Updated June 27, 2022. RV camping allows adventurers to skip the traditional hotel stay in favor of seeing the sites from the comfort of their own bubble, and also offers up a feeling of safety while still getting out of the house. If you’re planning on hitting the road this summer, here are seven great spots to RV camp along the East Coast.
Lums Pond State Park
Bear, Delaware
This 1,790-acre park in New Castle County surrounds Lums Pond, an impoundment that connected the Chesapeake Bay with the Delaware River in the early 19th century. The newly renovated campground has 63 three-point hookups, as well as four-horse campsites without hookups. The pond itself is the largest freshwater one in the state with some of the best fishing around—the state-record striped bass was caught here. The Summit Marina provides 250 slip rentals and access to boaters on the Delaware Bay. Rent a rowboat, canoe, kayak, or pedal boat, or bring your own. Soar over the park via three zip line courses (two for ages 10 and up and a more manageable treetop junior option for younger kids), or head to the equestrian center for a ride or lesson on the multiuse trail. Follow the trail loops through the park’s nature preserve, which is a great example of a Northern Coastal Plain/Piedmont Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest. Nearby, Grain H2O is a craft bar and kitchen with great outdoor dining views, and you’ll find shopping and dining on Main Street by the University of Delaware. Rates start at $39 per night
Anvil Campground
Williamsburg, Virginia
Awarded the National Small RV Park of the Year in 2018 by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, this Virginia campground also offers shuttles to local attractions. Named for the owners’ family history in blacksmithing, the campground is one of the longest-operating RV parks in the country. All 48 RV sites come with first-class utility hookups and top cell and Wi-Fi service—differentiating them from other area operations. There’s a general store; modern, well-appointed bathrooms; a beach park with zip lines, hammocks, playground equipment, grills, and picnic tables; a dog park and a relaxing area with country swings; a community fire pit; and grills. Rates start at $29.99 for campsites and $79.99 for cabins and cottages
Croft State Park
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Used in World War II as a U.S. Army basic training center and prisoner of war camp, this state park features 50 sites available for tents or RV camping, half of which have 50-amp service and which are all spaced around a centralized bathroom and shower facility. The park is located near the shores of Lake Craig, ideal for bird-watching for hawks and bald eagles, fishing, kayaking, or canoeing. Venture out to Glendale Shoals, a scenic area with a waterfall cascading over a dam, providing opportunities for wading and skipping rocks or kayaking through Class II-IV rapids, depending on water flow. (Note: Parking might be tricky for larger vehicles.) The historic Drayton Mills has been repurposed from a textile factory into a bustling spot for shopping and dining. Sample West Coast-style beers at Holliday Brewing, comfort food and handcrafted cocktails at DRAY: Bar + Grill and nosh on crispy, buttery Detroit-style pizzas at Pi Squared. And the RV-friendly Strawberry Hill makes for a nice afternoon drive to pick up fresh produce, make a lunch stop and grab some homemade ice cream. Rates start at $30 per night
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
If you are looking to blend the great outdoors with a little taste of Magic Kingdom, a site on this resort’s 750 acres of pine and cypress forest might be for you. The atmosphere evokes the American frontier, complete with deer, rabbits, armadillos, and ducks roaming around. Sites are available in several categories, and all can accommodate an RV and tent and also have privacy landscaping, water, cable television and electrical hookups, a picnic table and charcoal grill, with most including a sewer hookup and some allowing pets. Activities abound, from archery, horseback riding and canoeing, to pools with slides and whirlpool spas; wilderness trails with carriage, pony, and wagon; singalongs around the campfire; guided fishing; bike, canoe, kayak, and motorized boat rentals; playgrounds, volleyball and basketball courts; jogging trails; and arcades. Dining options include the Old-West-and-Deep-South-inspired Trail’s End Restaurant, a food truck, Southern food to-go, a snack bar, a dinner theater and a tavern. Reservations at a Disney theme park are, of course, also available to campers. Rates start at $110 per night
Big Water Marina & Campground
Starr, South Carolina
Lake Hartwell, a man-made reservoir created by Hartwell Dam on the Savannah River, is one of the Southeast’s largest and most popular recreational lakes. Big Water Marina & Campground is a family-owned company that’s offered an ultimate RV experience with fantastic views for more than 30 years. There are 11 full-hookup RV campsites and guest amenities like free Wi-Fi, campsite fire pits, picnic areas, fishing docks, cleaning stations, watersport rentals, and a tiki-style bar and grill (in-season), and visitors will enjoy hiking, swimming, fishing, and sailing on the 962 miles of shoreline. A short drive away is downtown Anderson, where you can buy fresh ingredients for your camping meals at the Anderson County Farmers Market, learn how to make chocolate at CocoBon Chocolatier, tour and taste unaged whiskey at Palmetto Moonshine, South Carolina’s first legal moonshine distillery, and dine on shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes and sauteed triggerfish at the low country-inspired Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill. If you have time, swing by Split Creek Farm, whose certified goat herd produces some pretty delicious milk, cheese, fudge, and yogurt. Rates start at $35 per night
Carolina Beach State Park
Carolina Beach, North Carolina
At this coastal state park aptly situated on Pleasure Island, a marina gives access to the state’s best fishing spots. It’s easy to find a secluded campsite underneath pine and oak trees and miles of hiking trails let you experience the region’s diverse flora and fauna—including the Venus’ flytraps that grow wild. The campground is located in a wooded area near Snow’s Cut and has 69 campsites with no hookups and 10 with full hookups; all are equipped with a picnic table and grill or fire ring with drinking water and restrooms with hot showers nearby. Carolina Beach Lake Park is an 11-acre lake and park nearby with picnic areas, walking paths, a playground, and paddleboat rentals. Fishers can cast off at the adjacent Carolina Beach Fishing Pier, which has a grill and a bait and tackle shop. Dining spots in town range from Southern breakfast at Kate’s Pancake House, low country seafood boils or pots to-go at Cape Fear Boil Company, crab cakes and salmon inside a 100-year-old beach house at Havana’s Restaurant and Britt’s Donut Shop, whose glazed doughnuts are beloved as some of the best anywhere. Rates start at $23 per night
Skidaway Island State Park RV Camping
Savannah, Georgia
There are a lot of reasons campers love staying in this state park that’s part of the Intracoastal Waterway, including the fact that it’s only 15 miles away from the charm of downtown Savannah and 25 miles from the beaches of Tybee Island. RV sites are large and nestled under oak trees and Spanish moss, and the trails in the area really showcase the diversity of the region’s landscape, from salt marshes to palmettos to Southern red cedar trees to tidal creeks. There are 87 electric campsites all with RV hookups (some full); each has a table, fire ring, and grate and amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, and hot showers. On-site are three playgrounds, outdoor fitness equipment, a volleyball court, and Wi-Fi, and guests can kayak, canoe, bike, bird-watch, view wildlife, and hike. Of course, with Savannah less than a half-hour drive away, there’s no shortage of things to do, including touring the Telfair Museum (the largest art museum in the Southeast), discovering Gullah culture, taking a trolley tour or riverboat cruise, strolling through the iconic Bonaventure Cemetery, and indulging in crafty cocktails and world-class low country cuisine. Rates start at $35 per night
This story originally appeared in our October 2020 print issue. For more stories on getaways, subscribe to our Travel newsletter.