America’s Best Campgrounds Have Been Ranked — These 10 Came Out on Top

With thousands of campgrounds scattered across the country, finding the right place to pitch a tent or park an RV can take some digging. Beautiful scenery certainly helps, but cleanliness, facilities, activities, peace and quiet, and even the number of bugs can make a big difference once you actually arrive.

A nationwide analysis from TRIO ranked 136 of America’s most-reviewed public campgrounds after analyzing more than 111,000 Google reviews. Each campground received an overall score based on its Google rating and the sentiment found throughout reviews, with eight areas evaluated, including cleanliness, facilities, staff, peace and quiet, scenery, activities, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment.

After crunching the numbers, these 10 campgrounds came out on top.

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Schoodic Woods Campground, Maine

Schoodic Woods Campground in Winter Harbor, Maine, claimed the No. 1 spot with an impressive overall score of 98 out of 100. The campground earned excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, bugs and pests, and its surrounding environment, while its scenery was rated great.

The campground also received an excellent connectivity rating. For campers looking for a highly rated stay that doesn’t necessarily mean completely losing cell service, Schoodic Woods offers a little of both.

Indian Cove Campground, California

Coming in second was Indian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park, California, with a score of 97. It earned excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment.

Scenery and activities also received great ratings. The campground also scored well for connectivity, making it one of the higher-ranked choices for campers who don’t necessarily want to go completely off-grid.

Related: Camping Planner & Checklist Printable PDF – 17 Page Camping Trip Organizer, Packing Lists & Adventure Planner

Glacier Basin Campground, Colorado

Glacier Basin Campground in Estes Park took third place with an overall score of 96. Scenery was among its strongest areas, receiving an excellent rating alongside cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment.

The campground also received a good signal rating. That combination of scenery, peaceful surroundings, and connectivity helped put it near the very top of the nationwide list.

Wilderness Road Campground, Virginia

Wilderness Road Campground in Ewing, Virginia, also scored 96 but finished fourth in the overall ranking. Cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment all received excellent marks.

Scenery and activities both scored great, giving this campground particularly strong marks across many of the categories travelers consider when choosing where to stay.

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Ohanapecosh Campground, Washington

Ohanapecosh Campground in Randle, Washington, ranked fifth with a score of 95. Cleanliness, facilities, scenery, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment all received excellent ratings, while peace and quiet and activities received great ratings.

One potential tradeoff for travelers who need to stay connected. Signal was rated poor, making this one of the top-ranked campgrounds where disconnecting may simply be part of the experience.

Kirk Creek Campground, California

Big Sur’s Kirk Creek Campground came in sixth, also earning an overall score of 95. It received excellent ratings for cleanliness, facilities, staff, peace and quiet, scenery, bugs and pests, and the surrounding environment.

Its biggest drawback may actually appeal to campers trying to get away from their phones. Kirk Creek received a poor signal rating, and the broader study found that some of America’s highest-ranked campgrounds also had relatively weak connectivity.

Dale Hollow Dam Campground, Tennessee

Dale Hollow Dam Campground in Celina, Tennessee, took seventh place with a score of 95. It received excellent ratings for cleanliness, facilities, bugs and pests, and its surrounding environment, along with great marks for peace and quiet and activities.

The study didn’t have signal information available for Dale Hollow Dam. Still, its strong performance across several categories in the overall ranking helped secure its place in the top 10.

Related: 12 Outdoor Habits That Can Make You the Neighbor Everyone Talks About

Laguna Campground, California

California landed another campground in the top 10 with Laguna Campground in Mt. Laguna. It ranked eighth with an overall score of 94 and received excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, bugs and pests, and its surrounding environment.

Peace and quiet, scenery, and activities all received great ratings. Connectivity was rated fair, putting it somewhere between the well-connected campgrounds near the top of the ranking and the more remote locations on the list.

Tuttle Creek Campground, California

Tuttle Creek Campground in Lone Pine came in ninth with a score of 94. It received excellent marks for cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, scenery, bugs and pests, and its surrounding environment.

It also received a good connectivity rating. That could make it an appealing option for travelers who want to camp somewhere peaceful and scenic without giving up reliable cell service.

Desert View Campground, Arizona

Desert View Campground in Grand Canyon Village rounded out the top 10 with a score of 94. Cleanliness, facilities, peace and quiet, bugs and pests, and its surrounding environment received excellent marks, while staff and scenery earned great ratings.

The campground also received a good signal rating. Altogether, its strong showing across the categories evaluated was enough to secure the final spot among America’s 10 highest-ranked campgrounds in the analysis.

The results also revealed an interesting pattern beyond the top 10. Some of the country’s highest-rated camping experiences came with weaker connectivity, with five of the top 25 campgrounds receiving poor signal ratings. For plenty of campers looking to get away from everyday distractions, that might not be much of a downside at all.

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