Best Camping on the East Coast USA

Thinking of taking a road trip down the East Coast of the USA? There is a wealth of great campgrounds to enjoy along the way. From the bucolic beauty of Pennsylvania and the classic clapboard houses of Connecticut to the breweries and vineyards of the Carolinas, you’ll find plenty to see and do all the way along the East Coast of the country.

We went road-tripping and found some of the best camping on the East Coast. Get those bags packed and hit the road!

DELAWARE

Gulls Way Campground

Set on the banks of Pepper’s Creek near the Indian River Bay, Gulls Way Campground is a seasonal campsite that offers modern campground facilities in a beautiful, untouched setting. The pet-friendly campsite has spacious private sites for tents, RVs, and trailers with full water, electrical, and sewerage hookups, cable television, picnic tables, and fire pits.

Amenities at the campground include restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, drinking water, laundry services, dump stations, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, and a camp store selling essentials. Campsite facilities include two swimming pools, a boathouse, a fish cleaning station, a private marina, a recreation room, a children’s playground, and a gift shop.

30738 Gulls Way Drive, Dagsboro, DE 19939, Phone: (302) 732-9629

Indian River Bay by SheepNotGoats / English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Cape Henlopen State Park

Cape Henlopen State Park is a 5,193-acre park on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County that offers enjoyable outdoor and recreational activities for the whole family. The park features several attractions including the Seaside Nature Center with aquarium tanks full of marine creatures, a live Osprey cam, and a wide selection of activities and programs for all ages; the Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area; and a campground set among pine-covered dunes with tent site and overnight cabins.

The park also features a 24-hour fishing pier, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails, disc golf, kayak rentals, and camping. The campsite features spacious private sites for tents, RVs, and trailers with full water, electrical, and sewerage hookups, cable television, picnic tables, and fire pits.

Amenities at the campground include restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, drinking water, laundry services, dump stations, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, and a camp store selling essentials.

15099 Cape Henlopen Dr, Lewes, DE 19958, United States, Phone: +1 302-645-8983

Cape Henlopen State Park / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Delaware Seashore State Park

The Delaware Seashore State Park is a large park that incorporates the Rehoboth and Indian River Bays, the iconic Indian River Inlet Bridge, and several beautiful beaches and is one of the state’s most popular destinations for outdoor recreation.

The park has several campgrounds that offer a variety of camping options from full hook-up RV campsites to tent-only camping sites, along with restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, drinking water, cable television, picnic tables, and fire pits.

Park facilities include a full-service marina at the Indian River Marina offering charter boat experiences, two restaurants, and the historic Indian River Life-Saving Station.

25039 Coastal Hwy, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, United States, Phone: +1 302-227-2800

Delaware Seashore State Park by Acroterion / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Killens Pond State Park

Located in the heart of Kent County in Felton, the Killens Pond State Park is a picturesque park 15 miles south of Dover that offers an array of year-round recreational activities, including hiking, mountain biking, camping, boating, fishing, and picnicking.

Established as a millpond in the late 1700s and later as a state park in 1965, Killens Pond State Park has a campsite that offers sites for tents with restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets, drinking water, dump stations, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet, and a camp store.

Park facilities include a water park, hiking trails, a nature center, and activities that include boating, fishing, horseshoes, disc golf, and picnicking.

5025 Killens Pond Rd, Felton, DE 19943, United States, Phone: +1 302-284-4526

Lums Pond State Park

Lums Pond State Park is a 1,790-acre state park near Bear in New Castle County that is set around Lums Pond on St. Georges Creek, and offers an array of recreational facilities from picnicking and camping to fishing and horseback riding.

The campground offers sites for tents, RVs, and trailers, as well as equestrian campsites, all of which have full water, electrical, and sewerage hookups, picnic tables, and fire pits. Park facilities include ten miles of hiking trails, equestrian campsites, a nature center, and a Go Ape! Zipline treetop adventure course, an equestrian center, boat ramps, and rentals.

1068 Howell School Rd, Bear, DE 19701, United States, Phone: +1 302-368-6989

SOUTH CAROLINA

Edisto Beach State Park

Home to Carolina’s longest system of hiking and biking trails, Edisto Beach State Park is a fantastic family-friendly place to soak up the beauty of South Carolina’s southern coast.

Located near the town of Edisto Beach in Colleton County, the oceanfront state park features campsites for tents and RVs nestled along the shaded maritime forest or set along Edisto Island’s waterfront, as well as rustic furnished cabins in the woods.

