If you love to travel and stay in the great outdoors, the northeast and the eastern regions of the USA offer a host of amazing campgrounds for RV travelers and tent hikers alike. You can enjoy a range of weather and seasonal changes and get to explore stunning landscapes that are within a short distance from amenities for your convenience.
Get the best of both worlds – escape into nature while having a range of options in case you decide you’d like to get back into civilization for a little while. And check out these great places.
Woodford State Park
This park in Vermont is ideal for people who like to go hiking. You can hike in the George Aiken Wilderness Area as well as the Green Mountain National Forest and the hiking trail leading from Woodford State Park around the Adams Reservoir. The park includes 103 campsites and there are several lean-tos and 4 cabins that people can rent out. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and rowboats. Take a picnic to the designated area and lounge on the beach for a nice afternoon with your loved ones.
When you’re ready to check out the surrounding area, visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in Arlington and the Park-McCullough Mansion.
Glen Ellis Family Campground
Another family destination for your RV travels, Glen Ellis in New Hampshire is situated along the Ellis and Saco rivers and in the White Mountains. There are more than 200 campsites and you can use the laundry facilities, shop at the camp store, and enjoy bringing your family to the ice cream shop and arcade.
Not only is there ideal hiking along the Presidential Range, you can play sports onsite such as volleyball, tubing, and tennis. Stay at the Yogi Bear Jellystone campground for a bit of nostalgia of this character and the numerous fun activities that are planned for the whole family.
Normandy Farms Family Camping Resort
One of the best camping locations in the Northeast if you’ll have your kids with you, Normandy Farms is between Boston and Cape Cod. This campground was started in 1971. It has not only RV accommodations but also plenty of spots for tents and yurts.
This truly is a resort-style camping spot, with massage and yoga classes as well as a fitness center, various courts for basketball and other sports, a dog park, and laundry facilities, among other things. Speaking of sports, check out the Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park while you’re in the area. There are many special events such as movies, holiday celebrations, and cultural activities that are held year-round.
Delaware Seashore State Park
You’ll find the Indian River Bay and Rehoboth Bay on the west side of Delaware Seashore State Park, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east side. It’s a primo spot for swimming and camping out right next to the beach. RV travelers can use one of the 143 RV camping sites that have hookups.
If you love seafood this is definitely the right place for you. It’s popular to go clamming and crabbing here. Many people like to go sailboarding and surfing at this state park as well. If you like history, you can visit the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum to see re-enactments of the common techniques used to rescue ships that were in distress.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
If you feel like a scenic drive through Virginia, you might want to venture a bit further south to the unique ecosystem of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina. This park is home to over 100 species of trees that offer fall colors to rival the Northeast, and is open year round.
You can find some glamping sites here if you want luxury tent living, and if you really want to park up and savor wood floors again, hundreds of Gatlinburg cabins are nestled in the foothills as vacation rentals, complete with luxury amenities.
The national park hosts 10 campgrounds, some backcountry for hikers, and some with more amenities and accessible to RVs. Most are available only on a seasonal basis, though you can stay at Cades Cove and Smokemont Campground throughout the year.
While RV campgrounds are not abundant within the national park, there are some fabulous ones in the immediately surrounding area. Greenbrier Campground offers the full range of camping facilities from RV to tent, and is very close to one of the less trafficked entrances to the national park.
Riveredge RV Park is close to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, while River Plantation RV Resort to the north of Pigeon Forge offers a resort-like setting with water fun and a fitness center. To the west of Gatlinburg, the more quiet town of Townsend hosts a KOA that is highly regarded, and situated in beautiful country.
Wherever your itinerary takes you, always be sure to call ahead and know where you are allowed to camp with your RV as well as what to expect and where to find necessary amenities.
