Best Campgrounds of 2025 and 2026 Plans
When looking for campsites, we prefer privacy, easy access, gorgeous views, on or very near water for fishing and kayaking, nearby hiking and biking trails, not too far from towns for amenities, entertainment, good food and water/dump. We love areas with history, breweries and other fun things. We also love to boondock and love FREE camping. If we have to pay, anything in the Twenties is what we shoot for. Anything above $30 makes me cringe a bit but sometimes that's what it is. Once you are over 62, getting a Golden Age Pass gets you 1/2 off camping in National Forest Campgrounds. With already cheap prices, this is an amazing deal. It's also the type of campground we really enjoy.
Here are our favorite camping spots of 2025 (in no particular order):
1. Oatman Dispersed - Oatman, AZ
FREE boondocking at this BLM area at 1800 feet elevation. There are so many places to pull off Oatman/Topock Rd that finding a spot won't be a problem. You have the Warms Springs Wilderness as your backdrop. Verizon is very strong and there are services Fort Mojave and nearby towns. The big draw is the old Wild West boomtown of Oatman which sits at 2700+ feet of elevation. It's a very cute town known mostly for its wild donkey population which wander through the town and the roads. They even try to walk into the local businesses. Definitely worth a visit. We've been a few times. 
Curvey roads and great views. Ahh… Boondocking! Friendly Burros2. Forest Service Rd. 688 - Williams, AZ
An hours drive north of I-40 will get you FREE boondocking in the National Forest in pine covered mountains and within 15 minutes of the Grand Canyon. Many dirt roads will get you privacy and some shade. This area sits at 6500' and does get snow. A perfect place to be when Arizona gets warmer. The town of Williams is a great town to explore too. Excellent Birria Tacos at Nanys Tacos in town with room for RV parking along the street. Water and Dump can be found at the Raptor RV Park on the way. Great Verizon.
An hours drive north of I-40 will get you FREE boondocking in the National Forest in pine covered mountains and within 15 minutes of the Grand Canyon. Many dirt roads will get you privacy and some shade. This area sits at 6500' and does get snow. A perfect place to be when Arizona gets warmer. The town of Williams is a great town to explore too. Excellent Birria Tacos at Nanys Tacos in town with room for RV parking along the street. Water and Dump can be found at the Raptor RV Park on the way. Great Verizon.
Love the open forest. Outside Grant Canyon Elk all around.
3. Forest Service Rd. 121 - Rimrock, AZ
More FREE boondocking in the National Forest south of Flagstaff off I-17. Easy in and out. Maybe not so much for the overly cautious. The turn onto 121 did take a bit of creative backing up due to the sharp turn. The canyon views below were incredible. We were here to visit and hike nearby Walnut Canyon National Monument. Good Verizon.
More FREE boondocking in the National Forest south of Flagstaff off I-17. Easy in and out. Maybe not so much for the overly cautious. The turn onto 121 did take a bit of creative backing up due to the sharp turn. The canyon views below were incredible. We were here to visit and hike nearby Walnut Canyon National Monument. Good Verizon.
This area rims the canyon. Wet Beaver River. Hiking at Walnut Canyon.
4. Bootleg NF Campground - Coleville, CA
We love this National Forest campground. $12 with our Sr. Pass. No electric but there are scattered water spigots throughout as well as outhouses. The water is only for jugs, not RV filling. This is an increasing problem in many National Forest campgrounds in CA. Finding water to fill up has been challenging in some of these more remote areas. This area is all about the trout fishing for us on the West Walker River. Plenty of mountain beauty to hike, drive and explore. No cell in this campground, but with added towers, you can find reception within a few miles.
We love this National Forest campground. $12 with our Sr. Pass. No electric but there are scattered water spigots throughout as well as outhouses. The water is only for jugs, not RV filling. This is an increasing problem in many National Forest campgrounds in CA. Finding water to fill up has been challenging in some of these more remote areas. This area is all about the trout fishing for us on the West Walker River. Plenty of mountain beauty to hike, drive and explore. No cell in this campground, but with added towers, you can find reception within a few miles.
Camping in the forest. Great Trout Fishing. Right on the West Walker River.
5. Angel Lake - Wells, NV
This National Forest campground sits high up a windy, steep road and ends at the campground which sits at 8100'. It normally would've been $9 with our Sr. Pass but since the campground closed early in September due to upcoming snow, we parked for free at the trailhead parking lot right next door. There were a couple of others that joined along. Not sure if it's allowed but it's a long drive up here so I doubt anyone was checking. The small lake is surrounded by glacial cirques. It's an incredible view that I doubt many have seen. A true gem. Nothing but quiet, a couple of hikes and a small lake with fishing and kayaking. We were in our camper. Not advised for trailers over 20'. Very poor Verizon.
