10 Gorgeous Waterfront Campgrounds in the U.S.
by Jennifer Hattam, Istanbul, Turkey 
on 12.15.09
Haena Beach. Photo by randystoreyphotography via Flickr.
Lets face it: Camping is even better when you have a fantastic waterfront view. And there's nothing to keep you going through a tough winter like dreaming up some ideas for your next green outdoor adventure. We've picked 10 sweet camping sites with a variety of waterfront locations -- on lakes, rivers, the ocean, and more -- that afford great views and plenty of recreational opportunities.
What's your favorite place to camp by the water? Let us know in the comments section. And keep an eye out for our list of camping gems around the world.
1. Haena Beach Park (Hawaii)
If you like to unzip your tent and step out into the sand, pitching camp around Kauai is bargain bliss -- county parks charge out-of-state campers just $3 a night. Haena Beach Park, at the edge of the famous Na Pali coast, offers forest access and panoramic views of the ocean, though swimmers and snorkelers are advised to stroll down to safer waters at nearby Tunnels Beach. Anahola Beach Park has a shallow offshore reef that buffers the surf, making it the island's safest year-round swimming beach.
2. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
Exit Glacier and its outwash plain. NPS photo.
It might not be what comes to most people's minds when they think of waterfront camping, but the 12 walk-in wilderness campsites at Exit Glacier are indeed in the shadow of a pretty massive body of water -- it's just in ice form. The site of the first recorded crossing of the Harding Icefield, Exit Glacier is still on the move; you can walk to its terminus when water levels are low, but watch out for falling chunks! The Exit Glacier area also contains a dramatic day hike in the Harding Icefield Trail. Those who prefer their water wet can kayak the fjords.
3. Gold Bluffs Beach Campground (California)
Sunset on the coast in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Photo by graymalkn via Flickr.
Right on the Humboldt County coast, within an old-growth forest of coastal redwoods, western hemlock, and Douglas fir, Gold Bluffs Beach Campground is a special spot indeed. Surrounding Prairie Creek Redwood State Park is a sanctuary for the big trees that offers plenty of hiking trails; 10 miles of sandy shoreline for beach combing; a dense understory of flowers, ferns, and lichens to explore in Fern Canyon; and bird- and whale-watching opportunities. Keep an eye out for Roosevelt elk, deer, bobcats, and -- especially -- mountain lions.
4. Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park (Oregon)
Cleawox Lake and sand dunes at Honeyman State Park. Photo via Oregon State Archives.
With pink rhododendrons blooming in the spring, huckleberries and blackberries ripe for the picking in the fall, and direct access to the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area from designated campsites in winter, Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park bills itself as a "camp for all seasons." About halfway up the Oregon shoreline on Highway 101, the coastal rainforest park boasts two freshwater lakes, Cleawox and Woahink, and two miles of sand dunes to explore on the way to the ocean. Visitors can entertain themselves with swimming, canoeing, fishing, and other water sports -- even scuba diving -- in the lakes, or by sandboarding on the dunes. History buffs should keep an eye out for the stonework along park roads and the lodge and terrace on Cleawox Lake -- all were built by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.
5. Salmon River Campground (Idaho)
The Salmon River near Stanley. Photo via Idaho Tourism.
With a picturesque location on the Salmon River, Salmon River Campground is located in the mixed lodgepole pine and meadow/sagebrush environment of Sawtooth National Forest, just five miles northeast of the Rocky Mountain town of Stanley, reported population 71. The Sawtooth Mountains tower over the area, which offers biking, rafting, fishing on high mountain lakes, horseback riding and hiking trails, as well as skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.
6. Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (Utah)
View of Flaming Gorge from Red Lodge Trail. Photo by lowjumpingfrog via Flickr.
Though we here at TreeHugger have plenty of bones to pick with dams, it's hard to deny that they've created some dramatic views -- including the one from the campsites on the rim of Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Early explorer John Wesley Powell named the gorge after the sun's reflection on its red rocks; the reservoir, created by damming the Green River, is now a playground for boating, fishing, and other water sports, while the river below is open to rafters. Hikers can explore trails winding through evergreen, pinyon pine, and juniper forest, broken up with meadows and views of mountain peaks.
Find more gorgeous waterfront campgrounds on page 2.
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