Hipcamp has released its 2026 list of the 50 Favorite Places to Camp in America Right Now, highlighting campsites across 35 states as travelers prepare for the Independence Day holiday and the peak summer camping season.
The curated list features a mix of private campsites, family farms, public campgrounds, dark-sky destinations, riverfront retreats and sites near well-known outdoor landmarks.
According to Hipcamp, the selections were chosen from its network of more than 500,000 campsites nationwide and are intended to provide a snapshot of notable camping destinations for summer travel.
The company’s editorial team selected the featured locations using several criteria, including camper reviews and ratings, distinctive settings, regional diversity, cultural and travel trends, host hospitality and editorial evaluation.
“Travel can feel expensive right now, but people still need a real break,” Alyssa Ravasio, founder and CEO of Hipcamp, said.
“Camping is one of the simplest ways to step away from screens and feel connected with the world outside. This year’s 50 Favorites celebrates the many forms that kind of escape can take, and helps campers find a place that feels right for them this summer,” Ravasio added.
The 2026 list includes destinations ranging from North Rim Campground at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Beach Camp at D. L. Bliss State Park in California to Camp Darkmoon in New Mexico, Aliya Preserve on Washington’s Olympic Coast and Spruill Conservation Farm in North Carolina. Other featured sites include family farms, ranches, conservation properties and public campgrounds spanning 35 states.
Hipcamp said the featured destinations reflect a range of camping experiences, including an Olympic Coast preserve in Washington, a fourth-generation farm in Kansas, an off-grid desert camp in New Mexico and a conservation farm along North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound.
Several campground hosts said the recognition reflects years of work to develop unique outdoor experiences for visitors.
“As lifelong campers, we strive to create a space that distills the best of camping: peace, solitude, and connection with nature and each other,” said Sam Bellatto, host of The Olive Farm in Novato, California. “Though our land is ten acres, we host only one group at a time so our guests can truly escape the outside world. We’re only a short drive from the Bay Area’s biggest cities, but when you’re floating on our pond, you feel a million miles away.”
Rob Loser and Mike Cournoyer, hosts of Lucky U Ranch in Bushnell, Florida, said interactions between guests and the ranch’s animals remain one of the property’s defining attractions.
“At Lucky U Ranch, we love sharing the Ranch Experience tour with our guests,” Loser and Cournoyer said. “It’s especially rewarding when baby goats and our friendly miniature horses are out for kids and adults to pet and feed. Those moments are a big part of what makes this place special, and this recognition means the world to us.”
Julia Townsend of Spruill Conservation Farm in Roper, North Carolina, said the recognition supports the property’s ongoing mission following its protection through a conservation easement in 2023.
“The Spruill Conservation Farm is thrilled to be featured as one of Hipcamp’s 50 Favorite Places,” Townsend said. “Since the farm was protected by a conservation easement in 2023, the ongoing mission has been to provide research, education, access, and sustainable agriculture. Hipcamp helps provide year-round access to the shoreline of the beautiful Albemarle Sound in Eastern North Carolina.”
Hipcamp said all 50 featured campgrounds are available through its app, where travelers can view real-time availability and make reservations for the summer travel season.