11 Great Summer Camping Getaways in the East
With the kick-off summer looming on the horizon, you may already be thinking about building sand castles, canoeing mountain lakes, and gathering around the campfire during a summer camping trip. Don’t just make it a dream - make it reality by booking your East Coast summer camping getaway today.
1. Womack Creek Campground, Florida State Forest
Tate’s Hell State Forest’s Womack Creek Campground, about 10 miles southwest of Sopchoppy, has a boat launch and is a great central location for canoeing, kayaking and fishing. The forest offers 35 miles of rivers within close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico that will provide numerous water adventures in a quiet forest camp setting for the entire family.
2. New River State Park, North Carolina
Hike, paddle and go tubing on one of the oldest rivers in North America. The calm, shallow waters of the New River flow through hilly forests and Appalachian farmlands. Choose from paddle-in, drive-in and walk-in campsites at four water-side campgrounds, where you’re steps away from slipping your boat into the river and casting for smallmouth bass, rainbow trout and rockfish.
3. F.D. Roosevelt State Park, Georgia
Hike the hills where President Franklin D. Roosevelt found relief from his polio symptoms in the warm springs of southeast Georgia. Visit the overlook at Dowdell’s Knob where his life-size statue greets you, then cool off in the spring-fed waters of the Liberty Bell swimming pool. The park’s cottages and campsites are a perfect jumping off point for horseback riding and kayaking in the park.
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4. Lake Dennison Recreation Area, Massachusetts
Camp on the wooded shores of the 85-acre lake in central Massachusetts. Swim off the park’s sandy beach and launch your canoe or kayak to fish for trout and largemouth bass. Tackle over 50 miles of beginner-friendly singletrack, fire road, and dirt road mountain bike trails nearby in Otter River State Forest and Birch Hill Wildlife Management Area.
5. Hampton Beach State Park, New Hampshire
Explore miles of sandy Atlantic Ocean beach from your campsite at the mouth of the Hampton River. Go whale watching for the chance to see humpbacks, finbacks, minkes and right whales, or charter a fishing boat for a day of deep sea fishing. Sites in the all-RV campground have full hook-ups and views of the river. Pets are allowed in the park year-round.
6. Bull Run Regional Park, Virginia
Located just outside Washington, D.C., Bull Run Regional Park unites history with plenty of outdoor recreation. The area served as the famous Civil War battle of Bull Run, notably at Blackburn’s Ford, where a Union brigade attempted to cross the creek. The park has bathhouses, camp store, the Bull Run Shooting Center (skeet, trap, and sporting clays), disc golf, the Atlantis Waterpark, playgrounds, and several nature and equestrian trails.
7. Glimmerglass State Park, New York
The mirror-like surface of Otsego Lake earned it the poetic nickname Glimmerglass in a series of literary works by native author James Fenimore Cooper. Dense woods and rolling mountains ring the peaceful lake located 7.5 miles north of Cooperstown, where you can fish for walleye, perch and smallmouth bass, go hiking and biking, or swim at the sandy beach on Hyde Bay. RV and tent camp at over 40 primitive and partial hook-up sites on Shadow Brook and Beaver Pond.
8. Fishermens Memorial State Park, Rhode Island
You’ll feel like you’re vacationing in a seaside village in your tent or RV campsite, while positioned only a 15-minute drive from Newport. Spend the day at Scarborough, Salty Brine or Roger Wheeler state beaches, or take the ferry to Block Island for kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing, biking and ocean fishing. Return to camp for a game of horseshoes before your evening campfire.
9. Gillette Castle State Park River Camping, Connecticut
For an evening of stars and solitude, gather your friends and family to camp in the primitive, boat-in group campsite on the banks of the Connecticut River. Tour the 184-acre estate of actor, director and playwright William Hooker Gillette, and hike the trails along a three-mile narrow gauge railroad line. Gillette’s 24-room castle, constructed on a hill overlooking the river, is designed to replicate medieval castle architecture, with stone turrets, white oak woodwork and 47 carved-wood doors.
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10. Indian River Marina, Delaware
Spend a weekend boating, swimming and fishing at one of the modern camping cottages at Indian River Inlet. Cottages come with beds, full bathrooms, kitchens, air conditioning and screened porches overlooking the river. Sail and paddle along six miles of coastline, or pull up a camp chair and get a front row seat for flocks of sanderlings, semipalmated sandpipers and ruddy turnstones that descend on the coast to feed on eggs during horseshoe crab spawning season.
11. Fair Haven Beach State Park, New York
High bluffs, sandy beaches and rolling woodlands are your playground at this upstate New York getaway on the shores of Lake Ontario. Bike and swim, or rent a paddle boat or kayak to paddle the waters of Sterling Pond. Set up camp at one of the tent and RV campsites, and rest up for a big day of fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Lake Ontario and Little Sodus Bay.
Are you ready for your adventure? Plan your camping trip!
Check with your Local Government Organization
Many policies have been established to counter and control the coronavirus outbreak. State and local officials have been taking decisive action to stop the spread. The policies vary by state, sometimes to a great degree. When you book a reservation, make sure to review the park and state's latest rules and regulations prior to your visit.
For COVID-19 updates, please visit our Impacted Park List and Reservation Guide for the latest information.