The 29 Best Beach Campgrounds On The East Coast

With its 900 acres of sandy beach area and over 550 well-maintained campsites, Hammonasset Beach State Park is a solid option for inexpensive camping.

Along the 2 miles of the beach line, you will have access to camping areas & biking spots, dog walk areas, areas for fishing & boating, and, of course, a clean beach to swim in and enjoy the views from. Right outside the park, you have a few great restaurants, so food won’t be an issue here as well.

If you have plenty of time for your camping trip, consider spending a few weeks at Cape Henlopen State Park. With over 7,000 acres of land, there are plenty of things to do and see here. The park’s environment boasts unparalleled diversity, with maritime forests, ocean and bay beaches, and tidal salt marshes.

Cape Henlopen State Park is also great for RV camping. Its recently renovated campsites offer access to water, 50—and 100-amp electric hookups, picnic tables, fire rings, a laundry facility, dump stations, a play area, walk-in tent sites, a camp store, bait and tackle shop, food concessions, and an expanded parking area.

Jekyll Island has only one campground in its territory: Jekyll Island Campground. The campground is close to major local restaurants and tourist attractions. The island isn’t too big, so accessing the local bike paths and beach areas shouldn’t be a problem.

This campground boasts 145 full hook-up sites for RVing with back-in and pull-thru options. Among the facilities offered to visitors are laundries, restrooms, and a well-stocked campground store. You can even rent a bicycle hire, which makes exploring the 5,700 acres of the island’s land nearly effortless.

The unique thing about Sea Camp Campground is that it is located on a remote island accessible only by boat. But once you get there, you are presented with a campground with modern facilities.

Sea Camp Campground is inaccessible for RVs, so no electric hookups are available here.

This campground features 18 campsites located in the heart of wildlife. Each site has a fire ring, grill, picnic table, and food storage area. In addition, Sea Camp Campground has drinking water, flush toilets, cold showers, and a dishwashing sink.

The 18 campground sites tend to fill up fast, and camping here is most popular during spring and fall. Thus, it would help if you made reservations well beforehand, but remember that reservations can only be made up to 6 months in advance.

Biscayne National Park houses two Elliot Key and Boca Chita Key island campgrounds. These islands are only accessible by boat, and since there is no service there, a trip to Biscayne National Park promises to be challenging and thrilling.

Boca Chita Key is the more popular island, boasting a grassy camping area with picnic tables, grills, and beautiful waterfront views. Despite being the more popular island, Boca Chita Key lacks showers, sinks, or drinking water, but it does have toilets.

Elliot Key is a little richer in amenities, featuring restrooms with sinks and cold-water showers. Drinking water is also available, though its supply system goes down occasionally. You may also use the 33 boat slips available if you are coming on your vessel.

Note that no reservations can be made in advance for Biscayne National Park campgrounds – they work on a “first-come, first-served basis”. With that in mind, planning a trip to Biscayne National Park is a bit more difficult. It shouldn’t be too problematic if you are a local.

Only accessible by water, this former fishing ground boasts 9 miles of underdeveloped shoreline and several hiking and bicycle trails.

Regarding camping amenities, Cayo Costa State Park features 30 campsites in a primitive setting. Each site has access to water, a ground grill, and a picnic table but no electricity. Even though the campsites aren’t equipped with tech, restroom facilities with cold showers and flush toilets are nearby.

Remarkably, tram service is available for gear and passenger transport from 10 AM – 4 PM.

Cayo Costa State Park also has a bayside park dock for boat camping. The slips here have no water or electricity, and generators aren’t allowed on the island. While this will pose inconveniences, you’ll have a chance to have a raw boat camping experience here!

Curry Hammock State Park is a smaller campground. After the huge campgrounds with over a hundred sites we’ve reviewed, the 28 sites available in the state park may seem underwhelming. That said, if you hate overcrowded parks, you may like what Curry Hammock State Park offers!

Each available campsite has a charcoal grill, a picnic table, water access, and 20/30/50-amp electrical service. Notably, the sites are laid out with pea gravel that is less invasive than sand and easier to clean.

Curry Hammond State Park offers kayak and paddleboard rentals if you like to spend time in the water. This state park is located in the Florida Keys and the Atlantic Ocean, so you will miss a lot if you don’t take the time to spend on its beaches or in the water!

With its 68 sites, Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach is slightly more versatile than Curry Hammock State Park. Half of its sites are located on the beach’s oceanfront dune, and the rest are on the riverside, allowing for a wider range of surroundings.

The dune system here is highly fragile. Due to this, your routes are restricted to dune walkovers. Besides, pets are prohibited on the beach but allowed in other campground areas.

The 68 sites provide water, electricity, fire rings, and a picnic table. The campground facilities include a laundry room, a fishing area, a kayak rental, a boat launch, and a snack bar.

Grayton Beach is a consistent guest in the top rankings of the most beautiful and pristine US beaches. If admiring views and photography are among your key activities in the wild, Grayton Beach State Park’s 2,000 acres of land have much to offer.

