Waterside camping in United States

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

96% (247096 reviews)

Popular camping styles for United States

Dog-friendly getaways

12 top waterside campgrounds in United States

96%
(548)

Brooks Lake, a piece of Heaven

30 sites · RVs, Tents56 acres · Conyers, Rockdale
Under new owners and new onsite managers. Privately owned Brooks Lake, located just 25 miles east of Atlanta and 5 miles North of I-20 in Conyers, Georgia. Brooks Lake is a peaceful retreat to the outdoors where you can meditate or be as active as you wish. 56 acres of rolling hills, shaded bluffs, grassy plains, and a 50 acre spring fed lake with serious fishing for Bass, Bream, Crappie, or Catfish. For the more active individual you can rent paddle boats, canoes or fishing boats. Complimenting Brooks Lake’s abundant green space, are its wonderful amenities such as: community fire pit, picnic pavilions, swimming, volleyball, horseshoes, softball, and basketball (All at your Own Risk; No Lifeguards on duty)! There are Restrooms available(no showers). We encourage everyone to continue using good social distancing for the safety of all.
from 
$60
 / night
96%
(805)

Sparrow Bend River Retreat

11 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents8 acres · Pipe Creek, Bandera
Sparrow Bend River Retreat is a beautiful 8 acre multi-site vacation rental property with camping, RV sites and 2 vacation homes. With a private 300yard stretch of the crystal-clear, spring fed MEDINA RIVER your party will spend the day exploring its majestic cliffs and coves, paddling/floating the river (tubes and kayaks for rent), splashing in the shallows, playing yard games on the lawn or sunbathing on a massive bolder. Enjoy a delicious and memorable dinner in Lakehills (15min), Bandera (20min) or Boerne (25min). Or stay in and grill out over the fire, or at the provided grill. Camp sites each have a customized picnic table for you convenience. Spend you evening sharing laughs around the provided firepit as you take in the dazzling canopy of stars. (Firewood available for sale) Our family has always dreamed of hosting a place for families and friends to come enjoy nature however we would have never dreamed of finding a property as unique and beautiful as this. A lake when the water is high, a beautiful river when the waters low. All crowned by a majestic limestone bluff, complete with boulders, coves and endless room for adventures. This land was once a part of a wagon trail along the river and, if you're lucky, you can still find arrowheads along the paths. The property is gated with a high privacy fence along the neighboring borders for security.
from 
$55
 / night
99%
(356)

Mangrove Lounge

4 sites · RVs, Tents3 acres · Haleiwa, Honolulu
I grew up here my whole life, and I never got bored living here. Every day I got to wake up and go to the beach just minutes away from home, or my cousins and I would have a fishing contest to see who could catch the most fish. We would also go paddling up the river to lay nets down to catch some ono (delicious) crab for dinner. Nothing like living the true local style, which is the same experience I want you to have. Learn more about this land: Aloha! Looking for a place to lounge and adventure? Mangrove Lounge is the place for you! Mangrove Lounge is located right behind the historical town called Haleiwa Town. Camper Vans or RVs are more then welcome! During the day, enjoy access to a private river where you can take your fishing pole and catch yourself some dinner. After a busy day, enjoy a nice hot bath in a private shower under the stars, along with a flushing toilet and sink. Upon request and additional charge, end your adventure with a cozy night next to the fire pit ($28.00 for fire pit). Mangrove Lounge is 3-5 minutes (driving) away from many beaches and eateries in Haleiwa town where you can also do all your shopping. Less then a mile away, you can find all the delicious food trucks including the famous Giovanni Shrimp Truck. You can find your nearest supermarket just 1.2 miles away called Malama Market, and Longs Drug Store right across the street from Malama Market. Mangrove Lounge provides free Wi-Fi, clean bathroom, a new shower with hot water, access to a private river for relaxing or fishing, spacious camping tents if requested for $30.00-$40.00 your entire stay, about 800ft from the nearest bus stop, and secured privacy so you and your friends or family can relax, feel safe, and most importantly...have fun! 😊 Details about each campsite lounge: -Each campsite lounge provides a spacious area for tents or campervans. -Picnic table big enough to fit four people comfortably. -Garbage bins for trash. -Water hose located all around campsite for guests to use. - Access to a private river. -If its not a cloudy night, the stars here at Mangrove Lounge is beautiful. -And don't worry, free Wi-Fi will also be provided so that you can stay in touch with family and friends. -Bathroom facility is sanitized and cleaned everyday. Feel free to message me on Hipcamp if you have any questions about Mangrove Lounge, and I hope to see you there. Mahalo!
from 
$85
 / night
85%
(50)

