I live in Massachusetts and we have pitiful camping. The sites are too close and the campgrounds too overcrowded. I've also camped in Rhode Island and Connecticut but experienced the same problems. Maine was finally what I was looking for with privacy, beauty and that feeling that I was truly enjoying myself with nature. With so many people here who enjoy the great outdoors, I just wanted to get some opinions on which states offer great, short term camping.
Nice thing about Colorado is there is plenty of free places to camp and most of the free spots are much more beautiful than pay yuppie camping.
^this I love the places that are just open. There are very nice pay spots too. It just depends on where you go. Stay away from K.O.A's cause there are sooo many rules
For me, as a tent camper that likes privacy and nature, some of the best camping I have done has been in the Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee and West North Carolina, as long as you don't mind no electricity or water at your campsite. If you don't like crowds though void the three most popular campgrounds, Elkmont, Smokemont, and Cades Cove. But there are others that are rarely crowded or atleast you aren't sitting on top your neighbor. All surround you with nature and have a few hiking trails out of them. If you don't like the sight of RV's at all then the Big Creek campground is for you. It is tent only, but there are only 12 sites so it can fill up fast and it is first come first serve. About half the sites are on a bank overlooking the creek. The undergrowth here is pretty minimal so you can see your neighbors but the sites are so big and spaced pretty far apart that it is not much of an issue. This is one of my favorite campgrounds. If you really want to get away from people but still want a flush toilet then the Balsam Mountain campground is great. This campground is never full, probably because it is so far away from anything (man made that is). This is also the place to camp during the hottest part of the summer as it is high up in the mountains so it is a lot cooler than anywhere else in the area. If you are from up North you will probably appreciate this. The campsites are small and some are on a slight slope but since it is never very crowded you can find a decent site to set up. Some are also pretty close together with nothing between them, but again no crowds so this is not much of an issue. I camped here once during a major holiday weekend when ALL campgrounds in the area were full. This one was only maybe half full. Hike the 1/2 mile trail to a picnic area (or you can drive if you really want) for one of the most spectactular views you will ever see. Prices to camp at the less popular campgrounds in the Smokies is pretty cheap. Backcountry camping is free, which I have yet to do but would really like to try it out some day.
I went camping with the Outward Bound program when I was a sophomore in HS. It was really fun and intense. It was basically an all day hike up to a super secluded spot in the mountains. We built our own tents and got our water supply from the lake up there. It was amazing and was a soul searching experience. I would love to do it again sometime