Grayton Beach’s campground has 59 campsites with water, electricity, and some with sewer hookups. If your RV is smaller than 40 feet, you should have no issues finding a spot here.

This campground is also pet-friendly, though pets are prohibited in areas such as beaches, park buildings, concession facilities, and playgrounds.

Situated near the beach, Grayton Beach State Park offers plenty of water activities, including paddling, fishing, and swimming.

Fort De Soto has won numerous awards and titles over the years. In 2009, Trip Advisor named it America’s Top Beach, and in 2005, Dr. Beach named it the nation’s number-one beach.

Fort De Soto County Park is also insanely popular—annual attendance here averages more than 2.7 million people. You may want to book a spot well in advance!

Fortunately, this campground is huge—it has 238 sites with facilities like play areas, picnic tables, grills, electricity, water, washers, dryers, dump stations, restrooms, and a camp store. Some campsites are also specially made for pet owners.

Destin is renowned as one of the luckiest fishing villages on the planet. The fish species you may test your luck and fishing skills with are redfish, flounder, catfish, whiting, and cobia. And if you want to stay here for a while, consider Henderson Beach State Park.

Although not the biggest campground in Florida, Henderson Beach State Park offers 60 back-in and pull-thru sites. Each site has access to water, electricity (50-amp in some sites), picnic tables, and grills.

The facilities offered at the site are air-conditioned and heated restrooms and showers, washers, dryers, and vending machines. A plethora of restaurants are also just a short drive from the state park.

Claimed to be Maine’s most relaxing oceanfront location, Flood’s Cove is a great option for a long stay. The key feature of this campground is the oceanfront cottage area, with cottages costing around $1,500 per week, though options are as expensive as $3,400 per week.

Flood’s Cove offers 8 campsites on the 13-acre Ames Island for those who intend to camp. Each of the campsites is amply sized and well-separated from neighboring sites. And while you don’t have electricity here, you have an adjustable grill, a picnic table, and a steel fire ring.

Located beside the ocean, Flood’s Cove provides access to various water activities. Whether you choose the simple experience of the campsites or the home comfort of the cottages, Flood’s Cove promises an entirely new camping experience.

Boston Harbor Islands feature contrasting views of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Boston’s skyline on the other. However, the most unique feature of the Boston Harbor Islands is that you have something new to see and do even after numerous visits.

You can camp in one of the several mainland parks or islands that are only accessible by ferry. You will also have the chance to see and visit abandoned hospitals and historic military forts waiting to tell you the story of Boston.

The camping season here begins in late June and ends with a run through Labor Day, but with an off-season camping permit, you may camp here anytime throughout the year. You don’t need to stay here for a camp, though – you may purchase a ticket and visit as many islands as you want in a day!

Horseneck Beach State Reservation offers year-round access to its 2-mile-long beach and 600 acres of salt marsh and barrier beach areas.

This campground features 100 partially-paved pull-thru campsites, each with its picnic table and grill. Aside from that, you have a comfort station with flush toilets and hot showers, a dumping station, basketball & volleyball courts, and a playground.

Remember that beach access here isn’t as free as in some other campgrounds listed—swimming is only allowed at designated beach areas, and pets aren’t allowed in the swimming areas or on the beach.

Sandy Neck Beach Park offers beautiful beach views and hiking trails through a maritime forest and marshlands. This beach park offers campsites directly at the beach, but they seem to be a bit limited – you must have both gray water and septic tanks in your RV. Most RVs have these, though, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

You may also be required to pass a beach driving test to ensure your RV can maneuver in the sand. But once you reach the park, you’ll have 4,700 acres of land to explore, along with activities such as swimming, surf fishing, or sunbathing.

Located close to each other, Assateague State Park and Assateague Island National Seashore are perhaps the most remarkable campgrounds to spend a couple of weeks on the East Coast.

These two campgrounds are renowned for their wild horses, which casually roam the beach and campsites. Since they are wild, you shouldn’t approach or feed them, but you can take a few photos with them.

Assateague State Park’s concessions are more oriented toward families. It’s also the more extensive campground, offering 350 sites with fire rings and picnic tables. The availability of electric hookups is limited in the J-loop, so you had better book a spot here if you want electricity (you must book a spot a year in advance anyway).

Assateague Island National Seashore campground is much less RV-oriented since its 158 campsites do not have hookups. It only has cold showers, so it’s not for an RV trip but a solid camping choice.

Hampton Beach State Park is another great option if you don’t like campgrounds full of people. It has 28 RV hookup sites, 15 located at the corner of Hampton River.

Being the only park on New Hampshire’s coast, this park is top-rated among RVers. Its sites get booked quickly, and you must book a site 11 months in advance.

With its 50 acres of area, Hampton Beach State Park isn’t the best option if you like hiking. However, with Hampton Beach nearby, it’s a great place for those who love fishing and swimming.

Island Beach State Park is an excellent option for passing through Seaside Heights. Interestingly, camping isn’t allowed on the beach, but you can stay overnight as long as you are fishing.

