Waterside camping in United States

America's diverse terrain has something for everyone no matter what kind of camping you’re into.

95% (349002 reviews)
95% (349002 reviews)

Popular camping styles for United States

Camper favorites in United States

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Public campgrounds in United States

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12 top waterside campgrounds in United States

95%
(2175)

Finnon Lake Recreation Area

39 sites · RVs, Tents140 acres · Placerville, CA
ALL RV VEHICLES AND VEHICLES WITH TRAILERS MUST TAKE ROCK CREEK RD. (Even if your GPS says to use Mosquito Road). Mosquito Road CLOSED May 27 - August 3. These vehicles will not fit and can not cross over the single-lane suspension Mosquito Bridge. These vehicles and trailers will be forced to turn around or back up to take Rock Creek Road. Smoke on the Water diner is open weekends 530-622-1060. Hours are limited. Use caution - twisty, narrow country road If it's your first time, you might want to check out the route beforehand. From Sacramento on Hwy 50: At the second stop light, Spring St./Hwy 49, turn left, heading north about 1 block to the stop sign. Turn left, staying on Hwy 49, approximately 1 mile. Turn right on Hwy 193. Travel approximately 3.1 miles to Rock Creek Road. Turn onto Rock Creek Road and travel 8.9 miles to Finnon Lake/Diner on the Left. The campground is behind the Diner. The DINER "Smoke on the Water" is open only Saturday- Sunday. Traveling West on 50 from Tahoe: make a right on HWY 49 traveling north. Follow the above instructions. Welcome to Finnon Lake Recreation Area! Our lovely lake to discover. The night skies above Finnon Lake will reveal stars unseen in most parts of California. Enjoy searching for bullfrogs, and watch the flock of Canadian Geese fly in right at sunset as the horizon blends into the watercolor sky. This private lake supports the fire protection efforts of the Mosquito Fire Protection District and the firefighters of this community. Community volunteers manage the lake for the residents and the Fire Station. The primary funding source for the Finnon Lake Restoration is the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, which was signed into law in 2004 with a mission to support “efforts that improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the Sierra Nevada Region, its communities and the residents of California,” according to its Website. Finnon Lake is also home to a popular 18-hole disc golf course and Mosquito’s only restaurant, Smoke on the Water Diner, which is open on weekends only 530-622-1060. During your stay, you can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing, paddling, hiking, or biking. Sites are from post to post. Our property is located in Placerville, California.
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$40
 / night
90%
(1138)

Bridgeport Reservoir Campground

36 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents11 acres · CA
Bridgeport Reservoir is a lake at the lower end of Bridgeport Valley in Mono County, California. Its earth-filled dam was constructed in 1923 by the Walker River Irrigation District, along the East Walker River. The campground and marina was built I-don't-know-how-long ago, but it sure is nice! About Us: Welcome to Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground. Join us for the classic camping and fishing experience with unique views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Within the Toiyabe National Forest, Bridgeport Reservoir Marina and Campground is conveniently located near two distinct hot spring areas. A true angler's paradise, the Reservoir has excellent trout fishing from spring through fall and is close by to multiple rivers for incredible fly fishing. A 35 minute drive on highway 120 will take you to the Tioga Pass Gate of Yosemite National Park. This gate is a great start to several different areas inside of the park that you may want to visit beyond that gate. Off-road enthusiasts would not have enough time in one visit to explore all of the 4x4 trails, abandoned mines, and sites in the area as well as the famous trail that brings you right to the Bodie Ghost Town. Climate and Ecosystem: At 6,400 feet (1,950 meters), this high desert climate has little to moderate tree coverage and gets hot during the days and cool at night. The conditions are much like Joshua Tree National Park or Alabama Hills camping area. During your visit, you will notice many flying insects that resemble mosquitos. These Chironomid are harmless and do not bite. On the contrary, the mosquito presence is very minimal. Swimming in the lake is possible usually between April to July.
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$27
 / night
93%
(1873)

Spring Lake Ranch

43 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents101 acres · Potosi, MO
Spring Lake Ranch boasts countless trails and lake activities. Formerly known as Sayersbrook Bison ranch, at one time it was one of the largest Bison ranches in the world. This property is filled with amazing things to see and explore. Nothing like it in Missouri. Lake is 60+ acres and is spring fed. Amazing fishing, swimming and kayaking. We are pet friendly. You will have amazing lake views and will be close to hiking trails, horseback riding, and wine tasting at Edge Cliff Wineries which is next door to us. The beautiful shower house is super clean, has restrooms and hot showers and it is within walking distance. Firewood and ice are available to purchase; kayaks and fishing poles are available for rent. If you forget something at home stop by our little country store, we might have it! :) The sites are about 20 ft from each other - if you are looking for more privacy please check out the secluded site or the peninsula.
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$16.80
 / night

