There are a lot of great places to go camping in the United States. From beautiful national parks to remote forested areas and even deserts, there’s something for everyone when it comes to family camping fun!
Here’s our list of the best places for families to enjoy nature together:
21 Best Camping Spots for Families
1. Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park is located in Maine, and it’s a great place to visit with your family. The park has lots of hiking trails, wildlife (including moose), and beautiful views.
2. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park is a great place for families to visit. The park is a protected area of natural beauty, home to numerous wildlife species including wolves, grizzly bears, and bison.
There are many hiking trails and scenic drives that make this area ideal for outdoor activities such as horseback riding or mountain biking.
The park offers plenty of resources for families with children who want to explore its beautiful scenery at their own pace:
3. Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite National Park is a great place to visit if you are looking for waterfalls and wildlife. The park has several hiking trails, which can be accessed by foot or by horse-drawn carriage. There are also many campsites available in the park.
These sites range from primitive tent camping to RV hookups and even cabins on the lake!
There are also many local attractions within Yosemite that your family can enjoy while they’re there: such as Tuolumne Meadows Nature Center (where you can learn about local plants) or Curry Village Lodge (which has an outdoor pool).
If your children like climbing rocks or exploring caves, then this national treasure may just be right up their alley!
4. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. It’s located in Arizona, and it offers numerous opportunities for families to enjoy their time together.
The park contains over 2 million acres of land—that’s about twice as much as Yosemite National Park! There are plenty of trails for you and your family to hike on; explore caves; take helicopter tours around the canyon, or even climb down into some ancient volcanic rock formations!
If these options don’t excite you enough, there are also boat tours available as well as horseback rides through natural forests (with guided tours). There are even amusement parks within this incredible area
that can be visited with kids aged 5-12 years old depending on how old they feel comfortable being outdoors without adult supervision nearby watching over them constantly during their adventures.”
5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including bears and elk. There are over 800 miles of hiking trails available for you to explore on your next family camping trip.
6. Lake Powell, Utah
Lake Powell is located on the Colorado River, a major tributary to the Colorado River and its tributary, the Green River. The lake was created by the construction of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963.
The dam has been named one of America’s best places to visit by National Geographic Adventure magazine and was featured in their list of 100 Places You Must See Before You Die.
Lake Powell offers numerous recreational opportunities including boating, fishing and water sports such as jet skiing or kayaking; there are also plenty of hiking trails around this beautiful area!
7. Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park is located in northwestern Montana and is the US’s largest national park. It comprises over 2 million acres of mountain-filled land and encompasses some of the most rugged terrain on earth.
The park is home to over 700 glaciers, which can be seen from scenic viewpoints or from inside a car as you drive through their valleys. In addition to beautiful scenery,
Glacier National Park also offers hiking trails that lead you deep into its forests and valleys where you’ll encounter wildlife such as grizzly bears (both black bears and brown), moose, elk, and bighorn sheep.
The park is open year-round so it will work well whether your family wants to spend more time at home or head out into nature for a few days during summer vacation!
8. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the Front Range region of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The park has over 400 miles (640 km) of trails and offers many opportunities for camping, hiking and fishing.
The park’s most popular hikes include:
- Cataract Canyon Trail – This 2-mile (3 km) trail leads through steep canyons with waterfalls as it passes through dense forest at lower elevations before reaching a pass that overlooks Cataract Lake below you on your left side as you hike toward Bierstadt Lake on your right side;
- Moraine Park Trails – These 8-9 mile (13–15 km) loop trails offer spectacular views of national forests surrounding them as well as nearby lakes like Hoosier Pass Reservoir which sits just outside of each trailhead area;
9. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park is located in northwestern Wyoming and includes the Grand Teton mountain range, which includes 13 peaks over 13,000 feet high. The park is home to one of the largest populations of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.
The park also has many other attractions for families:
- Fishing for trout and salmon on Lake Yellowstone – A popular activity during summer months, this lake provides excellent fishing opportunities for all ages.
- Hiking trails through forests and along ridges with views into valleys below – This area offers plenty of opportunities for exploration! You can explore old growth forests that have been untouched by humans since they were first inhabited by Native Americans thousands of years ago.
10. Zion National Park, Utah
Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah, and it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. It has over 300 miles of hiking trails and a wide variety of wildlife. The park also hosts many festivals and events throughout the year that are fun for families to attend together.
Zion National Park has been named one of America’s top 10 national parks by Travel + Leisure magazine (2006).
The park is open year-round and offers many different activities for visitors. In the summer, there are hiking trails and horseback riding available. In the fall, visitors can take advantage of the beautiful colors of the leaves as they change colors.
The winter months offer skiing and snowboarding opportunities at Snow Canyon State Park or other nearby resorts.
11. Everglades National Park, Florida
Everglades National Park is a national park in Florida that protects the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. The park was established in 1947, and it’s one of the most visited parks in America.
The Everglades are home to many animals, including alligators and crocodiles. You can see these creatures while hiking through their natural habitat or visiting one of several rookery sites where they’re often seen basking on logs or rocks by visitors who come to feed them.
The park also has many different types of plants including mangroves (a type of tree), cypress trees, and sawgrass which grows along rivers throughout this area.
These plants provide shelter for wildlife such as birds who use them as nesting sites during springtime when there isn’t enough food available elsewhere around here!
12. Big Bend National Park, Texas
Big Bend National Park is the largest national park in Texas, with 469 square miles of protected land. The park has a large variety of wildlife and it’s home to many rare species of plants, animals, and insects.
It also contains one of America’s only desert ecosystems that can be found along its border with Mexico!
Big Bend National Park is also one of the least visited national parks in the United States due to its remote location as well as its lack of amenities like hotels or restaurants near its entrance (which makes it perfect for camping).
