Hey so I’m from Australia and I’m going to America soon, I want to camp as I have seen that you guys have the most beautiful national parks I’ve ever seen. As an American, what one is your favourite and can i camp at it? Thanks in advance.

32 comments

  1. I think you can camp at pretty much every national park? At least the ones with wilderness – not the ones that are like, some president’s childhood home (which I assume you’re not talking about anyway).

    Also, don’t sleep on state parks, many of them are wonderful.

    Where are you going in the US? That will help people recommend parks.

  2. How soon is soon? Because this time of year and camping might be rough in a lot of places.

  6. My personal favorite is Olympic National Park. You get everything from beautiful ocean beaches to dense temperate rainforest to large inland lakes to high alpine terrain in a single park. Plenty of camping, both car-accessed and hiking-accessed to be had.

  7. You wanna get real crazy? Check out Gates of the Arctic in Alaska. Roughly 34,000 square kilometers of untouched wilderness, streams and mountains. Only visited by about 7,000 people a year.

  8. At the moment, Volcanoes National Park. Though you probably won’t be allowed to camp at Mauna Loa, but there are plenty of other camping sites, both with facilities and backcountry. No guarantee as to how long the fireworks will continue.

    It’s even conveniently located between Australia and the lower 48.

  9. Something to be aware of is that American National Parks, National Forests/Grasslands/etc, and State Parks all have different camping rules and regulations.

    In general there’s 3 types of camping you’ll encounter:

    -Established campgrounds (usually paid, reservations common, loud, family friendly, designated sites, bathrooms, fire pits)

    -Dispersed Camping (Free, no designated spots, just the wild, can be solitary and quiet or rowdy)

    -Wilderness/Backpacking Permit Sites (Usually free and non reserved, similar to dispersed but there’s usually special rules you agree to at a ranger station).

    Unlike the movies you don’t just get to show up to Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc and get the best spot for free. Places like Yosemite have months long waiting lists for campsites.

    I would highly recommend getting Wilderness Permits. You will see American National Parks in ways few ever will. You can typically get one day-of, there’s usually no fee, and you’ll get a vast area to explore away from the families and tourists. The downside is there is an element of danger since there usually aren’t trails, there’s more wildlife, and there’s not as many people to help should you get injured.

    Tldr;
    Get a Wilderness Permit for some of these for an unforgettable experience:

    -Painted Desert/Petrified Forest (My favorite)

    -Death Valley (Can be a little dangerous depending on time of year)

    -Joshua Tree

    -Rocky Mountain National Park

    -Great Sand Dunes (reservation required)

    -Yellowstone National Park

    -Glenn Canyon/Canyonlands (highly underrated)

    And although I haven’t been, I’ve heard Glacier National Park is near the top as well.

    Zion does have a Wilderness Permit but you’ll be off the Rim trails where, honestly, tent camping is rather unpleasant. There are however many paid, reserved sites lower.

  10. My favorite parks are all in the west, especially the northwest. In particular I would suggest not just national parks, but also national wilderness areas and national forests. Sometimes these three categories overlap in one region. You can generally camp wherever you want in wilderness areas but some spots have some restrictions.

    Really great personal favorites include the Steens Mountain wilderness and Wallowa Whitman national forest in Oregon, Olympic National Park in Washington, and the Marble Mountain wilderness area in California.

  11. I’ve camped in several national parks, but honestly they’re all beautiful. Are you talking about tent camping? During peak season, most parks require advanced reservations, although many do have walk-ups as long as you arrive early enough (like 5:30 am).

    Many get crowded, but others don’t. Make reservations as far in advance as you can. There’s a small penalty for cancelation, so it’s worth it. You can also check on last minute cancelations.

    Many parks are closed for the season because of weather conditions. Be sure to look ahead to see. I don’t know when you’re planning on coming, but it’s by far best if you travel in season even if your park is open. If you must travel in the winter/early spring, then focus on parks in more temperate states.

    I prefer walk-to tents because they’re more remote. When making your reservations, you can look on the map and choose based on the location—they have photos of each site. I myself don’t like to stay close to the bathrooms or the road, but some people prefer that.

    Here is the overall link: [https://www.nps.gov/subjects/camping/campground.htm](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/camping/campground.htm)

    Honestly it totally depends on your preferences. So far, I’ve camped in:

    * Acadia National Park in Maine. Beautiful. I’ve done both Seawall Campground and Blackwoods. Both are great, but I think I prefer Seawall as you hear the ocean at night.
    * Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I can’t remember which campground, but it was gorgeous, and right next to a river.
    * Yosemite. Stunning. This one does get crowded, but I successfully camped in one of their lean-to’s right next to the river.
    * Shenandoah National Park. This one is close to DC and is usually a bit less crowded. It’s not as stunning as some other parks, but it’s still beautiful. I’ve camped in Great Meadows several times, and also their lodge, which is fairly reasonable and very restful.
    * Rocky Mountain National Park. Stunning. The altitude affected me but it was worth it because it was so beautiful. I can’t remember the campground I stayed at.
    * Grand Canyon. As a kid I stayed at the base. Omg. Sooooo beautiful.
    * Everglades in Florida. That one is unique. STayed there as a child.

    THere are many other gorgeous National Parks. It’s hard to go wrong!

  12. Yellowstone I’d say but rn it’s flooding A LOT literal buildings are being carried away

    2nd I’d say anywhere up north Michigan 🙂 although it’s a bit biased it really is beautiful

    Alaska has the BEST scenery by far but it’s cold and rainy year round

    Tennessee is also really pretty

  13. Check out Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Zion if on the west coast. All are incredible, some my personal favorites.

