America's Most Scenic Campgrounds

The Site: Right on the banks of the White River, this campground affords amazing views of Mount Rainier (at least, whenever the clouds deign to part). Beg, borrow, or steal your way into site D29 for the best vantage point. White River is also the closest campground (12 miles away) to Sunrise Point—at 6,400 feet, the best place to watch the morning colors wash over Mount Rainier and its snow-capped neighbors.

The Basics: 112 sites; running water, flush toilets, and fire rings (a local man even cruises the campground twice a day selling firewood from the back of his truck); no RVs; $12 per night per site; no reservations.

The Site: The stately coastal redwoods here are so densely packed that precious few trails or roads have been cut through the forest. Thankfully, the park staff carved out a campground in the middle of a grove, which brings shade and beauty to every site. The best one? Site 3, which is wooded, spacious, and atmospheric. After you set up, walk the short but sweet Stout Grove Trail loop, which winds through a pristine forest of impossibly tall and ancient trees.

The Basics: 89 sites; picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets; tents and small RVs only (no hookups); $20 per night per site, which covers entry to any state park in the region for the following 24 hours; reserve up to seven months in advance at parks.ca.gov or (800) 444-7275.

The Site: Camping on the beach is always beautiful; it’s even better when one of the world’s largest barrier reef systems is right outside your tent. After a starry night, stumble a few feet into the calm, clear water and treat yourself to a fish-filled snorkel. Even the trip from Key West is gorgeous; the Yankee Freedom II National Park Shuttle takes you on a 2-hour, 70-mile journey punctuated by turtle and dolphin sightings.

The Basics: Ten sites; picnic tables, grills, no water, composting toilets; take all trash out with you; no RVs; $3 per night per site per person; reserve at (305) 242-7700. Yankee Freedom II: $180 round-trip per adult camper, including breakfast and lunch onboard; reserve at yankeefreedom.com or (800) 322-0013.

The Site: The Grand Canyon’s all about views, of course, and this campground serves them up on a tectonic plate. The best spots? Numbers 11, 14, 15, 16, and 18, which are also large enough to afford plenty of privacy. And you’ll be right on the trail to Bright Angel Point, which offers even more breathtaking views down Bright Angel Canyon. Go for sunrise.

The Basics: 80 sites; picnic tables, fire rings, flush toilets, running water, shower and laundry facilities; tents and RVs (no hookups); $18/$25 for the rim-side sites; reserve up to six months in advance (recommended) at recreation.gov or (877) 444-6777.

The Site: Set among moss-covered trees right on the edge of whale-filled Bartlett Cove, the spots in this walk-in campground look like they jumped out of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination. Each has a water view and is within walking distance of the dock, where wildlife- and glacier-viewing boat tours of Glacier Bay depart.

The Basics: 35 sites; shared bear-proof food shelters, shared fire pit with firewood, shared warming hut, no water, vaulted toilets; no RVs; free; no reservations.

The Site: Bison—whole herds of them—regularly wander through this campground on the west side of Sage Creek’s North Unit. Sunset turns the surrounding mixed-grass prairie land (one of America’s largest protected tracts) golden yellow. At dusk, listen for the howls of the once-exterminated swift fox.

The Basics: 15 sites; covered picnic tables, no running water (park rangers will usually let you fill up with water at their entry stations before you set up camp), pit toilets; no open fires; tents and small RVs only (no hookups); no fee and no reservations.

The Site: This artifact-filled historic area is known for its intact Pueblo Indian ruins, but the sights don’t end when you enter the campground. Many campsites back right up to a large butte that features ancient petroglyphs and the remains of a cliff dwelling.

The Basics: 47 sites; picnic tables, fire rings, some with tent pads, no potable water, pit toilets; tents and RVs under 30’ only (no hookups); $10 per site per night; no reservations. Note: Gallo is currently closed for repairs and is expected to reopen in late fall of 2009.

The Site: No matter where you end up in this quiet and shady campground you’ll have access to huge stands of wild blackberry vines and some of the country’s best windsurfing. But reserve well in advance to snag spots A47, A49, A51, A53, A55, A57, and A59, all of which sidle right up to the Columbia River in the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge. Shooting stars are also a common occurrence, so bring s’mores fixings to accompany your nightly sky watching.

The Basics: 110 sites; fire rings, picnic tables, showers, flush toilets; tents and RVs (with hookups); $16–$20 for RVs, $12–$16 for tents; reserve by calling (800) 452-5687.

The Site: The deep red color of the sandstone makes it absolutely clear where the name of this park, just 55 miles from Las Vegas, came from. The eye candy continues at the Arch Rock Campground (which is quieter, less exposed, and more dramatic than Atlatl, the park’s other campground). Sites are set between sandstone formations that have been artfully eroded by the elements. Head to the upper loop for optimal privacy.

The Basics: 29 sites; covered picnic tables, water, fire rings, new vaulted toilets; small RVs only (no hookups); $14 per night per site, which includes the park’s $6 per car entry fee; no reservations.

The Site: Camping in the middle of a swamp requires a bit more infrastructure than sleeping on dry ground, so this 438,000-acre refuge built platforms. Sure, they’re just above the alligator-filled water, but the gators never bother anyone—really. The partially roofed paddle-in platforms, which are more like wall-less cabins than campsites, also act as a kind of wildlife blind, giving you an up close and personal look at the 233 species of birds that live in or migrate through the refuge. Because the refuge limits reservations to just one group per site, this is also one of the most private camping options in the country.

The Basics: Six shelters plus three camping sites on dry land; all sites have composting toilets but no fresh water; no RVs; $10 per person per day plus $20 per day for a two-man canoe; reserve up to two months in advance (recommended) at (912) 496-3331.

The Site: This shady and serene oasis in the desert landscape (trees!) may be this area’s main draw. But it also puts you just one mile away from the Wire Pass trailhead, which winds through a gorgeous slot canyon of rock and sand formations. The campground is also at an elevation of more than 5,000 feet, which helps mitigate the area’s heat.

The Basics: Four sites; covered picnic tables, fire pits, vaulted toilets, no water; take all trash out with you; no RVs; no fee; no reservations.