Tuweep, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Piñon Flats, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska
Fruita, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Seawall, Acadia National Park, Maine
Garden Key, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Namakanipaio, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Camp 4, Yosemite National Park, California
Houseboat, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Slough Creek, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
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Tuweep, North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, ArizonaBest For: Getting away from it all The Campground: It’s no new revelation that the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is far more low-key than the South Rim with all of its development and crowds. The good news is, that dynamic won’t change that much because the North Rim is so remote: It’s a 212-mile drive to the visitors center from the South Rim (or a 24-mile, 10,500-vertical-foot hike). Tuweep is even more remote than that. The nine-site campground requires drives of 61, 56, or 91 miles down dirt roads that require high-clearance vehicles and can be impassible in mud. Plus, the Park Service makes clear that this campground has “no water, gas, food, lodging, or phone.” But if that kind of isolation is what you want, you’ll be in the right place. What's Out Your Door: The views from the campground itself are stunning enough, but drive out to the Toroweap Overlook, where the cliff edge drops 3,000 feet straight down to the Colorado River, and wander along the six-mile round-trip loop of the Tuckup Trail, which skirts the rim deep in the park’s backcountry. Book It: Camping is by permit only (submit a permit request up to four months in advance), and campers must arrive before sunset.
Photograph by Michele Falzone, Corbis Images

10 Best Campgrounds in the Parks

There are few better traditions in the United States than taking to the road and pulling into a national park campground for a few nights of adventure. Of course, the parks can be crowded, so the best spots to pitch a tent are off the beaten trail, where they immerse you a bit deeper into the landscape and unique history that make these parks national treasures. Dig into our picks below and start planning your spring break and summer vacation now. —Doug Schnitzspahn

March 22, 2016
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