This National Forest campground sits high up a windy, steep road and ends at the campground which sits at 8100'. It normally would've been $9 with our Sr. Pass but since the campground closed early in September due to upcoming snow, we parked for free at the trailhead parking lot right next door. There were a couple of others that joined along. Not sure if it's allowed but it's a long drive up here so I doubt anyone was checking. The small lake is surrounded by glacial cirques. It's an incredible view that I doubt many have seen. A true gem. Nothing but quiet, a couple of hikes and a small lake with fishing and kayaking. We were in our camper. Not advised for trailers over 20'. Very poor Verizon.
Steep and narrow road up. Canyon on the lake. So pretty. Lots of hikes.
6. Squaw Hollow Rd. - McKinnon, WY
FREE Boondocking right on the edge of Flaming Gorge Reservoir. With the lake levels pretty full, we were lakeside. There are many roads that turn off Rt 530 that offer unlimited boondocking. This one is also referred to as Area 4. It was just a couple miles down the washboard dirt road and it was pretty bad but the payoff was worth it. If we had more time we would've done some hiking. Verizon was spotty and non-existent at the lakeshore. 
Tons of boondocking. Right on the lake. So peaceful.
7. Black Beach County Park - Alcova, WY
There are several county park campgrounds surrounding Alcova Reservoir. The sites are quite private and spread out, mostly along the lake. $10 gets you a large site with table and gazebo. There were outhouses. No water or electricity.
There are several county park campgrounds surrounding Alcova Reservoir. The sites are quite private and spread out, mostly along the lake. $10 gets you a large site with table and gazebo. There were outhouses. No water or electricity.
Most spots on the water, Gorgeous lake views. Kayak heaven!
8. Top of the Mountain Dispersed - Deadwood, SD
If you're lucky enough to nab this spot, you know why it gets its name. There are only a handful of spots in this FREE national forest area. It's a great place close to Deadwood and down the road from the Friendship Tower. It's not advised to bring a trailer up this steep, dirt road over 20'. While you could, there are not many areas to turn around. Only come from the Lodge end. The other end is more 4x4.
If you're lucky enough to nab this spot, you know why it gets its name. There are only a handful of spots in this FREE national forest area. It's a great place close to Deadwood and down the road from the Friendship Tower. It's not advised to bring a trailer up this steep, dirt road over 20'. While you could, there are not many areas to turn around. Only come from the Lodge end. The other end is more 4x4.
Best spot at the top. Friendship Tower hike. Town of Deadwood below.
9. Camp JbarB - Pringle, SD
This premier spot is by invitation-only. We finally scored an invite. What a place! This all-inclusive location had top notch food, excursions, entertainment and scenery! The hosts really outdid themselves. The other campers were quite fun to be with too. Thanks Jim & Barb!!
This premier spot is by invitation-only. We finally scored an invite. What a place! This all-inclusive location had top notch food, excursions, entertainment and scenery! The hosts really outdid themselves. The other campers were quite fun to be with too. Thanks Jim & Barb!!
The Community Center. The Cocktail Gazebo Beautiful Accommodations.
10. Lost Dutchman State Park - Apache Junction, AZ
This is one of our favorite places in Arizona. We try to come each year. You sit at the bottom of the spectacular Superstition Mountains. The prices have jumped up recently to $50 for W/E or $35 for dry camping. Sadly, this has been happening in many state parks around the country. There is a lot of lush vegetation and wildlife for the desert. There is plenty of hiking, Goldfield Ghost Town, Apache Loop Trail, Tortilla Flat, restaurants, and so much more. You can kayak on Canyon Lake or take the Dolly Steamboat. The campground is very nicely spaced out and private for most sites. Great Verizon.
This is one of our favorite places in Arizona. We try to come each year. You sit at the bottom of the spectacular Superstition Mountains. The prices have jumped up recently to $50 for W/E or $35 for dry camping. Sadly, this has been happening in many state parks around the country. There is a lot of lush vegetation and wildlife for the desert. There is plenty of hiking, Goldfield Ghost Town, Apache Loop Trail, Tortilla Flat, restaurants, and so much more. You can kayak on Canyon Lake or take the Dolly Steamboat. The campground is very nicely spaced out and private for most sites. Great Verizon.
Such a green desertscape. Lovely sunsets. Superstition Mountain views.
Honorable Mention
Amboy Crater - Amboy, CA
We really enjoyed our overnight here. FREE camping at the small parking lot. We had it mostly to ourselves until a huge group filled up every nook and cranny late at night as part of a large running event. It's all about hiking the Amboy Crater here as well as a couple of other hikes. Really otherworldly and worth a stop along Old Route 66.
We really enjoyed our overnight here. FREE camping at the small parking lot. We had it mostly to ourselves until a huge group filled up every nook and cranny late at night as part of a large running event. It's all about hiking the Amboy Crater here as well as a couple of other hikes. Really otherworldly and worth a stop along Old Route 66.