However, if you’re looking for an experience outside your comfort zone then this spot will provide just that!
13. Denali National Park, Alaska
Denali National Park is the tallest mountain in North America, and it’s home to many animals. There are caribou, grizzly bears and moose who live there year-round.
The park has a wide range of habitats: tundra at low elevations; taiga in middle elevations; alpine above 7600 feet (2 miles).
There are over 1,000 lakes in the park, many of which are popular for fishing. The rivers that flow from the mountain provide habitat for grizzly bears and moose.
14. Redwood National Park, California
Redwood National Park is located in California, and it’s a great place to camp. The park offers hiking trails, waterfalls, forests and animals like bobcats and bears.
There are also many other things to do in the park such as go fishing or horseback riding. It’s a place where you can spend time with your family by going on hikes or fishing at one of the lakes in the park!
The park is also home to the giant sequoia trees. These trees are some of the largest living things on earth, and they’ve been around for thousands of years!
15. Olympic National Park, Washington
- Location: Olympic National Park, Washington
- What to see: The park is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in all of America. Visitors can see glaciers, waterfalls and mountains that offer an experience like no other. It’s also home to a variety of wildlife including bears, wolves and bald eagles!
- Best time to visit: The best times to visit Olympic National Park are from June through September when there are fewer crowds than during peak season (October – May). However, if you want more solitude or want your kids involved with activities like fishing or kayaking then visiting during this period may be ideal for you
16. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington state, at 14,392 feet. It’s an active volcano and one of the most popular destinations for hiking and camping in the U.S. There are also several glaciers on its slopes, which make it possible to see wildlife up close like elk or marmots.
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano and one of the most prominent landmarks in the state. It’s also the highest peak in Washington, at 14,410 feet.
17. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano, which means that it has been erupting for thousands of years and will continue to do so. The volcano is located in Washington state and makes up part of the Cascade Range.
It’s been dormant since 2015, but you can still see it from nearby highways if you’re lucky enough to be driving around when it starts up again.
The volcano is more than 14,000 feet tall and is covered by snow year-round. It has been known to erupt once every 50-200 years, which means we may not be in for another eruption for some time.
18. Arches National Park, Utah
Arches National Park is a great place to go camping with kids. It’s one of the best places in the country for hiking, and it has plenty of trails for kids to explore. Arches National Park also makes for an ideal getaway from technology, as there are no cell phone towers or Internet connections in this remote region.
Arches National Park offers many different hiking trails that will appeal both adults and children alike: The Delicate Arch Trail is great for families with older children
who wants something more challenging than just walking around; while the Garden Wall Trail is perfect if you’re looking for something shorter but still scenic.
18. Sequoia National Park, California
Sequoia National Park is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range in eastern California. The park’s landscape is characterized by giant sequoia trees and open meadows, which give it a peaceful feel.
Sequoia National Park contains many different types of wildlife, including black bears and grizzly bears (the only place they can be seen). It’s also home to elk, pumas and bighorn sheep. If you’re lucky enough to see these animals in their natural habitat, don’t forget your binoculars!
19. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Crater Lake National Park is the deepest lake in the United States and has a surface area of 1,943 acres. It’s located in southern Oregon and is surrounded by the Cascade Range.
The water level of Crater Lake drops about 7 feet every winter when snowmelt melts and rains fill up part of its basin.
In addition to being home to one of the oldest volcanoes on earth (Strymon), Crater Lake has several other features that make it unique among other bodies of water:
- There are no fish native to this lake; instead, it was created by volcanic activity millions of years ago which resulted in an island (the Wizard Island) where hot springs flowed into underground vents that eventually formed lakes within their cavities below ground level.*
- Its color changes depending on how much sunlight hits it but generally appears dark greenish brown due primarily to algae growing on rocks around shoreline areas near shorelines
- where light cannot penetrate deep enough into deeper waters due primarily because they’re filled with so much saltwater from nearby ocean sources such as San Francisco Bay itself.*
- The bottom becomes shallower toward outer portions closer towards shorelines due primarily because there aren’t many cliffs sticking out from the landmass anymore on either side so waves break off against cliffs instead making waves higher than usual height
- before crashing onto beaches nearby where people can safely stand far away from danger zones like rocks jutting out over watery depths below the surface level since most would need help climbing back up once finished swimming through deep trenches containing large amounts
20. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park is located in the southern part of Colorado. It’s a great place to visit with your family, as there are many things to do and see!
- There are several campgrounds available for camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park. These include Cottonwood Campground on Highway 119 and Baca Campground on Highway 285.
- Both have cabins available for rent during your stay as well as showers and restrooms nearby so you don’t have far from home when getting ready for bed each night (or morning).
- The best time to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park depends on what type of weather you’re looking for: if it’s cold outside then there will be more snowfall than if it’s warm enough for swimming pools but not too hot yet either;
- however, this could change depending upon what season it is when visiting so make sure before planning anything else out beforehand – especially since these things tend not always be available everywhere else nearby either!
Here are some additional tips for family camping:
- Research the local area before you go and make sure you know the rules and regulations of the campground.
- Bring plenty of supplies and have a plan for what to do in case of an emergency.
- Make sure you have the proper gear for the type of camping you are doing.
- Have a plan for food, activities, and keeping everyone entertained.
- Try to be respectful of other campers and the environment.
- Make sure to bring a first-aid kit and know how to use it.
- Have a backup plan in case of bad weather.
- Make sure to take proper safety precautions when using any fire or cooking equipment.
- Have fun and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best camping spots for families. It is important to note that camping spots are not all created equal so make sure to do your research and find something that fits both your family’s needs and preferences.