  14. National parks can be very touristy and crowded. But for good reason: a lot of the really popular ones- Zion National Park in Utah, Yellowstone in Wyoming/Montana, and Grand Canyon in Arizona are absolutely beautiful and I love to visit. But if you want to avoid traffic and crowds, opt for state parks instead. For the National parks I mentioned, all of them are partially closed/impassable in the winter due to snow, and I don’t recommend cold weather camping. But if you do your research and go in the summer, you can still find remote places to camp. I camped in Yellowstone in the Northeast corner of the park in the summer and it was beautiful- huge herds of bison, and I heard wolves howling at night. But it still got below freezing at night and hail cut one of our hikes short. If you do go during the winter, California has a lot of nice temperate parks with plant life you can only see there- Joshua Tree National Park is great for winter camping. To the north, Redwood is nice, and I think also stays temperate, but I’ve never been there in the winter.

  15. OK, also a word of warning. Mattering on where you are going rabies and other illnesses carried by small animals are a thing. I know that small little animal looks so cute, but don’t try and feed it. Getting evena scrach canteen major medical issues and a hefty bill as our Healthcare is… well, I am sure you have heard someone complain at some point.

  16. I have always been a fan of the High Uintas Wilderness area. It is just southwest of Yellowstone with way fewer visitors and arguably more wildlife. I saw a moose, millions of deer, and beavers last time I went.

  17. I think Death Valley is hugely underrated and you can definitely camp there. Not too far away is Mt Whitney and the Alabama Hills and they are gorgeous too. The oldest trees in the world, the bristlecone pines are nearby, as well as the largest trees in the world, the Sequoias. It’s a lot to see in reasonably close proximity. Or at least close for an Australian.

  18. OP is about to cause some fights in here. We have a ton of absolutely gorgeous parks and forests that allow camping. Personally, I have a deep emotional connection with Shenandoah National Park but I think I have to admit that Grand Teton National Park might be the most beautiful I have been to.

    Though, some important questions. What time of year do you plan to do this? How many days are you willing to devote to this trip? Are there any other tourist things you want to do while here? The Grand Tetons are pretty remote and require a dedicated trip to do just them and nearby parks. Shenandoah is a few hours from DC and you could easily spend a few days there and a few days in downtown DC on the same trip.

  20. Shenandoah is about 2 hours west of DC, great easy hikes and great views. Plus you can zip in and see some museums. Especially the A&S museum by Dulles Airport, which is also a super convenient hour and a few min away. Cooter’s garage in Luray is cool too if you grew up on Dukes of Hazard.

  21. First question – when and where?

    The season really matters in no small part because coming from Australia I imagine you are not quite prepared for winter camping (though it can be fun)

    Summer through early fall – Glacier National park is worth the trip.

    Spring through fall – Olympic National Park has it all – mountains, rainforest, beautiful coastline.

    If you are going to the east coast then Acadia is stunning (again summer and early fall).

  22. 1 national and 1 state park are my favorites:
    Peninsula state park in Fish Creek, WI.
    And Isle Royale in Michigan. Isle Royale is a bit of a trek because you have to catch a ferry from either Grand Portage MN or Copper Harbor, MI. Its an uninhabited and “unimproved” island in Lake Superior, and it’s definitely a commitment.

  23. Our parks are so diverse its honestly hard to give advice. Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Glacier, Assateague, Acadia, Denali, Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah, Zion… there are way too many factors to consider. What is experience level? Tolerance for cold? Heat? Physical fitness?

  25. Fuck camping, listen, there’s a cactus shop in Arizona, near Pheonix, they got this whole encloser of amazing birds – also they have lots of trails you can hike there, big, small, not sure on camping – honestly I just wanted to share the bird thing in hopes someone finds that place and we can put it on the map for tourists

  26. Camping reservations inside parks can be tough to get on short notice. Make sure you call ahead of your trip. Also make sure you have proper cold weather gear. I don’t even know what ones are open this time of year.

  27. If “soon” is any time from now until April/May, you’ll be limited by weather. Some parks are completely snow-bound, so no camping – Yellowstone is the biggest example right now.

    Parks in the desert southwest – all parks in Utah and Arizona, Death Valley and Joshua Tree in California, probably a few in New Mexico – will be pleasant during the day, but can get COLD at night. Snow will depend on elevation, but even low-lying parks can dip into temperatures below freezing. If your camping gear is set up for four-season camping, you’ll be fine, but you do need to be ready. We’ve had frost on our tent outside of Painted Desert in AZ in December, but I’ve also had completely pleasant camping in DV in winter/spring.

    Your best bet for comfortable camping will be in the southeast – Florida has plenty of options. [nps.gov](https://nps.gov) lets you search by state, and each park has information on climate and when it’s best to go.

  28. Any of the state or national parks in Utah.

    You can camp for free on the BLM land, we usually stay by Little Wild Horse Canyon, go to Goblin Valley, then drive down the scenic highway and grab a new camping spot in the canyon (you do have to pay) then go to Arches and explore Moab.

    This time of year though there will for sure be snow.

  29. Mesa Verde, and the Cliff Palace in particular, is spectacular. The Grand Canyon is pretty impressive as well- basically an inverted mountain range.

  30. You could go to the Lost Coast trail in Northern California. The Redwoods are just north of there. Might be a bit rainy this time of year and the beaches are incredibly rugged so precaution is required.

  31. If you find yourself in East Tennessee you should definitely check out the Great Smokey Mountains. Absolutely stunning views. I’m biased as fuck though so there’s that

  32. So… I’m sure you know this but your winters are our summers and vice versa. So between now and March, about 50% of the country is gonna be too cold and snowy for camping unless you are really experienced with camping in the snow.

    If you want to go camping I’d recommend coming between May and August

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