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Rhode Island
7.09
Utah
6.85
Maryland
6.79
New Hampshire
6.7
New Mexico
6.64
Minnesota
6.57
Colorado
6.52
South Carolina
6.49
Texas
6.38
Vermont
6.38
Virginia
6.32
Massachusetts
6.22
New York
6.17
Maine
6.14
New Jersey
6.1
Oklahoma
6.07
Wisconsin
6.03
Michigan
6.01
Arizona
5.98
Connecticut
5.96
Arkansas
5.95
Oregon
5.91
West Virginia
5.86
Missouri
5.79
Washington
5.73
South Dakota
5.72
Iowa
5.64
Kentucky
5.57
Nebraska
5.54
Alabama
5.52
Alaska
5.51
Delaware
5.5
Pennsylvania
5.39
Georgia
5.38
Ohio
5.36
North Dakota
5.31
Louisiana
5.29
Illinois
5.21
Florida
5.14
Kansas
5.05
Mississippi
5.02
Hawaii
4.91
Tennessee
4.91
California
4.78
North Carolina
4.71
Idaho
4.66
Indiana
4.5
Nevada
4.35
Montana
4.14
Wyoming
3.81

Best States for Camping 2024

Best States for Camping 2024

Best States for Camping 2024

  • Each state's overall camping rating was determined by compiling the results of 9 specific indicators: National Parks per 1,000 square miles, species diversity, forest coverage, campsite quality, rainfall, fuel prices, internet access, crimes per national park, and accidents per national park.
  • Most indicators displayed use a 10-point rating scale in which 10 is the most favorable rating.
  • Rankings that evaluate different criteria may result in alternate rankings.

