For a lot of people, shorter days and cooler weather signal it’s time to start breaking down camp and hunker indoors for the winter. Others follow the birds and fly south, where camping and outdoor adventure are a year-round pursuit.
From turquoise tropics in Florida to desert expanses across the Southwest and long, sandy beaches along the Southern California coastline, there are many options for camping in the southern United States throughout the fall and winter.
If you’re someone who gravitates toward a blissful beach, there are campsites a plenty to host anyone’s waterfront dreams. Looking for hiking and mountains? Go to the high desert, where the climate is inhospitable in the summer and just right come fall and winter. Be prepared for chilly nights — the desert cools down every nightfall — but rest assured that the days warm quickly and see average temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
What follows are campgrounds that are counted among the south’s best gems — from desert valleys and mountains, to freshwater lakes in the woods, to beachfront sites that are worth a million bucks in sunsets alone. From here, check out The Dyrt’s comprehensive map of campgrounds to plan your trip and book your campsites.
Beach Camping in Florida
Photo via The Dyrt camper Lee D.
If south is where you want to go, you can’t go farther south in the continental United States than the Florida Keys, and that’s where you’ll find Bahia Honda State Park.
Here, you can catch the sea breeze, watch for tropical birds or sea turtles, sip a cool beverage beneath a palm tree on the beach, take in the electric sunsets, and come night, a swirl of stars. Bahia Honda State Park is also a launching point for ocean-bound adventures, snorkeling and kayaking included.
Sandspur Beach is a mile long, with waterfront camping. Buttonwood is another option with larger sites. Camping is popular at Bahia Honda State Park, so make a reservation well in advance.
Photo via The Dyrt camper, Travyl Couple
Ocala National Forest is a surreal landscape, centrally located in Florida. Think 600 square acres of turquoise freshwater springs and pools, surrounded by thickets of greenery, with access to both Florida’s theme parks and white sand beaches.
It’s a tropical paradise where winter is rendered meaningless — average temperatures between December and February are in the high 60s and low 70s.
Salt Springs Recreation Area, named for its crystal clear, 74-degree, mineral water, is the largest campground in the Ocala National Forest, and the only campground with full hookups for RVs. Salt Springs offers campers hiking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, and more adventure.
Diverse Camping Options in Texas
Photo via The Dyrt camper Brian F.
You know Big Bend National Park for its namesake paperclip-shaped landmark in the Rio Grande, the river marking the international border between the United States and Mexico. But Big Bend National Park has so much more to offer than a simple snapshot.
The national park’s 1,252 square miles spread across the Chihuahuan Desert, boasting biological diversity, prehistoric fossils, and sky-scraping mountains. It’s one of those iconic American vistas, a true Southern Gem.
The place to camp in Big Bend is Chisos Basin Campground. Nestled in the park’s higher elevations in a valley fringed by cliffs, its location is a convenient launchpad to experience all Big Bend National Park has to offer.
Photo via The Dyrt camper Mic R.
South Llano River State Park is a favorite among Texans for some quality time in the outdoors and some car camping.
Located on the southwestern edge of Hill Country, the park has more than 22 miles of hiking trails. It hugs about two miles of the South Llano River, with multiple put-in and take-out points, so there’s plenty of options when you’re ready to cool off.
South Llano River State Park is ideal for lazy river floats, swimming, paddling, fishing, you name it. The campground is quiet, with nice facilities, including water and electric hookups.
Snowbird Camping in Utah
Photo via The Dyrt camper Asher K.
If you are planning a trip to the southwest, you’ll be glad you planned in advance to snag one of the 51 sites at Devil’s Garden Campground. It’s the only campground in Arches National Park, and its remote location — 18 miles north of the park entrance, 23 miles from Moab — makes for quiet sunrise mornings with a warm cup of coffee and dark, dark nights with oh-so-many stars.
Not only are the views from the campsites worth writing home about, the trails in the campground even lead to different arches.
Reservations are required from March 1 to October 31, the park’s busy season. But seasoned travelers know that Moab and southern Utah are beautiful places to be come fall and winter, when campsites here are available first-come, first-serve.
Year Round Camping in Southern California
Photo via The Dyrt camper Kristen.
Joshua Tree National Park stretches across California’s Mojave and Colorado deserts, where temperatures climb well into the triple digits during the peak of summer. Fall, however, is the sweet spot for Joshua Tree, when temperatures average in the 70s and 60s.
There are a lot of camping options in Joshua Tree, but the gathering grounds for climbers and those seeking adventure in the outdoors is Hidden Valley Campground. The place feels like an oasis in a Dr. Seuss cartoon.
Here, climbers and travelers congregate among boulders that are stacked on top of one another like drip sand castles. And of course, the park’s iconic Joshua Trees are reaching skyward throughout the campground.
Another wintertime destination in Southern California’s Mojave: Death Valley National Park. Furnace Creek is the only campground in Death Valley National Park that accepts reservations, up to six months in advance.
Photo via The Dyrt camper Tom H.
For a taste of California’s endless summer, the search ends at San Elijo State Beach, a campground located in San Diego’s North County. Here, campsites overlook one of Southern California’s most beloved surf breaks — Cardiff Reef, where waves gently roll in to a large sandy beach. Sunsets here are postcard-worthy.
The campground is also walking distance to the cute oceanside neighborhood of Cardiff, full of burrito and donut joints, coffee spots and surf shops, as well as a gourmet grocer and deli by the name of Seaside Market. (Go for the beer selection, stay for the Tri-Tip, aka “Cardiff Crack.”)
Looking for another option in Southern California? Head north from Santa Barbara on California’s Pacific Coast Highway, where several campgrounds offer prime access to both the beach and wine country.
Try Refugio State Beach Campground for beachfront camping beneath a row of palm trees. Or El Capitán State Beach, where campsites are tucked in groves of sycamore and oaks and a staircase built into the cliffs leads to a long sandy beach and tidepools. (Note: As of this writing, El Capitán State Beach is temporarily closed for repairs.)
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