Magnolia Gardens Park

60 sites · RVs, Tents200 acres · Houston, Harris
Located steps from the San Jacinto River Historic Magnolia Gardens Park. Have your coffee riverside as the steam rises off the warm water. Observing the abundant wildlife. If a secluded GREEN space is what you're looking for, you fond it!Learn more about this land:Located on the sandy beaches of the San Jacinto River, Magnolia Gardens park. We offer a family environment you can picnic, camp, swim, fish, kayak, and rent jet skis. Set up your tent on the beach, or in the wooded areas. You can drive around the property till you find the perfect spot. There are areas near electric plugs 🔌 not Available in all areas of the park. If u wish for secluded camp site. We have plenty of space away from The world. Disconnect to reconnect
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$25
 / night
97%
(237)

Bay Forest Retreat

7 sites · Lodging, Tents11 acres · Navarre, Santa Rosa
Explore 11+ acres of rustic and untamed woods. We are two military veteran families who enjoy the land as a place for family and friends to explore, camp, and relax at the 250+ feet of the East Bay beach. Primitive camping is permitted at designated wooded high grounds in the middle of the property. It is a 5 and 10-minute rugged hike in to the middle ground and waterfront, respectively. The trail remains under development, so please bring close-toed shoes or boots for hiking throughout the property (depending on rainfall, there may be mud and water). Our Glamper is a 10x12 canvas furnished tent located a short but rugged 2-minute hike from parking. It provides the opportunity to go camping without having to pack all the gear. Our location is minutes from the Emerald Coast - 7 mins to Navarre Beach, - 30 mins to Pensacola Beach, - 15 mins to Naval Live Oaks, - 45 mins to Fort Pickens, - 50 mins to NAS Pensacola, - 45 mins to Santa Rosa Island, - 35 mins to Okaloosa Island, - 40 mins to Destin. Recommended local restaurants: Ye Olde Brothers Brewery, Dewey Destin’s, Windjammers, TC’s Front Porch, Deb’s Coffee, Top’s Burgers, and New York Pizza Depot. Other sightseeing in the area includes: Museums: National Naval Aviation Museum, Air Force Armament Museum, Fort Pickens, Indian Temple Mound Museum, Pensacola Museum of Art, Museum of Industry, and Destin History & Fishing Museum Additional activities include: Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, HH Arts Gallery, Emerald Coast Science Center, Gulf Breeze Zoo, and Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. We look forward to seeing you on the trail!
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$32
 / night
87%
(41)

Bare Camping

3 sites · Tents1 acre · Stony Point, Rockland
Property was bought just as another project. However, after realizing the beautiful surroundings it only made sense to share it with others.
from 
$35
 / night
98%
(185)

Flying Frog Ranch

5 sites · RVs2 acres · West Palm Beach, Palm Beach
Nominated as BEST HIPCAMP IN FLORIDA, Flying Frog Ranch is exactly that peaceful getaway you are searching for, while still being close enough to all things Florida.  From friendly wildlife, to hidden gems, Flying Frog provides you a peaceful stay off the beaten path, while still being close to all you seek.  The property is a shared space consisting of 1+ acre of private, natural setting, including a well stocked pond.  You can wake up and see all sorts of friendly wildlife coming and going, including peacocks, rabbits, turtles, and much more.   Fishing, nature trails, animal safari, horseback riding can all be found throughout the neighborhood, and beaches are just a short drive away. Leap into Flying Frog!Our guests love staying here "I really loved this place! It was quiet yet close to everything.   I love walking the property and taking in all the natural beauty.  He responded quickly to texts if I had a question.  Very peaceful and quiet! If you don't like busy campgrounds this is the place to go to.  A little piece of paradise with the pond and turtles and all his flowering trees. I also saw a peacock while there!  I extended my booking for an extra day."
from 
$29
 / night
95%
(48)

