The West’s Best Wine Country Camping Experiences
When you think of camping, images of hiking trails, fly fishing and splashing in a mountain creek come to mind. But there are more ways to be adventurous than being in nature. Add a touch of culture to your next camping getaway with a visit to a local winery where you’re likely to find stately tasting rooms, scenic patios overlooking fields of ripening grapevines and warm hospitality from grape-growers who are eager to share their vino and their knowledge of the area.
From the lush river valleys of Oregon to the berry-rich mountains of Montana’s Glacier country, wine growers are producing award-winning libations that taste their best when you’re sipping in the summer sunshine. Many winemakers offer personal tours and options like picnic lunches.
Since campgrounds and alcoholic beverages generally don’t mix, you’ll want to appoint a designated driver and sample your wine responsibly. Choose a moderate number of wineries to visit, carry plenty of bottled water with you and ask for crackers to cleanse your palate between tastings.
Add these campground and winery pairings to your outdoor adventure bucket list.
1. Lockhart State Park, Texas
Winery Pairing: Dry Comal Creek Vineyards
Driving Distance: 1 hour
Hike along Clear Fork Creek and fish for bass, catfish and sunfish before you cool off with a dip in the park swimming pool in the morning. By afternoon, you’ll be ready to sip a Tempranillo or viognier under the Texas Hill Country oaks at Dry Comal Creek. Many wines are made from 100 percent Texas grapes, including a sweet rose made from estate-grown Black Spanish grapes.
2. Bruneau Dunes State Park, Idaho
Winery Pairing: Crossings Winery
Driving Distance: 40 minutes
Hike the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America and go sandboarding, a cross between skateboarding and snow sledding, from your campsite or cabin on Dunes Lake. After climbing the 470-foot mountain of sand, you’ll be ready to visit the winery and barrel room at Crossings Winery in the Snake River Valley for a tasting, followed by dinner at Tannins Restaurant.
3. Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Winery Pairing: King’s Raven Winery
Driving Distance: 1 hour
Tent sites, RV sites and cabins in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains are your base camp for hiking the Trail of Ten Falls to 177-foot South Falls in the state’s largest state park. After your hike, visit 75-year-old King’s Raven Winery for hand-crafted whites, reds and hybrid red wines. Take a tour of this family-owned operation to learn about the history of wine-making in the Willamette Valley. If you can schedule your visit during one of their concerts or stargazing nights, even better.
Recommended: East Coast Craft Brewery Camping Guide
4. Flathead Lake State Park, Montana
Winery Pairing: Mission Mountain Winery
Driving Distance: 15 minutes
Tent and RV camp, or stay in a yurt on the shores of Flathead Lake with spectacular views of Montana’s Mission Mountains in the distance. Launch your boat to explore Wild Horse Island or hike the ponderosa and juniper forest for a glimpse of bighorn sheep and bald eagles. A quick trip down the road and you’ll be sampling award-winning cab, merlot and the signature Monster Red blend at Mission Mountain Winery. Don’t leave without tasting their huckleberry-infused white.
5. Green River State Park, Utah
Winery Pairing: Castle Creek Winery
Driving Distance: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Set up your tent or RV on the grassy banks of the Green River to canoe, kayak or raft from Labyrinth Canyon to the Colorado River. For a modern glamping weekend, stay in the park’s rustic cabin. Either way, you’ll be a short and scenic drive around Arches National Park to the outdoor patio overlooking the mighty Colorado at Castle Creek Winery. Sip a crisp chenin blanc or buttery chardonnay while you admire the red rocks and sapphire skies of Moab.
6. Crawford State Park, Colorado
Winery Pairing: Cottonwood Cellars
Driving Distance: 55 minutes
Explore Colorado’s western slope, including Black Canyon of the Gunnison, from the small campground of partial and full hook-up tent and RV sites on Crawford Reservoir. After a morning of jet-skiing or motorboating, visit the 52-acre family farm at Cottonwood Cellars to sample their Lemberger and Gewurztraminer under the cottonwoods on the front lawn.
Recommended: 9 Refreshing Lake Camping Experiences
7. Fenton Lake State Park, New Mexico
Winery Pairing: Ponderosa Valley Vineyards & Winery
Driving Distance: 50 minutes
Camp in the ponderosa pine forest of the Jemez Mountains in partial hook-up sites near the lake and the Rio Cebolla River. Fly fish for rainbow and brown trout, go kayaking and canoeing, or hit the mountain biking trails before you head to the tasting room at Ponderosa Valley for their signature Rieslings, blush wines and gold medal pinot noir.
8. Morrow Mountain State Park, North Carolina
Rocky River Vineyards
Driving Distance: 30 minutes
Morrow Mountain State Park is nestled in the Uwharrie Mountains, a terrain of rugged hills - unusual topography for the area - that create a stark contrast with the rolling countryside of the piedmont plateau. After your day in exploring the hilly wilderness, return to civilization at Rocky River Vineyards’ tasting room to sample their Carlos Muscadine and Noble Muscadine wines fermented on site in stainless steel tanks.
9. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon
Winery Pairing: Marchesi Vineyards & Winery
Driving Distance: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Rustic cabins and primitive tent and RV sites are your home in the remote foothills of Mount Hood for rafting, kayaking, canoeing or manning a drift boat to navigate the John Day River as it flows through the park. Rugged, vertical cliffs line the riverbed, with hiking trails on both sides of the river to deep side canyons and rocky grasslands. Drive along the Columbia River Gorge, where the rich soil and snow-capped peaks create ideal conditions for producing the pinot grigio, pinot noir and Syrah/ Barbera blend you’ll sample at Marchesi’s Italian-influenced tasting room and patio.
Are you ready for an outdoor 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.