If nature’s mixtape of lightly crashing waves and seabirds calling coupled with an awe-inspiring sunrise sounds like your ideal way to wake up, then you may want to consider camping right on the beach. Depending on where you are geographically in the United States, beach camping options might include an RV parking site, a campground where you can pitch a tent, or even booking a beachfront cabin. And enjoy exploring the local surroundings while at your campsite by hiking natural formations, canoeing on nearby waterways, or watching birds and other wildlife.
Here are nine of the best places for beach camping in the United States.
Oregon’s Sunset Bay State Park delivers when it comes to sunset cliff views.
Photo by Emily Marie Wilson/Shutterstock
1. Sunset Bay State Park, Oregon
- Type: Tent camping, RV hook-up sites, and rustic yurts
- Book now: Sunset Bay State Park
If awe-inspiring views of sandstone sea cliffs is your cup of tea, then consider Sunset Bay State Park in Coos Bay. This Oregon coast campsite is made for an active retreat—you can catch sun rays on the park’s nearby sandy beaches or swim in the calmer waters. Take advantage of the plethora of hiking trails around the campsite that also connect to the nearby Shore Acres and Cape Arago state parks.
Come for the Gulf shoreline, stay for the bird-watching.
Photo by Tim Malek/Shutterstock
2. Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
- Type: Drive-up tent or car camping
- Book now: No reservations are needed as the campsite is first-come, first-served and open year-round in the park. You can get a camping permit at the entrance stations before pitching your tent at Malaquite Campground, Bird Island Campground, North Beach, South Beach, and Yarborough Pass.
The longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world is located along the Padre Island National Seashore, reaching some 70 miles across the Gulf of Mexico coastline. This nature preserve 25 miles southeast from Corpus Christi is home to 380 bird species and is popular with families that like to wake up at sunrise and view sea turtle hatchling releases. For the adventurous sort, Padre Island offers swimming, nature hikes, and kayaking.
The sunset views on Orcas Island are memorable
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3. Orcas Island, Washington
- Type: Beach cabins and tents
- Book now: West Beach Resort
Whale sightings are a rare but exciting highlight of a visit to Orcas Island in Washington State. The campground at the West Beach Resort is easily accessible via ferry from the mainland with a Washington State Ferry departing from Anacortes and offers beachfront cabins as well as pet-friendly safari tents. You can take in the views from the cabin patios and take part in family-friendly campground activities like face-painting and treasure hunts.
For water lovers, kayak or canoe around East Sound Bay, as well as lakes on Orcas Island and the Pacific Ocean, where you might spot sea otters and blue heron.
Get a front-row view of snow-capped mountains at Eagle Beach State Recreation Area.
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4. Eagle Beach State Recreation Area, Alaska
- Type: RV sites, tent camping, and cabins
- Book now: Eagle Beach State Recreation Area
With a hodgepodge of outdoor activities, Eagle Beach State Recreation Area offers plenty of trails for power walking and hiking as well as places to fish. The campsite is roughly 27 miles north of Juneau, Alaska’s capital, in the southeastern part of the state. While camping here, take in the panorama of Mount Juneau and the Lynn Canal, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for sea lions, whales, and seals that rest along the area’s waterways.
Getting to the Lower and Middle Saranac Lake campgrounds requires a boat, but it’s worth it.
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5. Saranac Islands, New York
- Type: Tents and boat-access only camping
- Book now: Saranac Islands campsites
Boating fanatics who want to camp on a beach should head to the Saranac Lake Islands in New York, where you have access to lakes through a set of locks that allows your vessel to be raised or lowered to the right water level. There are even a few island sites available, offering the chance to set up camp while listening to the calls of common loons as the sun sets.
Don’t have your own boat? No worries; outfitters in Saranac Lake offer canoe, kayak, and motorboat rentals.
6. Big Sur, California
- Type: Drive-in tent camping
- Book now: Kirk Creek Campground
From SoCal’s golden sands to dramatic seascapes up north, California is a haven for beach campers. The state’s Highway 1 is a popular way to explore the diversity of its Pacific Ocean scenery as the route follows the long shoreline. One stop along the way is Big Sur, on the Central Coast. For views of some of the West Coast’s big waves, stay at Kirk Creek Campground; it has about 40 spots for tent camping. (Try to get one of the campsites numbered 8–22, which are closest to the ocean.)
It doesn’t get much closer to the water than this.
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7. Homer, Alaska
- Type: Tent and RV
- Book now: Homer Spit Campground
Situated along southern Alaska’s 4.5-mile stretch of road, the Homer Spit is known as the world’s longest road into ocean waters. Travelers can stay for the night at the Homer Campground, which has ample RV and tent camping availability. From your RV, you can view Kachemak Bay and the surrounding mountains. There are also cultural activities available along the peninsula like the Inupiat Heritage Center and the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Visitor Center that provides visual renderings of the historic 1,000-mile migration land bridge between Alaska and Russia, once trekked by woolly mammoths and scimitar cats.
Jekyll Island is almost 6,000 acres in size.
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8. Jekyll Island, Georgia
- Type: Full RV hook-up back-in or pull-through sites and tent sites
- Book now: Jekyll Island Campground
Overnight beach camping on Jekyll Island can be experienced at this wooded 18-acre campground, a 15-minute walk to Driftwood Beach. This destination is well worth a stop with its 179 campsites, including 167 full hook-up sites and 12 primitive tent sites.
Amenities at the campsite include free Wi-Fi, two bathhouses with toilets and hot-water showers, and coin-operated washers and dryers. If you need to bulk up on supplies for your tent or RV, there is a general store stocked with necessities like firewood, propane, ice, and personal items. A market with additional groceries and take-out food is only a five-minute drive away.
The Manitou Islands offer easy access to Lake Michigan views and soaring sand dunes.
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9. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan
- Type: Lakeshore tent camping
- Book now: South Manitou Group Campground
If you’re a bird lover, then the Manitou Islands are the place for you. The destination is a part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan’s lower peninsula, home to numerous species of hawks and eagles. You can reach both North and South Manitou islands by private boat or by passenger ferry service run by Manitou Island Transit. The ferry service operates from the Fishtown Dock in Leland.
First-come, first-serve campsites are available on North Manitou Island, which contains eight first-come, first-serve campsites, and at the Popple Campground on South Manitou Island. For reservable sites, book a spot on South Manitou’s Bay and Weather Station campgrounds.
On either island, you can pitch a tent along one of several designated campsites; after a night of rest, venture out on the popular “dune climb,” a hike along the scalable mounds in the park.
This article originally appeared online in 2021; it was most recently updated on May 28, 2024, to include current information.