Plenty of other activities to engage in during your stay at Island Beach State Park. The most popular activities on the beach are swimming, kayaking, and surf fishing. Aside from that, you may hike through the dense maritime forests or have a bike ride along the miles of biking trails available here.

If you have a self-contained RV and like the challenge of camping in a remote area, Hither Hills State Park may be a nice option. However, none of its nearly 200 campsites have hookups.

In addition, tent sites are available in Hither Hills State Park if you want to go camping.

If you are an avid angler, you’ll be glad to hear you can fish here year-round. You can even fish at night if you obtain the permits for it! And if you love hunting, you’ll also be able to hunt for big & small game during the hunting season, open in late autumn and winter.

In addition to angling and hunting, hiking and biking trails are available here, where you can admire the local wildlife and nature.

With its 200 sites, Camp Hatteras RV Resort is heaven for RVers.All the sites have full hookups and concrete pads. Some are located next to the Atlantic Ocean, and others are on the side of Pamlico Sound, the US’s largest lagoon along the East Coast.

As weird as it may sound, staying near Pamlico Sound will provide you with a richer view of the seaside. The dunes often obstruct the view of the sites closer to the beach.

Camp Hatteras RV Resort offers recreational amenities like pools, mini-golf, and WaveRunner watercraft rentals. If you have a dog, you’ll be delighted to hear that this campground has a dog park.

Located on the undeveloped islands of Cape Lookout, Cape Lookout National Seashore is a great option if you want a challenging and rough experience. There are no designated campsites here, and only a few amenities, so your trip to the islands won’t be like the convenient journeys you may be used to.

According to the National Park Service website, there are four ways to explore the park.

First, you may ride as a passenger on any of the authorized ferries and then explore the park on foot.

Secondly, you may bring your ATV, UTV, or 4-wheel drive vehicle aboard one of the vehicle ferries and then explore the beaches or back roads on South Core Banks or North Core Banks.

The third option is to hop into a kayak or canoe and paddle towards the barrier islands.

Finally, you may book a tour with a private tour service. These services may offer boat tours, vehicle tours, or walking tours.

If you’d prefer to camp closer to the beach, Freeman Park is an excellent alternative to Camp Hatteras RV Resort. It’s not as facility-filled as Hatteras RV Resort, but it’s a much better option for beach camping.

The camping sites are located along the dunes, but camping is allowed anywhere on the beach. To secure a beach spot, you must get there early in the day. But also remember that on the beach, you won’t have access to the facilities that each camping spot is equipped with.

East Beach is one of Rhode Island’s least developed beaches but still one of the state’s “spectacular seaside treasures.” It offers a less tech-filled and more pristine RV camping experience.

If you’ll be going to East Beach, be sure your RV is self-contained—that is, it has permanent holding tanks for potable, black, and gray water. Your RV should also have permanent bath equipment. The reason for this is the lack of hookups at the beach.

And besides, keep in mind that tow trailers and fifth wheels aren’t allowed and that your camping unit must have a 4-wheel drive.

Fishermen’s Memorial State Park Campground isn’t located near the ocean but near Scarborough and Roger W. Wheeler State Beaches. It also has water access through Bluff Hill Cove.

This state park campground has miles of bike trails, a playground for kids, and a farmer’s market open every Sunday. You may also buy local beef from a farm down the street to grill perhaps the finest steaks you’ve ever had!

For RV camping, Fishermen’s Memorial State Park Campground offers nearly 150 large, shaded campsites with full water and electricity hookups.

Ocean Lakes Family Campground is the largest campground along the East Coast and a perfect site for a family vacation.

This campground boasts over 800 sites, each sized amply and equipped with full hookups. The sites are pull-thru and located along paved roads. Most of the sites have concrete pads.

The area of Ocean Lakes Campground is vast, and there are plenty of things to do here, especially for kids. Aside from walking along Myrtle Beach, you may play the nearby Prestwick Golf Course, check out the new water park, visit one of the five bathhouses, or eat out at nearby restaurants.

Considerably smaller than Ocean Lakes Family Campground, Hunting Island State Park still has some of the most beautiful South Carolina beaches to boast. Aside from that, a former hunting preserve, Hunting Island State Park is now a hub of wildlife in the area.

Hunting Island State Park offers 117 RV campsites with electric and water hookups. The campsites are pretty large, and some can even accommodate 40-foot-long RVs! You are also provided modern restrooms, hot showers, a dump station, and free Wi-Fi.

If you like to spend your time in the wild, you’ll be glad to hear that this campground has over 8 miles of hiking and biking trails through the forests. You can also climb the historic Hunting Island Light located in the park!

First Landing State Park is another excellent option if you love spending time in the wild. This state park boasts 2,700 acres of maritime forests, freshwater ponds, and salt marsh habitat. Not only that, but you can hike along the 20 miles of trails and have swimming and boating opportunities along the 1.5-mile shoreline of Chesapeake Bay.

First Landing State Park offers interactive programs such as beach walks, nature hikes, and environmental educational programs, perfect for family trips.

If you are coming in an RV, there are over 100 RV campsites with water and electrical hookups. Some even have a fire grill!