Best Camping Spots to Try in the South

As the summer begins, many families are participating in one of the most popular activities of the season: camping.

Whether you’re planning a traditional camping trip, with tents and sleeping bags, or are driving a camper or RV, there are so many beautiful spots to spend a week out in nature, especially in the southern United States. If you’re itching to get away and spend some time in the woods, take a look at ten of the best places to camp in the South.

1.) Natural Bridge State Resort Park -Slade, KY

Named for a stunning natural landmark, a 65-foot arch made out of sandstone, which was formed by millions of years of weathering, this campground in Kentucky has to be one of the best in the South. There are also other sandstone formations and hiking trails to areas of the park called White’s Branch Arch and Henson’s Cave Arch. There are two campgrounds for tents and RVs, and many other activities to do to form a perfect getaway.

2.) Pisgah National Forest -Asheville, NC

Located outside Asheville, North Carolina, in the Appalachian Mountains that run through the state, Pisgah National Forest has several campgrounds, many of which are open year-round. The campgrounds range from modern to primitive, so this forest is perfect for any camper. Pisgah National Forest also holds claim to hundreds of miles of hiking trails, beautiful waterfalls, and breathtaking views of rolling, emerald mountains.

3.) Grayson Highlands State Park -Grayson County, VA

What sets this Southern campground apart from the rest are its wild ponies and its music festivals and activities. There are herds of wild ponies that graze the fields of the approximately 4,500 acres of the park, and horseback riding is also a popular activity at Grayson Highlands State Park. As for music, every week, folk musicians visit the campgrounds, incorporating the regional bluegrass themes into their performances, and the park is host to an annual guitar festival.

4.) Grand Isle State Park -Grand Isle, LA

Grand Isle State Park is located in one of the southernmost parts of Louisiana, on the barrier island of Grand Isle. There are 45 pull-through spots available for camping, with easy access to the water for swimming, boating, fishing, and crabbing, as well as nature observation and hiking trails. Campers are likely to see a wide variety of birds, too, including pelicans and blue herons. Visitors can even pitch a tent on the beach!

5.) Cheaha State Park -Delta, AL

Cheaha State Park encompasses Alabama’s highest point, Cheaha Mountain, and is Alabama’s oldest state park. And when it comes to camping, Cheaha State Park is incredibly diverse. The park has over seventy modern campsites, the option for primitive camping, cabins, a hotel, and chalets. This Alabama campsite also has opportunities for swimming and picnicking, and beautiful views from the top of its mountains.

6.) KOA Resort -Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is one of the most popular beach vacation destinations, but did you know it’s also an incredible campsite? The KOA resort allows visitors to pitch a traditional tent under towering, beautiful trees, to pull their RV or camper onto a plot, or to stay in a cabin with all the convenience of a normal home. You’ll be close to the beach and water, so you can swim, clam, and fish as well as camp. To combine two types of vacations into one, give the KOA Resort in Myrtle Beach a shot.

7.) Cades Cove Campground -Townsend, TN

Tennessee is famous for the Great Smoky Mountains, which are home to many hiking trails, and a national park that is shared with North Carolina. Cades Cove Campground is a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A campsite that is open year-round, it is beautiful to see and visit in any season, and full of activities and sights for all kinds of people. For avid hikers, there is a 5-mile round trip hike to a waterfall and an 11-mile loop road to tour. And for wildlife lovers looking to experience nature, enjoy the coyotes, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, and black bears.

8.) Turtle Beach Campground -Sarasota, FL

Turtle Beach Campground is right next to the Gulf of Mexico, so visitors get to visit the beach as well as have an excellent camping experience. It can host over three dozen RVs and a number of tents, and the campsites have the unique touch of crushed shells decorating the ground. As can be assumed from the name, from May through October, campers also have the opportunity to see green and loggerhead turtles nest and hatch right on the beach!

9.) Cloudland Canyon State Park -Rising Fawn, GA

Cloudland Canyon State Park is definitely a standout on this list. It has tons of campsites, as well as cottages and yurts for rent, and so many activities, it’s impossible to be bored at this park. Visitors can engage in hiking to any of the stunning waterfalls or to the top of a mountain, playing disc golf, hunting for geocaches, horseback riding, picnicking, caving, or bike riding. There is beautiful scenery everywhere you look, and no end to the outdoor fun at this Georgia state park.

10.) Grandview Sandbar Campground -Beaver, WV

If you’re looking for a quieter, more private campsite to take a trip to, this West Virginia beauty could be the one for you. Rafting and kayaking on the river, and fishing in it, are popular activities for campers, and hiking and mountain biking are also popular at Grandview Sandbar Campground. Although it can be tough to get to your campsite, and this campground is definitely more primitive than a lot of the others on this list, it’s all worth it.

If you’re looking to camp in the South this summer, check out some of the campgrounds above!