Walnut Hills Family Campground and RV Park

110 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents45 acres · Durand, MI
Discover the unique charm of Walnut Hills Family Campground, where our short drive time, diverse activities, and efficient no-wait check-in process allow you to maximize your fun and minimize your time on the road. Spanning 45 acres and featuring 203 spacious grassy sites, our campground is beautifully situated along the Shiawassee River, making it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts. At Walnut Hills, we pride ourselves on creating unforgettable experiences for families and friends. Our extensive amenities and engaging activities are designed to foster lasting memories. One of the highlights of our campground is the exhilarating Wibit Water Park. This exciting aquatic attraction features a variety of inflatable obstacles, slides, and platforms, ensuring endless entertainment for guests of all ages. Whether you’re ready to tackle the floating challenges or simply relax in the sun, the Wibit Water Park adds a splash of adventure to your camping experience. Join us at Walnut Hills Family Campground, where outdoor adventures and aquatic thrills come together to create the perfect getaway. Explore the natural beauty surrounding our park, enjoy nearby swimming holes, and take advantage of local restaurants and shops. Your unforgettable camping experience awaits!
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$42
 / night
99%
(976)

Harmony Lake Farm Park & Playground

31 sites · RVs, Tents45 acres · Wellington, MO
Harmony Lake welcomes you to our Farm. We are proud to be a registered member of Missouri Agritourism. Agritourism connects our guests with the great outdoors via Farm Stay. We hope you enjoy your stay at Harmony Lake Farm. We are walking distance to Harmony Lake: a private 12-acre lake for fishing, swimming and paddle boats. Our lake is home to record large-mouth bass and Missouri's longest free-floating walkway leading to a private island. We are located just 15-minutes from the highway and one hour to sites and attractions of Kansas City. We are 15-minutes to Lexington historic district or Odessa. We have a variety of tent and RV sites for your party to choose from so just reach out if you would like clarification on anything. Campfires and pets are allowed and all sites have access to bathrooms, a shower, bins, and an outdoor grill house.
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$25
 / night
99%
(1080)

Fruitdale Farm

11 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents20 acres · Bainbridge, OH
Come stay at our little sustainable farmstead amid the beautiful rolling hills of southern Ohio! Our peaceful 20 acres has a good mix of woods, wild meadows and maintained cleared areas as well as a small pond, all of which can be explored via our nature trail. Enjoy the sounds of nature and an incredible night sky. Farm fresh eggs and fresh produce are available for purchase during the growing season and firewood is available all year round. There is also a wonderful sauna on the property that can be reserved. Great hiking, kayaking, biking, birding, fishing, swimming, and disc-golfing opportunities just a few miles away at Paint Creek State Park and the Highland Nature Sanctuary. Amish country is also just 15 minutes away with a great bakery, markets and greenhouses. This area is home to an impressive network of ancient earthworks including the world famous Serpent Mound. Our accommodations range from primitive tent-camping to "glamping" in one of our tiny off-grid cabins. The sites are spaced out for privacy and each site offers a private picnic table and fire pit. There are two shared privies/outhouses which have basic composting toilets (not flushing). A grassy parking area is provided near the road, however, ALL SITES ARE WALK-IN (with the exception of site #1). ***Please take note that this is private property and the host lives on site. If you are looking for a place to be loud and party into the night, this is not the place for you. If you are looking to spend some quality time in nature, welcome. There are rules.
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$30
 / night
94%
(220)