Honey Bunny’s Urban Oasis

2 sites · RVs1 acre · St Petersburg, Pinellas
🐝 👀check out our EXTRAS👀 🐝 Elderberry/Hot Sauce/Bug Spray/Pickleball/surfboards 🦩WE ONLY HOST VANS/CLASS B vehicles/very small travel trailers🦩 🌈 Everyone Welcome 🌈 As a family who has towed campers across the US a couple times utilizing Hip Camp we know others will appreciate the ease of pulling into our little 1 acre urban oasis just a couple miles off the interstate in Floridas Coolest City. It’s an ideal location to explore St Pete (5 miles to St Pete beach, 4 miles to downtown -$12 Uber ride), Sarasota and/or Tampa. We have a paved circular driveway overlooking our beehives, henhouse and seasonal garden where you’ll find a table with chairs and plenty of space to cookout & enjoy a quiet evening with a great sunset under the bamboo. This is one of South St Pete’s oldest neighborhoods- it surrounds an active former PGA golf course and lively country club. It’s a great place for safely biking or walking with playgrounds and dog parks nearby. There are many owls, raptors, green parrots and osprey overhead as we’re just a few blocks from the beautiful Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. - not to be missed! The Pinellas Trail is just a short bike ride away too and can lead you to downtown.
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$29
 / night
92%
(19)

Caravan Outpost - Ojai Oasis!

1 site · Lodging6 acres · Ojai, Ventura
Tucked away at the outskirts of Ojai, Caravan Outpost offers an unique experience hosted in one of our 10 Airstreams or 1 Tiny House on Wheels. Learn more about this land: This listing is for one of our 10 Airstreams located in a plush, beautiful Oasis in Ojai, California. Caravan Outpost is a garden filled with Airstreams in Ojai, CA. One of the most unique places to stay in all of America. The Outpost is family-friendly and located on the Ojai Valley bike path. Ride one of our complimentary bikes, enjoy the beautiful botanical garden, eat at a local delicious restaurant, hike one of the many trails, listen to our vinyl collection - Relax and enjoy!
from 
$336
 / night
94%
(340)

Arber-Moore's Ranch

6 sites · RVs, Tents22 acres · Oak View, Ventura
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 !!"
from 
$69
 / night
99%
(105)

Mission Ranch "Mi Querida"

7 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · San Benito
Annular Eclipse Saturday, October 14, 2023 Nearby SF Bay Area viewing 9:20am PDT (16:20 UDT) The New Moon—on October 14—will coincide with the Great American Annular Eclipse, providing a fantastic opportunity to observe the “Ring of Fire” – an incredible thin ring of sunlight that is visible around the moon during this phenomenon. The Nearby Second Best viewing opportunity is a quick and easy 60 minute drive from the SF Bay Area. At Mi Querida we will be viewing a 80% Annular Eclipse on Saturday morning 9:20am, while live streaming the full path of the eclipse from Mexico through Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. Your booking includes a pair of safe solar viewing “eclipse glasses” for your safety. NEWS FLASH: Charge your EV on-site while watching the eclipse! Come to your "Nearby Getaway" at Mi Querida - an easy drive from the SF Bay Area - for great Annular Eclipse views. Book today. Space is limited. Contact Host for Special Daytime Eclipse Viewing rate. Learn more about this land: This is a large flat site with rolling hills, lovely rural views, rolling oak studded pastureland, open views, lovely sunsets and beautiful mornings. Very quiet, private, peaceful and serene. Afternoon breezes while red tailed hawks ride the thermals, and woodpeckers work on their treasure hoarde. Wildlife abounds. Easy access from Highway 101, yet private and secluded. Historic San Juan Bautista Mission and town nearby. Monterey/Carmel 30 minutes. Santa Cruz/Beaches 30 minutes. Hollister, Salinas, or Gilroy 20 minutes. Site will accommodate RV, Sprintervan, or trailer 50/30/20 amp service. Tents welcome too! Water. Ranch "outhouse" with flushable RV style toilet, running hot & cold water, shower and electricity. Bunkhouse accommodations available. Contact Host for details. Tent and Car Top Tent sites also available. Contact Host for details. Beautiful peaceful historic San Juan Bautista. Quaint historic mission town nearby with restaurants. Hiking trails nearby Horseback riding woods & beach. Equine Facilities available. 20 min to beach or redwoods. Beautiful rural area. Weddings, anniversaries, celebrations of life; event camp; event site. Family groups and events always welcome! Call for more information. NOTE: This property is located in a very private country area. It is approximately 10 minutes from the small historic town of San Juan Bautista. We meet our first time guests at the Park & Ride as a welcome courtesy so you can easily follow us in and around the potholes on our rural roads! Let us know if we can assist you with any special interests or attractions in the Monterey Bay and Central Coast Area. As your hosts, our goal is that you will rest easy, enjoy the relaxation, peace and harmony for your "getaway."
from 
$115
 / night
100%
(957)

