Group Trip Advisor

Campfires and Tents - Best Camping Spots

I ran across Sunset magazine's top camping spots in the western U.S. and couldn't help but drool over the cover photo and idea of escaping the city for s'mores, campfire-cooked grub, and snuggling up in a sleeping bag. Ah, summer. Close enough to smell in the air and start making plans for camping trips.

Sunset's favorites read like the greatest hits of America's western frontier, so I couldn't help but point them out as ideas for group camping trips. Highlights:

Washington: Olympic National Park1,442 square miles offer a constellation of landscapes no other national park can match

California: Yosemite National ParkGet up close and personal with Yosemite's grandeur at one of 13 park campgrounds

Wyoming: Yellowstone National ParkDiscover a world's worth of attractions: geysers, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and some of the best wildlife-watching anywhere

Arizona: Grand Canyon National ParkAbsorb the park's immense beauty by spending a night there, beneath the stars

The West's other National Parks
Find great intimacy with the outdoors at Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, and Zion

Where's your favorite place to camp with friends and family? This is a hit list of the best in the west. But what about the east coast or midwest? I've camped in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and along the beaches of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Any tips for great campgrounds for outdoor escapes?