Glamping at the Gateway

13 sites · Lodging, Tents2 acres · Port Angeles, WA
Great base camp where the mountains meet the sea on the Olympic Peninsula. So many great sights in a short distance from camp. Salt creek recreation area is a short 3 miles away, beautiful views of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Coin operated showers are also located there. NO SHOWERS AT CAMP Tide pools to explore and WW2 bunkers. Striped peak trailhead offers panoramic views. Take your hike then shower at their coin operated showers. Showers closed during winter) Spruce Railroad trail to Devils punchbowl is 3 miles away as well as Log Cabin Resort. Coin operated showers are also there. The resort offers paddle boats and kayaks for rent. (Closed for winter months) A restaurant and beautiful views of Lake Crescent await you. Hurricane Ridge visitor center is 16 miles away explore the glaciers of the Olympic mountains. Check out the Joyce General store for all your needs including wood for the fire and a laundry mat within 1 mile from the property. 2 night min stay in the RV no fireworks on property. No pets allowed in the RV RV has toilet, NO SHOWER, all bedding, comfy beds, dishes, cooking and cleaning supplies. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, 1 gallon drinking water and instant oatmeal are supplied. corn hole, charcoal bbq (not during burn ban), picnic tables, small zip line, rope swing, tire swing, port a potty, and fire pit are all in the communal area. During burn bans a propane fire (not included) is allowed in the firepit communal area only. 4 people per spot with a 5.00 charge per night for each additional up to max 6 people per site. please go to extras for the charge pick a unit per person per night. 1 car per site 5.00 charge per car per night max 2. please pay thru the extras.
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$28
 / night
94%
(655)

Lakeside Camping, Water Time :)

7 sites · RVs, Tents22 acres · Clifton, CO
We moved here in 1997 The home has had major remodels done on it. The lake is an old gravel pit to make road base for local road construction. The buoys in the lake are scuba projects from the local college CMU, and hold lots of fish. Other nesting platforms are for our local Geese and they hatch out in April-June. We airbnb 2 rooms in our home as a shared facility and have airbnbs in Northern Ca and Baja. Our home is off limits for campers as we need to respect the space for our other airbnb guests. But in an emergence please call, cell service works fine. port-a potty is gone for the winter November-April. port-a potty is clean and works great, May- Oct. If you are here in the winter you may use the trees or Mavericks gas station in 1.5 miles away. The first two pets are included at no additional cost. For any additional pets beyond the first two, there is a fee of $10 per pet, per night. Please make sure to add the Pet fee extra accordingly.
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$30
 / night
99%
(295)

Camp Stoney Meadows

13 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents120 acres · Big Bend, CA
Our 120 remote acres are adjacent to Shasta Trinity National Forest in the beautiful Cascade Range between Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta in Northern California. It's a working ranch with tree farms, animals, hydroelectric power, sawmill, gardens, orchards, creeks, springs, trails, and our camp alongside Kosk Creek. We're 54 miles from Redding off of 299E, (about 1-1/2 hour drive). DO NOT TAKE ROAD 11 FROM THE NORTH, IT IS CLOSED! PIease try to ignore the "car art" in the Pit River Tribe's Rancheria as you're coming here. Drive right through it, it's no reflection on us. The last mile or so of the road here can be pretty rough, but on arrival, you'll know it's worth the trip! No Cell phone service available here, so it's the perfect opportunity to unplug. We do have a land line up at the house in case of an emergency. Also, if you really need it, WiFi is available at the house.
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$45
 / night
93%
(506)

Arber-Moore's Ranch

6 sites · RVs, Tents22 acres · Oak View, CA
Beautiful natural campsites in the Valley of the Moon (Ojai Valley). Our sites are within an eighth of a mile of walking, running, biking, and riding trails from Ojai to the beaches of Ventura. On many days you can experience Ojai’s famous pink moments. You can hike the trails above Ojai, boat, eat, or picnic at Lake Casitas. Travel to nearby Ventura to shop, fish the pier, or take a deep sea fishing charter or Island charter to Whale watch or fish around the Channel Islands. Please note the aerial view of the camping area recently placed by Hipcamp is NOT AT ALL REPRESENTATIVE of the current camping sites and shows a photo that is many years old when the site was merely land. That photo is without any of the existing amenities or improvements. The actual sites are all Larger than Federal Park and Statepark guidelines, with averages of 20'x30' for campsites and 20'x40' for a long RVCampsite. We have planted many young trees and continue to plant trees and native shrubs around and near the sites. We have picnic tables, table coverings, fire pits, and camping rugs/footprints. There is also an outdoor shower, a shower tent with hot water, and an upgraded porta-potty with a sink. Note: During times when high heat is predicted, we strongly recommend that our Hipcampers bring pop-up shade tents or canopies for their sites. The Hipcamp is adjacent to our working ranch, and any photos of old sheds, trucks, a wood lot, or other equipment are NOT on the Hipcamp, but you will drive past that property to get to the separate Hipcamp area. Wineries, Farmer's Markets, Craft Breweries, dispensaries, and more are within 10 to 15 minutes of our site. Our location allows moments when you may see Hawks, Owls, Geese, Swallows, Robins, Bluebirds, and more. We offer both tent and RV camping. The Majority of our Guests love it here: "Vivian and Dave were exceptional hosts! Easy to contact and find our way to their property. Also gave us a plethora of places to go and things to do in the Ojai area. The area was open and spacious, and many trees and upgrades were in the works to make future stays more user-friendly. Big pluses were the shower and toilet facilities—much appreciated !!"
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$69
 / night

