In the quest for great car camping sites in America there are lots of choices. But if you are looking for clean facilities in pristine locations that are well-managed and easy to book, choosing from state parks are probably your best options.
Here are great state park campgrounds in eight states.
8 State Parks With Great Campgrounds
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Bahia Honda State Park, Florida
The state of Florida has one of the best park systems in the country, but it can be hot, muggy and filled with bugs. That’s why choosing a campground close to the ocean is almost a necessity. Here we offer Bahia Honda State Park in Key West where the white sands beach and turquoise water make for some of the most pristine beach camping in the country. The park has two boat ramps for exploring the world famous reefs. At Long Key State Park, you won’t have as great of a beach, but the campsites are right on the water.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
For a state full of outdoors enthusiasts, Oregon State Parks live up to their reputation as some of the best around. The impressive Silver Falls is not one to miss. Known as the "crown jewel" of the Oregon parks system, campsites are located among dense stands of Douglas fir and ground covered by moss and ferns. The 9-mile loop trail into the jungle features the 800-foot Silver Falls. At Cascadia Falls further south you might find more privacy along with an equally inspiring waterfall.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Dead Horse State Park, Utah
The state of Utah is filled with spectacular national parks. But as we reported earlier, national parks often come with more restrictions than you will find elsewhere. While national forests have the most freedoms, state parks campgrounds are a great option. One in particular that caught our eye is at Dead Horse State Park, located 30 miles from Moab. The campground is located just steps away from one of the state’s most impressive promontories some 2,000 feet above the Colorado River where the river makes a 180-degree turn around a mesa.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
Camping in a desert is not always the most desirable, especially in the hot summer months. A great way to experience the desert lifestyle the way early pioneers did is to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the Texas panhandle. Located outside Amarilla, the canyon is one of the largest in North America. The campground within the park offers plenty of nice pull up sites, but its most charming feature is a collection of stone and brick huts that can be rented as cabins. Each is beautifully maintained and offers a true taste of how the earliest settlers coped with the harsh weather.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Franconia Notch State Park is full of incredible adventures. It has great rock climbing, a tramway for the less intrepid, hiking, camping, the New England ski museum and one of the oldest ski resorts in North America. Hike down to the impressive Flume Gorge or ply the waters of Echo Lake. Camping can be found at the nearby Lafayette Place Campground with nearly 100 tent sites.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia
Few people may realize this, but Georgia’s Tallulah Gorge State Park is one of the largest canyons in the eastern United States. Roughly two miles long and 1,000 feet deep, you can get a permit to camp at the bottom (only 100 offered per day) or you can reserve a spot at the nearby campground. Be sure to check out the suspension bridge and test your fear of heights as the bridge spans an 80-foot divide. This was the spot for several high-wire acts, including one by Karl Wallenda in 1970 where he performed two headstands along the way.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Mt. Tamalpais State Park, California
Located in the heart of Marin County, Mount Tamalpais State Park outside San Francisco provides a great getaway from the busy urban center. People started flocking to Mt. Tam from the city beginning during the gold rush. A scenic railway was constructed in 1896 with a lodge and visitor center at the top of the 2,571-foot lookout. The track was so steep it required 281 curves, making it the “crookedest railroad in the world.” Today a road has replaced the route to gorgeous panoramic views of the Bay Area including the Farallon Islands 25 miles out to sea.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
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Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington
There is nothing disappointing about the campgrounds at Cape Disappointment in southwest Washington. The name comes from the disappointment sailors would feel when their ships crashed on the rocks. The campgrounds, however, offer two miles of untouched beaches, two lighthouses and a Lewis and Clark interpretive center on the top of a 200-foot cliff. Before you leave, enjoy some terrific oysters in Oysterville on the north end of the Long Beach Peninsula.
Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons
