountain became a national park. Ohanapecosh Campground sits among old growth trees by a clear river. Meadows near Paradise bloom with wildflowers in July and August. Cougar Rock Campground is a short drive from them. The active volcano rises more than 14,000 feet above sea level.
Highlights:
  • 🌼 Explore Spray Park’s wildflower meadows and Spray Falls
  • 🌊 Visit scenic Reflection Lakes and admire Rainier’s reflection
  • 🌄 Hike the Skyline Trail for iconic Mount Rainier views
Grand Teton National Park
Stunning Peaks and Wildlife Wonders
8.6
The jagged Tetons rise like a wall from the valley floor with no foothills. Jenny Lake Campground takes tents only and fills early each morning in summer. Signal Mountain Campground sits above Jackson Lake. Moose graze along the Snake River at dawn. The old barns of Mormon Row glow nearby at sunrise.
Highlights:
  • 🏞️ Trek through Cascade Canyon for breathtaking views
  • 💧 Explore Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point nearby
  • 🚶‍♂️ Hike the scenic Jenny Lake Loop Trail
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Home of the Giant Sequoias
8.0
Summer brings cool mountain nights and the most open campsites. Lodgepole Campground sits close to the giant sequoias of Giant Forest. General Sherman holds the record for the most volume of any tree. Black bears roam here, so food lockers are required. Kings Canyon next door has deep granite valleys.
Highlights:
  • 🕳️ Explore Crystal Cave on a guided tour
  • 🧗‍♂️ Climb Moro Rock for breathtaking panoramic views
  • 🌲 Visit the General Sherman Tree, largest on Earth
Canyonlands National Park
Epic Canyons and Untamed Wilderness
8.3
Spring and autumn bring mild days, while summer afternoons pass 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Willow Flat Campground on the Island in the Sky mesa has 12 first come sites with no water. Canyonlands is an International Dark Sky Park, so Milky Way views are common after sunset.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Hike the easy trail to Grand View Point overlook
  • 🚗 Drive scenic Grand View Point Road and stops
  • 🌅 Watch sunrise at Mesa Arch for breathtaking views
Tofino
Wild Pacific, Rainforest, Endless Waves
8.1
Locals surf all year here in thick wetsuits, even in winter storms. Green Point Campground in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve sits on a bluff above Long Beach. A trail leads to the sand. Grey whales pass offshore in spring. Rain is common, so tarps matter.
Highlights:
  • 🐋 Go whale watching in Clayoquot Sound waters
  • 🥾 Explore Pacific Rim National Park Reserve trails
  • 🏄‍♂️ Surf the waves at famous Chesterman Beach
Redwood National Park
Home of the World’s Tallest Trees
8.3
These parks stretch along about 40 miles of northern California coast. Coast redwoods here grow over 350 feet tall. Jedediah Smith Campground sits among old growth giants beside the Smith River. At Elk Prairie Campground, Roosevelt elk graze between the tents. Fog keeps summer mornings cool and damp.
Highlights:
  • 🥾 Walk the scenic Karl Knapp Trail near Big Tree Wayside
  • 🍃 Explore Fern Canyon’s prehistoric fern-covered walls
  • 🌲 Hike the Tall Trees Grove, home to towering redwoods
Alaska
Land of superlatives and adventure
8.9
Exit Glacier Campground in Kenai Fjords National Park has walk in tent sites a short hike from the ice. Farther north the sun barely sets in June, so camp life runs late. Bears and moose are common across the state. Food storage rules are strict.
Highlights:
  • 🐻 See wild bears fishing for salmon in Katmai
  • 🛳️ Cruise through glacier-filled waters in Glacier Bay National Park
  • 🌌 Watch the northern lights dance above Fairbanks
Havasu Falls
Crimson cascades shimmer beneath desert skies
Most campers hike 10 miles from the trailhead to reach camp beside the water. Supplies reach the village of Supai by mule. The Havasupai Tribe runs the campsite and permits sell out quickly. Turquoise pools sit below waterfalls. Mooney Falls drops 190 feet. Cottonwood trees shade the campsite.
Highlights:
  • 🍽️ Savor local cuisine at nearby Lake Havasu town
  • 🌅 Capture sunrise over the canyon's basalt walls
  • 🏞️ Hike to Havasu Falls' turquoise pools
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