The East Coast offers some of the best camping with its remote mountains and ocean beaches. (Shutterstock photo)
April 01, 2025
By Matt Crawford
From remote mountain tops to spectacular ocean beaches—and plenty of places in between—the Northeast’s diverse landscape has thousands of campgrounds all within a few hours’ drive. Whether you prefer pitching a tent on some public dirt or rolling your tricked-out Sprinter into a private campground, here’s a look at 10 great camping spots in the region.
Burton Island State Park Shutterstock photo An island in northern Lake Champlain with stunning views of the Adirondacks to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, Burton Island can be accessed by boat, paddle craft or state-run ferry. There are three cabins, 14 tent sites, 26 lean-tos and four remote tent sites. Boat owners can tie up in the 100-slip marina, which has Wi-Fi, dockside electricity and a marine holding tank pump-out facility. The island has a nature center, museum, camp store and snack bar. The chances of catching a 3-pound smallmouth bass from shore anywhere around the 253-acre park are decent. Burton Island sits smack dab in the center of some of the best bass fishing in the US.
Sandy Pines Camping Shutterstock photo You’d be hard-pressed to find a campground that embraces the idea of “glamping” more than Sandy Pines . From 430-square-foot canvas tents with king-sized beds, air conditioning and mini-fridges to a chuck wagon on the edge of a salt marsh, Sandy Pines is the ultimate in luxurious camping. You’ll need very little gear to enjoy a stay at Sandy Pines.
Pine Grove Forest State Park Nestled on the northern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pine Grove provides easy access to hiking on the Appalachian Trail and a host of spur trails perfect for shorter day hikes. (The Appalachian Trail Museum, the only museum in the country dedicated to hiking, is close to the state park.) Seventy tent and trailer sites are available from late-March to mid-December, and each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring. The historic Paymasters Cabin can be rented for week-long stays.
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Harriman State Park Shutterstock photo Harriman State Park is the second-largest park in the New York State Parks system and is easily accessible to millions of urban-dwelling outdoor lovers. It has 31 lakes and reservoirs, 200 miles of hiking trails, two beaches and two public camping areas. Highly recommended is Beaver Pond Campground near Lake Welch, which offers access to beaches and hiking trails. Fun fact: “The Pine Barrens,” one of the most memorable episodes of The Sopranos, was filmed not in southern New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, but in Harriman State Park.
Arcadia National Park Shutterstock photo Among its 47,000 acres on the Downeast coast, Arcadia , one of the most-visited national parks in the United States, has four main campgrounds. Blackwoods, Seawall and Schoodic Woods are great tenting spots, while Duck Harbor Campground (located on Isle au Haut and accessible only by ferry) offers a more remote experience. Arcadia’s views are stunning, but do know there will be crowds come summertime. Arcadia National Park is home to 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, which gives pre-dawn climbers a chance to be among the first people in the US to see the sunrise. Cadillac Mountain was also home to a World War II radar facility designed for early-warning aircraft detection.
Saranac Lake Islands From the middle of May to early September, Saranac Lake Islands , in the middle of the Adirondack Park, provides a unique outdoor adventure for those who want to combine boating with camping. This is waterfront camping, with 87 campsites and five lean-to sites scattered on Middle and Lower Saranac lakes.
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Ohiopyle State Park Shutterstock photo This is the spot if you’re looking for a place to combine camping with whitewater rafting. With more than 200 campsites of various types, including cottages and yurts, Ohiopyle is an excellent choice for hiking, biking or playing in the world-famous whitewater of the Youghiogheny River Gorge. The state park encompasses more than 20,000 acres, and while it can be busy with visitors, the more remote walk-to tent sites are far from the crowds. Renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water and Kentuck Knob house designs are nearby.
False Cape State Park Shutterstock photo One of the last remaining undeveloped areas along the Atlantic coast, the 4,321-acre False Cape State Park offers year-round primitive camping with restrictive access. Everything here is carry-in and carry-out. Reservations are required, and this camping trip is best left to the most prepared campers and hikers—but the memories of the experience can last a lifetime. The Atlantic waters around False Cape are notorious for their shipwrecks, some of which can be explored at low tide. Be careful about wildlife: Loggerhead sea turtles can nest on the shoreline in May.
Chickahominy Riverfront Park Located in the heart of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, this small park has more than 80 campsites for tenters, car campers and RV owners. Bonus: There are six glamping sites here, each overlooking Gordon Creek. While Chickahominy River gets the lion’s share of attention, Gordon Creek, part of the park, is a mecca for anglers who want to fish for largemouth bass out of canoes or kayaks.
Coopers Rock State Forest Shutterstock photo Once the heart of America’s iron industry, the area around Coopers Rock State Forest has leaned into its bucolic nature since the state forest was established in 1936. There are two campgrounds. McCollum, with electrical hookups and a central bathhouse for RVs. Rhododendron is much more primitive, with no trailers and electric hookups available. The remains of the Henry Clay Furnace—the first steam-powered blast furnace in western Virginia—are a popular hiking and biking destination in the forest.
