Best (And Worst) Places to Camp in 2025
Happy New Year! With a new season comes new goals, adventures, and aspirations in your truck camper. This might be the big year you’re planning to hit the road long term in your Grandby, or perhaps your goal is to get out and explore more with your family in your Hawk.
Times and places are constantly evolving, and every year we see new campgrounds & new regulations when it comes to camping and exploring in the outdoors. We’ve compiled a list of the best (and worst) places to camp in 2025, including campsites, national forests, national parks, and wilderness areas to explore.
Best (And Worst) Places to Camp in 2025
Best: North Cascades National Park, Washington
It’s remote location keeps it one of the most wild in the lower 48, with endless options for camping both in & out of the park. In 2021, only 17,000 visitors made it to the park, making it the least visited national parks in the country. The campgrounds within North Cascades are well equipped and scenic, and there is also numerous national forest campsites surrounding the area.
Worst: Zion National Park, Utah
In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to secure a National Park camping reservation in Zion National Park, and many who plan their trips last minute have been flooding to BLM campsites & campgrounds outside the park. If you’re looking forward to a go-with-the-flow road trip without making reservations or plans ahead of time, finding a location around Zion in peak summer can prove difficult.
Best: Grand Escalante Recreation Area, Utah
Grand Escalante Recreation Area in Southern Utah is an outdoor enthusiasts dream. It has everything from slot canyons to giant red-rock arches, and scenic viewpoints such as the Powell Point Vista. Most of the recreation area is accessible only with 4×4 vehicles, making it perfect for those camping in our pop up campers!
Best: White Mountains, New Hampshire
The White Mountains of New Hampshire have some of the most stunning scenery in the United States, and are perfect for hiking & camping adventures in the summer. Mount Washington, the highest point in New Hampshire, can be driven or hiked to top. There are 22 campgrounds within White Mountain National Forest, not including the numerous other dispersed camping sites.
Best: Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Even in the summer, the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) is relatively uncrowded, with endless national forests and campgrounds spread throughout the region. Many times campsites can be booked day of, reducing stress on where to park your 4×4 camper on the road. The region also has some of the most scenic coast and best sandy beaches in all of the country, just be prepared for a cold dip in the lake!
Worst: Moab BLM Land, Moab
Moab has long been one of the best places for vanlifers and those full-time in their 4×4 campers to adventure. In 2025, big changes are coming to the area, including closure of over 300 miles of 4×4 and overlanding routes. In many ways, the Moab ecosystem needs time to repair and regrow, which is why we recommend exploring other, less impacted areas with your truck camper in 2025.
Best: Linville Gorge Wilderness, North Carolina
The Blue Ridge Highway runs for nearly 470 miles from Virgina through North Carolina. Located nearby, is the Linville Gorge Wilderness, a stunning a remote section of the state surrounded by Pisgah National Forest. The region has miles of dirt roads perfect for truck campers and the offers some of the most pristine and quiet riverside campsites in the country.
Worst: Yosemite National Park, California
The Yosemite valley in beautiful, but incredibly crowded. Camping permits & reservations go up for grabs in March, and every campsite in the National Park is booked most of the season. The only non-reservation campground, Camp 4, is walk in only, meaning it will not allow pop up truck campers. There is a last-minute day-off lottery for campsites that went unclaimed, but the number of campsites available strictly depends on who did not show for their reservation.
Camping in Your Truck Camper in 2025
No matter where you choose to camp in 2025, remember you have a Four Wheel Camper! Get out and explore the lesser known road, and enjoy the ride along the way. There are some many incredible and unknown places in the United States to explore. Find your own path, and who knows, your new favorite campsite might be around the bend!