Campsites have water, sewer, and electric hookups, picnic tables, fire pits and grills, and access to comfort stations with hot showers, flushing toilets, and drinking water. Activities in the area include excellent fishing, kayaking, hiking, and biking.

8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438, United States, Phone: +1 843-869-2156

Huntington Beach State Park

The coastal park of Huntington Beach State Park boasts beautiful beaches, wetlands, and riparian habitats that teem with marine life.

The park is home to famous landmarks such as the spectacular Grand Strand Beach, the picturesque, Moorish-style winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, after which the park is named, and the Brookgreen Gardens.

Huntington Beach State Park Campground offers sites for tents and RVs with water, sewerage, and electrical hookups, picnic tables with charcoal grills, and easy access to restrooms with flushing toilets, drinking water, and hot showers. Several nature trails like the Kerrigan Nature Trail and the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail have viewing decks where visitors can learn about the local fauna and flora.

16148 Ocean Hwy, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, United States, Phone: +1 843-237-4440

Huntington State Beach, Huntington Beach, California by Ken Lund / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Myrtle Beach State Park

Located in the heart of the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach State Park is a small state park along the South Carolina coast that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean and features several miles of pristine forest.

The 312-acre oceanfront park features saltwater aquariums, interactive natural history displays, and live animal exhibits and plays a significant role in preserving the natural heritage of South Carolina’s coastline.

Myrtle Beach State Park Campground has 302 sites for tents and RVs full of individual electricity and water hookups, picnic tables, fire pits, and access to comfort stations with showers, toilets, and drinking water. Campsites are shaded in a forest of pine trees and are a short walk from the beach.

4401 S Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575, United States, Phone: +1 843-238-5325

Myrtle Beach State Park by Colette Eshleman / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Ocean Lakes Campground

Located in the Grand Strand Area, Ocean Lakes Campground offers multiple lodging options, including various-sized RV parking spaces, as well as single-family houses available to rent. The campground boasts a wide range of amenities from a two-acre family fun center with a large swimming pool area, a water park, a games center, a mini-golf course, and a café. There are also laundry services, a general store, a nature center, bicycle rentals, and an RV sales and supplies store onsite.

Outdoor activities range from hiking, mountain biking, cycling, swimming, fishing, beachcombing, and kayaking, as well as volleyball, ping-pong, and other fun family-friendly games. A recreation center can be used for all kinds of celebrations and often hosts craft fairs, bingo evenings, and dances, so you will always be entertained!

6001 S Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575, United States, Phone: +1 843-238-5636

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina by The ed17 / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Lakewood Camping Resort

Set on a beautiful half-mile-long beach, Lakewood Camping Resort offers RV sites as well as vacation rentals with over 1,300 sites boasting full hook-ups, picnic tables, fire rings, water and sewerage disposal, and daily trash removal. There is free Wi-Fi around the campground

Amenities at the campground abound and include a stunning beach where you can stroll, swim, sunbathe, and fish, as well as a full-sized water park with two swimming pools, watercraft rentals for use in the sea, and bike rentals. There is a general store, a laundromat, a coffee house / café, an ice cream parlor, and several food trucks selling delicious fare.

5901 South Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575, Phone: 843-238-5161

South Myrtle Beach by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble) / Wikicommons / CC BY-SA 3.0

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Harbor Hill Camping Area

Nestled in the beautiful Lakes Region of New Hampshire near the picturesque town of Meredith, Harbor Hill Camping Area is a quiet family-friendly campground with a variety of camping sites and excellent facilities.

The camp offers a range of options, from primitive tent and standard tent sites to full hookup sites with water, electricity, and sewerage for both small and large RVs and trailers. All sites have picnic tables, fire pits, grills, plenty of shade and ample space, and access to restrooms with coin-operated showers, potable water, and toilets.

Recreational facilities include a swimming pool, sports courts and playgrounds, a recreation hall, and a large athletic field, and the region offers excellent hiking and mountain biking.

189 NH-25, Meredith, NH 03253, United States, Phone: +1 603-279-6910

Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge, New Hampshire by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region / Flickr / Public Domain Mark 1.0

Ellacoya State Park

Located in Gilford on the southwest shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, Ellacoya State Park is a 65-acre state park with 600 feet of beautiful beachfront. The 600-foot-long sandy beach boasts breathtaking views across the lake to the Sandwich and Ossipee mountains and features accessible baths with showers, a changing area for swimmers, and a pavilion.

