Brewery & Distillery Camping Experiences

Camaraderie, good cheer, and a juicy IPA are sweet rewards after setting up camp, whether you’re hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, RVing across Route 66, or road tripping between national parks. But driving to another location for craft beer is a drag. Fortunately, a slew of breweries and distilleries have opened their own campgrounds, where yurts, vintage motorhomes, and tent and RV sites are just steps from taprooms and barrel houses.

Campers can sample suds on a windswept mesa beneath the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico, savor local hops on a working farm in New York’s Hudson Valley, and sip whiskey on the western fringe of the Colorado Plateau. One trait these watering holes share? Striking views. Also expect open space, starry skies, fire pits, and plenty of cornhole. Most of the larger breweries sell food and host live music on weekends. Other potential pastimes include disc golf, yoga classes, and horseback riding.

Choose from tent-friendly meadows, private campsites in wooded groves, or a no-frills RV park on the edge of the Mojave Desert—other unique options include a 32-foot Spartanette, a 1959 vintage camper, and a tricked-out yurt. In the morning, complement your coffee with 100-mile views from a mountaintop in southern Vermont or with the sounds of chickens and goats near Silver City in southwest New Mexico. Rolling hills are a pleasant backdrop on a farm in central Virginia. Outdoor attractions a short drive away might include the southern Maine coast, Route 66 near Kingman, Arizona, or the Appalachian and Continental Divide trails. 

Many of these camping and glamping sites are open year-round, but more remote locations may open in warmer months only. Consider visiting during spring and summer growing seasons at the small-farm campgrounds, or try fall in Virginia, Vermont, and Maine for colorful foliage. No matter the time of year, fill your growler or buy a bottle of spirits for a post-trip toast.