Just us and a crater. Fantastic hikes. Surprises down in the crater.
| Stays | Nights | Total | AVG (per night cost) | |
| Fairgrounds | 1 | 1 | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| State Parks | 1 | 5 | $250.00 | $50.00 |
| Private Parks | 6 | 21 | $719.00 | $34,23 |
| Elks | 17 | 51 | $1520.00 | $29.80 |
| State Rec Area | 1 | 1 | $19.00 | $19.00 |
| County Park | 1 | 2 | $13.00 | $13.00 |
| COE | 2 | 7 | $73.00 | $10.42 |
| Thousand Trails | 33 | 199 | $1512.00 | $7.59 |
| Moochdocking | 7 | 45 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| National Forest | 5 | 17 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Boondocking* | 8 | 16 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| TOTALS | 82 | 365 | $4473 | $12.25 |
* Boondocking for us is anywhere we stay for free which is not an organized campground. It can include time at family and friends (typically referred to as Moochdocking) and other areas. Usually most of our boondocking is at BLM, National Forest, etc, but sometimes I give them a separate category.
We had 82 stops in 365 days averaging only 4.5 days a stop.
We have 264,825 miles on the truck, driving 24,933K miles this year.
What was different in 2025?
- We spent much more time in California due to Steves cancer diagnosis the day we returned from Alaska. This is our prime concern right now and we're hopeful for a good outcome. That’s also why I’m still catching up on the blog. We made many trips back and forth from the east side of the state from Placerville to the west side where Steve gets treatment at Stanford Medical Center each month. This means many more moves. Unfortunately, this will be the plan for 2026 as well. We did have a blast with a trip to Portugal with our son Shane and his wife Lindsay. Then we spent another 10 days in the Azore Islands off the coast by ourselves. My Dad's side of the family is from one of these tiny, remote, volcanic islands. It was wonderful to see!
- More time in California meant much more time at Thousand Trails campgrounds and much less time boondocking which we really miss.
- We still have the cabover camper and spent the summer months in it so we could continue to get to the more remote areas high up in the mountains and on the coast to escape the heat. We will do this again in 2026 and then decide if we will sell it or not.
- CA gas prices remain in the $4.50 range.
- We gained another grandson in December!
Yearly Comparison
2014 - (need to add)
2015 - (need to add)
2016 - Yearly Campsite Total: $3494.50
Daily Average: $9.57
2017 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5090.50
Daily Average: $13.94
2018 - Yearly Campsite Total: $4038.00
Daily Average: $11.06
2019 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5530.00
Daily Average: $15.15
2020 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5075.50
Daily Average: $13.90
2021 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5765.96
Daily Average: $15.88
2022 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5725.96
Daily Average: $15.69
2023 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5056.00
Daily Average: $13.85
2024 - Yearly Campsite Total: $4697.00 (includes our AK trip with adjusted Canadian prices)
Daily Average: $12.83
2025 - Yearly Campsite Total: $4473.00
Daily Average: $12.25
Plans for 2026:
We'll be mostly staying in California again in 2026 with shorter trips to neighboring states. We are planning a trip to Scotland and Ireland in Sept/Oct where we will explore by RV!
We'll be mostly staying in California again in 2026 with shorter trips to neighboring states. We are planning a trip to Scotland and Ireland in Sept/Oct where we will explore by RV!
You guys always find the most interesting spots to camp and we enjoy your year in review. Hopefully 2026 will be a better year for you and Steve and his treatments will be a complete success. You guys must be pretty excited about your upcoming adventure across the pond. Happy New Year and safe travels in 2026! 🎉🍾🥂
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. We’re hanging in there. It’s been a challenging year with more coming. Happy New Year!
DeleteSo good to read your report. Prayers for you and Steve as you work through this years challenges. Mark and Karen from Missouri.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mark. I hope you’ve been able to do some fishing?!
DeleteHappy New Year!
Always appreciate your annual summaries! It's hard to beat the advanced care at Stanford Medical so I'm happy to see that Steve's treatment is happening there. Fortunately it's also in a beautiful (albeit expensive) part of the country! I'm finding that discovering places "nearby" to explore has been rewarding, and I hope your 2026 finds are great ones. All the best to you and Steve for the coming year.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jodee. That’s the reason we have the Thousand Trails. There’s one not far away. We also have 2 sons that live close by. Plus when the camper is on we can stay right at Stanford in the RV lot. As you guys know, you gotta adapt. We still have more want to see.
DeleteHealing vibes for Steve. Congrats on the new Grandchild!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteIt was great to see you as you were passing through Utah, wondering if our paths will cross in 2026?? We'll be mostly in Utah, Wyoming and Montana and of course here at our Tucson home base for the winter. Keep in touch and hugs to both of you as you continue to face the challenges of the cancer treatments.
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing you two as well. Probably won’t get a chance as we won’t be in AZ until Oct and treatments are still changing. But ya never know.🥰
Delete