The beach and surrounding park are ideal for picnicking with families, and the park has campsites with three-way hook-ups, water and electricity, picnic tables, fire rings, and comfort stations with showers and vault toilets. A small park store sells refreshments and souvenirs.

280 Scenic Dr, Gilford, NH 03249, USA, Phone: +1 603-293-7821, https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/ellacoya-state-park

Ellacoya State Park, New Hampshire by rickpilot_2000 / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort

Danforth Bay Camping & RV Resort is a sizable family-style camping resort in one of the most picturesque areas in New England. Located a short way from North Conway, the resort is spread over 185 forested acres with two miles of lake frontage on Danforth Bay and boasts over 300 spacious campsites for tent and RV camping.

Sites range from spacious, wooded plots and pull-through sites for large RVs and trailers to quieter, more intimate nooks for pop-up tents, and several overnight cabins are available, ranging from rustic to deluxe with all the mod-cons.

Modern restrooms have potable water, flushing toilets, and hot showers, and there are plenty of recreational activities such as hiking, mountain biking, golf, and tax-free outlet shopping in the area.

196 Shawtown Rd #4154, Freedom, NH 03836, United States, Phone: +1 603-539-2069

North Conway Rail Station, New Hampshire by GPA Photo Archive / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

White Mountain National Forest

Mount Washington State Park is a 60.3-acre area of land on the summit of Mount Washington, the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak, and is surrounded by the magnificent 750,000-acre White Mountain National Forest.

Spectacular views from the 6,288-foot summit extend as far as 130 miles to Vermont and New York on a clear day and a modern summit building known as Sherman Adams building houses the Sherman Adams Visitor Center, the historic Tip-Top House, the Mount Washington Observatory, and its museum, as seasonal cafeteria, gift shop, and restrooms.

The White Mountain National Forest provides a variety of camping from family-friendly campgrounds to popular backcountry sites and tent camping in the wilderness.

1598 Mt Washington Auto Road, Sargent’s Purchase, NH 03589, United States, Phone: +1 603-466-3347

The White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire by weesam2010 / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Jacobs Brook Campground

Tucked away in the scenic Upper Valley historic town of Orford, Jacobs Brook Campground is a comfortable family campground with a unique character. Catering to camping families without any frills, the pet-friendly campground is set on 38 acres of beautiful landscapes surrounded by dense forests offering plenty of shade and tranquility.

The campground has 75 sites for tents and RVs with picnic tables, fire pits with grills, optional electricity and water hookups, and modern restrooms with toilets, showers, and potable water. There is an in-ground swimming pool that is open seasonally, a children’s playground, and a dump station for RVs, and activities include swimming and fishing in a local mountain brook, hiking, and mountain biking.

46 High Bridge Rd, Orford, NH 03777, United States, Phone: +1 603-353-9210

Orford, New Hampshire by Doug Kerr / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

MAINE

Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is a 47,000-acre recreation area on Maine’s Mount Desert Island along the Atlantic coast. Located southwest of Bar Harbor, the park was established to preserve half of Mount Desert Island, along with many adjacent smaller islands, and part of the Schoodic Peninsula on the coast of Maine.

The 49,075-acre park features pristine landscapes ranging from rocky beaches and dense woodlands to grand granite peaks, the highest point on the United States East Coast, and is home to a wide variety of wildlife such as bears, moose, whales, and seabirds.

Acadia National Park has two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island, one campground on the Schoodic Peninsula, and five lean-to shelters on Isle au Haut. Blackwoods Campground is located on the east side of Mount Desert Island and offers several sites with full hookups within a 10-minute walk of the ocean. The sites are wooded and shady and facilities include restrooms with flushing toilets, running water, and a dump station, as well as picnic tables and fire rings.

Located on the west side of Mount Desert Island, Seawall Campground is a family-oriented campground with sites that can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet in length. A picnic area is located on the shore across from the campground entrance and facilities include restrooms with flushing toilets, running water, and a dump station. There are also picnic tables and fire rings, and there are many beautiful and quiet hiking trails on this side of the Island, as well as Echo Lake, a wonderful lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and picnics.