Belle and Beau Acres

17 sites · RVs, Tents33 acres · Baxter, Putnam
Whether you're looking for peace, relaxation, or riverside adventure, Belle and Beau Acres hits the mark for any nature enthusiast. Location, location! BBA has taken the guess work out of rustic camping. Ranked as a Best of Tennessee Hipcamp and situated in a convenient spot for Upper Cumberland waterfalls, hiking, kayaking, lake life and more. A short list of what to expect on site includes: PRIVACY - ADVENTURE - GETAWAY Quick response time/last minute requests accepted Spacious, shady, leaf-bed campsites 360 degree views of relaxing nature Waterfall (365 days of flow) Rock shelter under Ledge Waterfall Two shallow lazy rivers for soaking Hiking trails onsite Multiple spring-fed creeks Countless water cascades for exploring Star gazing over wide pastures Old forests for ample shade and hammock hanging Cellular reception at campsites (usually at least 1 bar) Please read the site descriptions carefully to match your style of camping with the appropriate campsite. BBA guests frequently camp with a tent, vehicle, smaller camper, hammock tent, roof top tent, pop-up camper and similar styles depending on their selection. Most of the photos in this listing are taken onsite. Please keep in mind this is primitive and wild Tennessee landscape that may also contain poisonous plants and wildlife in or around campsites. Access to fresh water fun is a short down-hill hike for all guests, with the exception of our hike-in campsites which are positioned alongside the river. Each spot has been strategically selected to provide as much privacy as possible, and comfortably accommodates groups with two vehicles. We provide a rock fire pit and heavy duty cast iron grill grate. You provide everything else, including drinking water and personal toilet waste bags if you plan to use our system. The hike-in sites come with extra seating. Children ages 5 and younger are welcome to camp for free. Everyone else must be added as additional guests on your reservation. Thank you! COMMUNITY COMFORT STATION: There is a comfort station with an outdoor shower stall for hanging your own solar shower bag. The comfort station also includes a changing room which doubles as a private place to use your portable camping toilet. A toilet seat and bucket system is provided but guests will need to use their own waste disposal bags, available at most camping supply stores. The backside of the comfort station has a rain barrel (not potable) collection system for extinguishing fires. OFF-ROAD CONDITIONS: Due to the primitive nature of our location, all reservations should expect potential bumpy or muddy road access, especially after heavy rain. December-March is usually the worst and may require hiking in. We ask all guests to help us minimize impacts by driving with care. We do not recommend vehicles with low ground clearance, but we do leave this decision up to our guests. An important note, 4wd has not been needed and guests always have the choice to park their vehicles at the entrance. Expect a hilly terrain, about a quarter-mile to half-mile hike. Belle and Beau Acres is a private homestead with an organized, personal campground, conveniently located less than five minutes from I40. Expect nothing short of 360 degree views of relaxing nature, privacy, and spontaneous adventure when staying at BBA. Central to the most beautiful middle Tennessee destinations, this location provides the perfect home base for day excursions to several state parks and lakes. Conveniently located on the Eastern Highland Rim between Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga in the lower Appalachian mountains, this area sits at the Upper Cumberland Plateau and is part of Tennessee's largest micropolitan area of Cookeville. Visit popular nearby attractions such as Cummins Falls, Burgess Falls, Fancher Falls, Greeter Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Blue Hole, Rock Island, Center Hill Lake, Dale Hollow Lake, and Caney Fork River. The choices are endless! The Klein family purchased their home in 2015 after grieving the sudden loss of a beloved family member and realizing that life is truly too short. They traded their bustling city life for a more permanent connection to nature. This small family of four lives at the entrance of their 33 acre old ranch, hosting primitive camping and leaning into a homesteading lifestyle. It wasn't until the family started shaping the land for their personal use until they realized the abundant beauty that surrounds the home. Hidden away and inaccessible were gorgeous rocky cliffs, rivers and even a waterfall! Hipcamp has provided an avenue for them to carefully share this experience with others. On the land, they enjoy cooling off in the spring water, organic gardening, foraging for wild edibles, hiking, and exploring their onsite rivers and natural springs. Your host Christine is creative and loves working in her onsite fiber studio while her husband David is often found in his organic garden. Their son Elliott is a student at Tennessee Tech University and their daughter Freya is a student at Upperman High School. David, Elliott, and Freya enjoy playing music together professionally in their band My Heart Your Heart.
from 
$25
 / night

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Waterside camping in United States guide

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.

States in United States

Top regions in United States

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