50 states

State
Overall Camping Rating (1-10)
Best Place to Camp
# of National Parks
National Parks List
National Parks per 1k mi²
Species Diversity (1-10)
Forest Coverage (1-10)
Campsite Quality (1-10)
Rainfall (1-10)
Fuel Prices (1-10)
Internet Access (1-10)
Accidents Per National Park (1-10)
Crimes Per National Park (1-10)
Rhode Island7.09East Beach, Charlestown08.93.0968.242.927.946.761010
Utah6.85Devils Garden Campground, Arches National Park1
  • Arches National Park
  • Bryce Canyon National Park
  • Canyonlands National Park
  • Capitol Reef National Park
  • Zion National Park
0.865.793.739.429.56.669.937.897.84
Maryland6.79Assateague State Park0104.684.295.573.547.316.199.889.65
New Hampshire6.7Pawtuckaway State Park01.293.469.414.913.7589.719.999.81
New Mexico6.64Gallo Campground at Chaco Canyon2
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • White Sands National Park
0.656.823.459.519.067.563.029.919.73
Minnesota6.57Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness1
  • Voyageurs National Park
0.194.193.698.756.728.067.999.919.66
Colorado6.52Piñon Flats Campground, Great Sand Dunes National Park4
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park
  • Mesa Verde National Park
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
0.665.353.736.338.825.4109.329.1
South Carolina6.49Edisto River Treehouses1
  • Congaree National Park
1.325.517.587.42.569.374.899.969.82
Texas6.38Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park2
  • Big Bend National Park
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
0.159.344.066.586.429.622.459.559.29
Vermont6.38Smuggler’s Notch State Park Campground01.253.388.677.393.878.884.179.999.81
Virginia6.32Big Meadow Campground, Shenandoah National Park1
  • Shenandoah National Park
3.415.666.985.573.587.825.329.469.12
Massachusetts6.22Boston Harbor Islands09.794.116.713.952.957.642.019.489.37
New York6.17Camp Orenda02.884.966.977.154.048.631.379.89.73
Maine6.14Flood’s Cove1
  • Acadia National Park
0.583.5107.863.977.983.318.799.29
New Jersey6.1Worthington State Forest Campground, Delaware Water Gap07.054.54.564.793.068.115.048.988.84
Oklahoma6.07Chickasaw National Recreation Area00.095.383.095.755.029.496.49.919.49
Wisconsin6.03Apostle Islands National Seashore 004.275.396.095.747.745.979.779.31
Michigan6.01Chapel Beach, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore1
  • Isle Royale National Park
0.154.666.147.335.77.63.69.59.43
Arizona5.98Havasupai Campground, Havasupai Reservation3
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Petrified Forest National Park
  • Saguaro National Park
1.147.082.732.89.249.655.618.756.84
Connecticut5.96White Memorial Conservation Center02.333.716.17.642.477.524.039.999.81
Arkansas5.95Buffalo National River1
  • Hot Springs National Park
0.715.086.22102.426.344.759.468.59
Oregon5.91Cape Blanco State Park1
  • Crater Lake National Park
0.146.155.335.116.74.397.059.68.7
West Virginia5.86Thorny Mountain Fire Tower, Seneca State Forest1
  • New River Gorge National Park
1.534.278.816.613.417.262.169.718.99
Missouri5.79Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park1
  • Gateway Arch National Park
0.394.973.816.573.97104.539.48.44
Washington5.73Second Beach, Olympic National Park3
  • Mount Rainier National Park
  • North Cascades National Park Olympic National Park
1.275.025.819.274.673.454.329.558.26
South Dakota5.72Blue Bell Campground, Custer State Park2
  • Badlands National Park
  • Wind Cave National Park
0.333.580.258.658.047.943.969.679.06
Iowa5.64Maquoketa Caves State Park00.043.770.765.615.487.897.199.9910
Kentucky5.57Daniel Boone National Forest1
  • Mammoth Cave National Park
0.664.855.436.262.738.273.029.459.42
Nebraska5.54Fort Robinson State Park00.243.850.174.647.48.435.111010
Alabama5.52Outpost at Gulf State Park00.996.757.855.7515.234.178.459.48
Alaska5.51Bartlett Cove Campground, Glacier Bay National Park8
  • Denali National Park
  • Gates of the Arctic National Park
  • Glacier Bay National Park
  • Katmai National Park
  • Kenai Fjords National Park
  • Kobuk Valley National Park
  • Lake Clark National Park
  • Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
0.042.733.815.37.69.571.89.768.97
Delaware5.5Cape Henlopen State Park02.613.342.917.313.327.662.889.969.54
Pennsylvania5.39Cherry Springs State Park02.694.666.485.233.845.641.89.328.83
Georgia5.38Cloudland State Park01.0907.476.222.48.823.679.918.86
Ohio5.36Hocking Hills State Park1
  • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
1.044.693.335.474.547.642.889.549.16
North Dakota5.31Juniper Campground, Theodore Roosevelt National Park1
  • Theodore Roosevelt National Park
0.082.8105.128.476.984.539.879.9
Louisiana5.29Lake Bistineau State Park00.465.25.874.60.669.831.449.939.65
Illinois5.21Starved Rock State Park Campground00.034.851.363.084.526.286.839.999.96
Florida5.14Cayo Costa State Park3
  • Biscayne National Park
  • Dry Tortugas National Park
  • Everglades National Park
0.966.55.583.761.77.992.169.697.96
Kansas5.05Wilson State Park00.214.130.352.646.4292.731010
Mississippi5.02Davis Bayou Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore00.955.337.222.760.879.561.158.189.15
Hawaii4.91Malaekahana Beach Campground2
  • Haleakala National Park
  • Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
4.942.114.658.92005.049.628.94
Tennessee4.91Elkmont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park1
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
1.795.615.832.711.759.221.377.798.16
California4.78Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park9
  • Channel Islands National Park
  • Death Valley National Park
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Kings Canyon National Park
  • Lassen Volcanic National Park
  • Pinnacles National Park
  • Redwood National Park
  • Sequoia National Park
  • Yosemite National Park
0.99103.538.617.660.952.526.722.04
North Carolina4.71Big Creek Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park1
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
1.096.156.618.232.474.2706.626.94
Idaho4.66Point Campground1
  • Yellowstone National Park
0.374.774.437.328.278.046.761.080.89
Indiana4.5Brown County State Park1
  • Indiana Dunes National Park
0.364.612.20.924.066.124.469.728.01
Nevada4.35Arch Rock Campground, Valley of Fire State Park2
  • Death Valley National Park
  • Great Basin National Park
0.045.761.610108.012.528.432.74
Montana4.14Many Glacier Campground, Glacier National Park2
  • Glacier National Park
  • Yellowstone National Park
0.174.342.936.248.937.375.040.81.44
Wyoming3.81Jenny Lake Campground, Grand Teton National Park2
  • Grand Teton National Park
  • Yellowstone National Park
0.294.741.96.69.377.893.4500

Sources