Beach and dog-friendly camping in United States

America's diverse terrain has something for everyone no matter what kind of camping you’re into.

95% (65995 reviews)
95% (65995 reviews)

Popular camping styles for United States

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Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Public campgrounds in United States

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5 top beach and dog-friendly campgrounds in United States

91%
(385)

Hau'ula Homestead

2 sites · RVs, Tents2 acres · Hauula, HI
Welcome to Hau'ula Homestead! We are located on O‘ahu, the beautiful Hawaiian Island. Right across the road from Hau'ula Beach park and a short drive from famous North Shore beaches. Flat grass field with some trees and bordered by a stream. We have two RV/tent campsites available. If you are bringing an RV, we can accommodate vehicles up to 45ft in length. No hookups are available at this time, the sites are flat. Campfires are permitted. We are pet-friendly, but please keep your pets on leash. A toilet, potable water, and wifi are all available. Kokololio Beach Park is a 2-minute drive from the site. Hau'ula Loop Trail is only 4 minutes away. Kokololio Beach is a nice stretch of sand and during the summer months, swimming is possible. When coming from the south, turn left toward the mountain immediately before the long Hauula Beach park bridge or when coming from the north turn right immediately toward the mountain just after the long park bridge.
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$45
 / night
99%
(1247)

SLO Country Camp

2 sites · RVs, Tents10 acres · San Luis Obispo, CA
SLO Country Camp was once a part of the Serpa Ranch, one of the early ranches of the Central Coast. It’s remained a beautiful rural pocket in the Edna Valley area of San Luis Obispo. It’s quiet and peaceful, enjoy your morning coffee listening to all the birds waking up. There’s a private creek not far away that draws deer and wildlife. Just saw 3 deer run through out property 2 days ago. Owls, red tail hawks, eagles, squirrels and jack rabbits we see frequently. And you can listen to the coyotes howling at night. We’re surrounded by rolling coastal hills, vineyards, horses, cattle and also land apportioned to the Land Conservancy. Walk down our road and then left up to the top of the hill for a panoramic view of the entire area with the city San Luis Obispo at a distance. Our two sites are flat on decomposed granite pads. Both have excellent views and easy access to our common areas: wash/kitchen prep, and cold-water outdoor shower. Site 1 is best for trailers but Site 2 is adequate. Firewood is available for purchase at camp for those wanting to use the fire pit, or you can bring your own. The San Luis Obispo, Central Coast has so much to see and do! Hiking trails abound, my favorites are Bob Jones trail to walk or bike to Avila Beach, Johnson Ranch and Irish Hills for hiking hills, the Ridge trail for a view over Shell and Avila beaches, and the Harmony Trail to walk grassy cliffs by the ocean. Montano de Oro is only 15 minutes away with rocky ocean cliff trails that lead down to the coastline. We are 5 minutes from the beginning of the Edna Valley winery trail with 30 wineries or more I’ve lost count. Tasting and relaxing in great atmospheres. My favorites are Biddle Ranch, Talley, Mailene, Chamisal, Bailyanna... but there are so many more. We’re 10 minutes from downtown San Luis Obispo, 10–12 minutes to Avila or Pismo beaches. Morro Bay is 25 minutes. And we’re just 5 minutes off the 101 for easy access to traveling. The Central Coast has almost everything for fun, adventure and food. Surfing, biking, hiking, ocean kayaking, paddle boarding, golf, wine and beer culture, ranch lands, shopping and restaurants and we’re close to it all.
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$65
 / night
94%
(397)

Ascension Ranch

8 sites · RVs, Tents100 acres · Pilot Hill, CA
Ascension Ranch is an off-grid paradise with a unique and ever growing list of features and activities. Family owned and operated, we want to be that breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life that everyone needs. With a serene environment, a healthy mix of farm animals, and good old fashion ranch activities, there's a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. Some of the things you'll come across at Ascension Ranch include baby farm animals, sheep, goats, cattle, horses, ranch dogs, chickens, equestrian activities, hiking, biking, camping, archery, lake activities, amazing views, access to endless trails around Folsom Lake, grass-fed meats, fresh produce and of course, good company. Staying on the ranch can be as social, or as rural as guests choose. Camp alone, or bring others, whether it be your 4-legged companions or friends and family, we welcome all campers who respect and enjoy the great outdoors as much as we do.
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$49.50
 / night
98%
(200)

