Looking for a campground with a view? How 'bout one with an arch, such as the Devils Garden Campground at Arches National Park?/Kurt Repanshek
Summer really isn't as far off as you might think. With that in mind, is anyone thinking about camping? And, in particular, are you thinking about your favorite campground in the National Park System?
With so many parks, there are too many campgrounds to keep track of. There's a 13-site campground at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, the more than 300-site Blackwoods Campground in Acadia National Park in Maine, and the 46-site Summit Lake North Campground at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, just to name three.
But where is your favorite campground, and why is it your favorite? Share those tidbits with us, and we'll build a list of the best National Park System campgrounds for our summer park travel guide that you can turn to when planning to strike out anew and wondering where to pitch your tent or park your RV in the park system.
Comments
Devils Garden is really nice especially because it is a relief from the crowds. But I wouldn't spend a day in the summer there - October and November are great.
Fruita in Capitol Reef is wonderful. The shade is welcome and the views are stunning. Plus, in the fall, you can pick and eat apples from the orchard.
Cataloochee is a great place in Greater Smoky Mountains National Park but I wouldn't take a particularly large RV there - the roads to get in are a little difficult in anything long or tall.
Sage Creek Campground in Badlands National Park is worth a visit. The scenery and wildlife are the draw but if you need electricity or running water, best not stay here. Cedar Pass is okay and in a great location but can seem very crowded and hot at times.
Fort Pickens in Gulf Islands National Seashore would probably win my vote for best year-round location. Loop A is within walking distance to the beautiful beaches and the sites are a little more spread out than the rest of the loops.
Probably my all time favorite site in the entire park system, of places I have visited, is site 180 in Big Meadows at Shenandoah National Park. It will hold anything from a tent to a moderately sized RV, has wonderful mountain and valley views, and is right on the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately, it is a lot of people's favorite and can be hard to book, particularly in the fall during leaf peeping season.
Honestly, the best campsites are usually just outside the national parks in the national forests or BLM land.
I agree with Dahkota on Devil's Garden and Fruita -- I have tremendously enjoyed camping in both.
I'll add some gems in more out-of-the-way units: Chaco Culture, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges, and Navajo all have quiet, relaxing campgrounds that I've really enjoyed, especially the night spent at Hovenweep where I was the only camper (besides the host). And kudos to the ranger who still carried on with the evening program for his audience of two!
If we're sticking only to national parks, I've really enjoyed staying in both campgrounds in Great Basin over the years.
What happened to comments from this morning?
Devil's Garden is great, but you have to be lucky enough to be able to get a reservation. Hovenweep is wonderful. Then there's A-Loop at Norris in Yellowstone. Natural Bridges is a gem. The high camp at Great Basin is absolutely terrific. Watchman at Zion with its electric hookups on broiling days in summer or freezing nights in winter. Devil's Tower's campground is a delight.
Hmmm. I guess, to tell the truth, just about any campground I happen to be in is my favorite. At least for the moment.