Want to enjoy the fun of camping at a reasonable price? Take a look at these 6 Great Places to Find Budget-Friendly Campsites in the United States.
National Parks
Over 130 park locations offer budget-friendly campsite options. Check out the National Park Service’s handy Find a Campground tool to see the variety of camping spots that are available throughout the country.
For frontcountry (car drive up camping), the National Park Service notes that amenities such as drinkable water, fire rings, picnic tables, and restrooms are available at many of these sites. The RV spots generally offer electrical hookups and waste dump stations. Backcountry camping, do to its remote nature, may require special permits. Be sure and plan camping trips and book all national park reservations well in advance.
National Wildlife Refuge System
According to the official website, “National wildlife refuges provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species and more than 1,000 species of fish”. Use the handy refuge search tool to find locations in your desired geographic area by zip code or state. You can then explore individual refuge sites to see the range of camping facilities that are available.
National Forests
The US Forest Service Site offers a cool Interactive Visitors Map that allows you to quickly drill down to individual national forests to view camping options. You may also want to check out the privately owned U.S. National Forest Campground Guide maintained by Fred and Suzi Dow for lots of intel and photos of national forest camping areas.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) Sites
One of the nation’s leading federal providers of outdoor recreation, ACE boasts 90,000 plus campsites and 11,000 plus miles of trails in its recreation areas. Go to the Corps Lakes Gateway site to search for camping spaces.
State Parks
Each state maintains its own website for exploring state park budget-friendly campsites. Simply do a quick google search for a particular state’s parks and camping, and you will find lots of good information. State parks, in my humble opinion, offer a wonderful combination of amenities and recreational opportunities in addition to budget-friendly campgrounds.
City Parks
Although not nearly as many offer camping as state parks, when you find city parks that do allow camping, these can be great places to enjoy rest and recreation. Once again, hop on the internet and get to surfing for city park camping in the area in which you wish to spend some time.
In addition to information about budget-friendly campsites above, check out these camping tips:
7 Pieces of Camping Gear Worth Every Penny
5 Dangerous, Common Camping Mistakes
We just got back from a road trip on a budget. We had such an awesome time. National and state parks and museums are often just as much fun (if not more in some cases) than crowded amusement parks and oh so much cheaper. 🙂