Other options in United States

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Waterside camping in United States guide

Overview

With coastlines, alpine mountains, and verdant hillsides, America’s diverse terrain has something for everyone no matter what kind of camping you’re into—so it’s no surprise that more than 40 million people camp in America each year. The US has plenty of national parks (63 to be exact!) and a variety of landscapes and parks to choose from.

Where to go

Northeastern United States

Henry David Thoreau was famously smitten with his natural surroundings in Massachusetts—but the rest of the Northeast is pretty impressive, too. Consider Maine, which has an astonishing 3,500 miles of craggy coastline (That’s more than California has!). The extremely popular Acadia National Park has views for days thanks to gorgeous, pink granite cliffs, rocky beaches, and in the fall, spectacular foliage along the historic gravel carriage roads. Watch the day break from the summit of Cadillac Mountain—one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise—or take a bracing dip in the waters of Sand Beach.

The Midwest

The Midwest is best known for its grassy, open spaces, but you can also camp around some incredible geographical attractions, particularly in South Dakota, where the legendary Badlands National Park houses rock formations and fossil beds, and Wind Cave National Park features one of the longest and densest caves in the world, with unique honeycomb-like boxwork formations. Above ground you’ll find the last remaining mixed grass prairie in the country—with elk, bison, and pronghorn sheep.

With more than 10,000 lakes, Minnesota is teeming with shoreline campsites, but Voyageurs National Park is by far the most impressive—to camp here, you actually have to arrive by boat. 

The Southern United States

Sure, the American South is known for its charming cities, but its outdoor escapes are equally superb. Chesapeake Bay explorations and bluff-side campsites around historic Williamsburg are major draws in Virginia, but the state’s true claim to fame is Shenandoah National Park, offering more than 500 miles of hiking trails (including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail), as well as Skyline Drive with over 70 stunning overlooks of waterfalls, wilderness, and forests. Rambling streams, mist-covered mountains, and some of the most diverse plant and animal life in the country abound at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina

Head further south for some true backcountry adventures—tents and hammocks only—in South Carolina’s incredible Congaree National Park, which preserves the largest tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US. If it's an underwater adventure you’re after, boat down to Biscayne National Park in the northern Florida Keys and get your fill of coral reefs, dive sites, mangrove forests, and wildlife watching.

The Southwest

The Grand Canyon is, without a doubt, the premier natural attraction in the Southwest, but several other natural phenomena make the region worthy of a visit. Big Bend National Park in Texas has very minimal light pollution, making it one of the best places in the country for stargazing, while New Mexico is home to White Sands National Park and its rolling dunes of rare, white gypsum sand that you can hike, tour on horseback, and even sled down. Travel further south through the state to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a must-see labyrinth of more than 100 caves and stalactites. Pitch a tent in the backcountry (no lodging in the park) or set up your RV in the surrounding BLM land.

America's West Coast

West coast, best coast? Boasting wild landscapes and natural wonders at (almost) every turn, some argue the American West is a true camper’s paradise. America’s first national park, Yellowstone covers parts of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, and features more than 300 hypothermal geysers, including Old Faithful. For majestic scenery, try California, where you can find massive sequoia trees, waterfalls, and granite rock formations in Yosemite National Park, or panoramic views of stark desert at Joshua Tree National Park, named for the iconic, twisted, trees for which the park gets its name. One of the most ecologically diverse parks in the Pacific Northwest, Washington state’s Olympic National Park features three distinct ecosystems: glacier-capped mountains, rainforests, and the Pacific Coast. Stay at a campsite near the ocean and you might even catch a glimpse of humpback, sperm, or blue whales. 

Even farther west, visitors flock to Haleakalā National Park on the Hawaiian island of Maui to see spectacular sunrises and sunsets from the summit of the park’s namesake dormant volcano. Equally as magical are the glaciers in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, where you can spend your days exploring misty fjords and your nights sleeping under the stars with puffins and whales nearby.