The Guinea Farm, Field, and Forest

4 sites · Lodging, Tents18 acres · Diggs, VA
The Guinea farm is 18 acres of feild and forest on the rural middle pennensula. Only 1 mile from 2 separate secluded beaches and a boat launch. There is verly little traffic or light polution here, nature is at your fingertips. Come visit the farm and experience agrotourism at it's finest. Pick your own veggies in the community garden and meet the Guinea fowl! Enjoy the windernes and learn about the local ecosystem here on the middle pennensula. There are 3 sites spaced out across the 18 acres set apart for privacy. Wisteria is a primative site closer to the entrance gate. Trilogy is a suspended tree tent in the pines 700' beyond that and seperated by dense forest. Stargazer Tiny cabin is an offgrid rustic camping cabin on the back side of the property. Each site is surronded by several acres of forest and close to the edge of a large feild. There are romaing guinea fowl that may come make a very loud appearance as they canvas the property eating bugs. Deer, Turkeys, Bald Eagles, foxes, and other wildlife are common guests also. Mid-summer is what I call frog season, Tree frogs are abundant and provide a wonderful soundtrack. There are free to use bicycles, an axe throwing board, and cornhole boards available. 4 miles from shopping and dining in Mathews Virginia, 15 miles to Gwynn Island. Gwynn's Island is an island located in the Chesapeake Bay off of Virginia's Middle Peninsula. The island is located in the northeast part of Mathews County, south of the mouth of the Piankatank River. It is connected to the rest of the county by a swing bridge over Milford Haven.
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$49.68
 / night

Dog-friendly getaways

Star Hosts in United States

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Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field
Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Beach and dog-friendly camping in United States guide

Overview

With coastlines, alpine mountains, and verdant hillsides, America’s diverse terrain has something for everyone no matter what kind of camping you’re into—so it’s no surprise that more than 40 million people camp in America each year. The US has plenty of national parks (63 to be exact!) and a variety of landscapes and parks to choose from.

Where to go

Northeastern United States

Henry David Thoreau was famously smitten with his natural surroundings in Massachusetts—but the rest of the Northeast is pretty impressive, too. Consider Maine, which has an astonishing 3,500 miles of craggy coastline (That’s more than California has!). The extremely popular Acadia National Park has views for days thanks to gorgeous, pink granite cliffs, rocky beaches, and in the fall, spectacular foliage along the historic gravel carriage roads. Watch the day break from the summit of Cadillac Mountain—one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise—or take a bracing dip in the waters of Sand Beach.

The Midwest

The Midwest is best known for its grassy, open spaces, but you can also camp around some incredible geographical attractions, particularly in South Dakota, where the legendary Badlands National Park houses rock formations and fossil beds, and Wind Cave National Park features one of the longest and densest caves in the world, with unique honeycomb-like boxwork formations. Above ground you’ll find the last remaining mixed grass prairie in the country—with elk, bison, and pronghorn sheep.

With more than 10,000 lakes, Minnesota is teeming with shoreline campsites, but Voyageurs National Park is by far the most impressive—to camp here, you actually have to arrive by boat. 

The Southern United States

Sure, the American South is known for its charming cities, but its outdoor escapes are equally superb. Chesapeake Bay explorations and bluff-side campsites around historic Williamsburg are major draws in Virginia, but the state’s true claim to fame is Shenandoah National Park, offering more than 500 miles of hiking trails (including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail), as well as Skyline Drive with over 70 stunning overlooks of waterfalls, wilderness, and forests. Rambling streams, mist-covered mountains, and some of the most diverse plant and animal life in the country abound at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina

Head further south for some true backcountry adventures—tents and hammocks only—in South Carolina’s incredible Congaree National Park, which preserves the largest tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the US. If it's an underwater adventure you’re after, boat down to Biscayne National Park in the northern Florida Keys and get your fill of coral reefs, dive sites, mangrove forests, and wildlife watching.

The Southwest

The Grand Canyon is, without a doubt, the premier natural attraction in the Southwest, but several other natural phenomena make the region worthy of a visit. Big Bend National Park in Texas has very minimal light pollution, making it one of the best places in the country for stargazing, while New Mexico is home to White Sands National Park and its rolling dunes of rare, white gypsum sand that you can hike, tour on horseback, and even sled down. Travel further south through the state to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a must-see labyrinth of more than 100 caves and stalactites. Pitch a tent in the backcountry (no lodging in the park) or set up your RV in the surrounding BLM land.

America's West Coast

West coast, best coast? Boasting wild landscapes and natural wonders at (almost) every turn, some argue the American West is a true camper’s paradise. America’s first national park, Yellowstone covers parts of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, and features more than 300 hypothermal geysers, including Old Faithful. For majestic scenery, try California, where you can find massive sequoia trees, waterfalls, and granite rock formations in Yosemite National Park, or panoramic views of stark desert at Joshua Tree National Park, named for the iconic, twisted, trees for which the park gets its name. One of the most ecologically diverse parks in the Pacific Northwest, Washington state’s Olympic National Park features three distinct ecosystems: glacier-capped mountains, rainforests, and the Pacific Coast. Stay at a campsite near the ocean and you might even catch a glimpse of humpback, sperm, or blue whales. 

Even farther west, visitors flock to Haleakalā National Park on the Hawaiian island of Maui to see spectacular sunrises and sunsets from the summit of the park’s namesake dormant volcano. Equally as magical are the glaciers in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, where you can spend your days exploring misty fjords and your nights sleeping under the stars with puffins and whales nearby.

Top parks in United States

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