Located on the Schoodic Peninsula in the Acadia National Park, Schoodic Woods Campground is 1.5 miles southeast of Winter Harbor and approximately an hour from Bar Harbor. The campground has a variety of sites for tents, trailers, and RVs, all of which have electricity and water hookups, as well as access to flushing toilets, potable running water, and dump stations. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring, and all campground roads are paved.

Amenities at the campground include free shuttle buses between park destinations and local communities, laundry facilities, a grocery, and a supply store. The campground is within a 15-minute walk of the ocean and there are over eight miles of hiking trails on the Schoodic Peninsula and bike paths.

The bayside town of Bar Harbor features many restaurants and shops and a popular gateway into the park, and recreational activities include hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, sea kayaking, and guided boat tours on the ocean.

Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: (207) 288-3338

Acadia National Park by Maddie.d.photography / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Cobscook Bay State Park

Occupying 888 acres on the western shore of Cobscook Bay in Washington County, Cobscook Bay State Park is a public recreation area that offers spectacular views of the bay’s dramatically changing tides that can reach heights of up to 28 feet.

Established in 1964 as part of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, the state park offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities including hiking, mountain biking, pleasure boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, camping, and bird watching. Cobscook Bay State Park is home to over 200 species of birds, including the magnificent American bald eagle.

40 S Edmunds Rd, Dennysville, ME 04628, USA, Phone: +1 207-726-4412

Cobscook Bay State Park by Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0

Crescent Beach State Park

Crescent Beach State Park is a state-operated, public recreation area located eight miles south of Portland in picturesque Cape Elizabeth. Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the state park was established in 1966 and features a spectacular mile-long, crescent-shaped beach that is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and sea kayaking.

The park boasts different eco-systems ranging from white sandy beaches, grass-studded dunes, and saltwater coves to rocky ledges and wooded areas, offering a variety of recreational activities for all tastes.

Several hiking trails can be used for exploring the park on foot, mountain bike, or cross-country skis in the winter.

109 Bowery Beach Rd, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107, USA, Phone: +1 207-799-5871

Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine by Wally Gobetz / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Popham Beach State Park

Popham Beach State Park is a state park and public recreation area in the town of Phippsburg along the Atlantic Ocean coastline that is home to the state’s busiest state park beach.

Covering 605 acres in Sagadahoc County, Popham Beach State Park features a spectacular shoreline landscape that has formed a peninsula between the mouth of the Morse River and the Atkins Bay portion of the Kennebec River.

One of Maine’s rare geologic landforms, the area offers a variety of activities ranging from picnicking, fishing, and hiking to kayaking, swimming, and sunbathing, and the peninsula is the site of several historic sites, including Fort Baldwin, Fort Popham, and the remains of the Popham Colony.

10 Perkins Farm Ln, Phippsburg, ME 04562, USA, Phone: +1 207-389-1335

Popham Beach State Park by Dirk Ingo Franke / WikiCommons / CC BY 3.0

Roosevelt Campobello International Park

Roosevelt Campobello is an international park and natural wonder located on Campobello Island in the Bay of Fundy that was once the summer home of the late U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, where he loved to hike, picnic, and sail.

Located at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay in the Bay of Fundy, the island has several interesting attractions, including the 34-room Roosevelt summer cottage and the historic Hubbard Cottage gardens, which visitors can explore on guided tours.

Daily programs include guided hikes on FDR’s favorite trail which winds through the scenic forest, beach, and headlands of Friar’s Head; lighthouse tours, whale-watching tours on the Bay of Fundy, and plenty of bird-watching opportunities.

Lubec, ME 04652, Phone: (506) 752-2922

Roosevelt Campobello International Park by New Brunswick Tourism – Roosevelt Campobello International Park / Parc international Roosevelt de Campobello / CC BY 2.0

Lobster Buoy Campsites

Lobster Buoy Campsites are located about seven miles south of Rockland and are one of the oldest and loveliest beachside campsites in the area. Boasting 40 sites that are situated no more than 150 yards from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, the campground offers sites that can accommodate both tents and RVs.

Each site has grassy areas, a picnic table, and a fire ring and there are communal restrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets. Activities at the campground include swimming, fishing, building sandcastles, beachcombing, and kayaking.

There are plenty of things to see and do within 15 miles of Lobster Buoy, ranging from several lovely art galleries and museums in downtown Rockland; the Knox Mansion; five lighthouses to explore, and music festivals, county fairs, and summer theater shows.

280 Waterman Beach Rd, South Thomaston, ME 04858, USA

Rockland Breakwater by Tania Dey / WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 3.0