Back in May, we were relaxing at our campsite in Hovenweep National Monument and enjoying the view, and I remarked that it had been a while since we’d had a scenic campsite like this. My husband agreed, and then joked that I should write a blog post listing our best campsites.
He should know better than to joke about blogging or list-making, but apparently he still hasn’t learned this lesson, so here we are.
As I started making this list, it quickly became clear that two categories would be needed because backpacking destinations – particularly the ones where you’re out in the wilderness and can choose your own site – really just can’t compare with established campgrounds.
Both lists are below, with sites listed in chronological order, because how could I ever actually rank them?
Established campgrounds
Kayenta Campground | Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah | July 2009
A search back through my photos reveals this as the first campsite worthy of this list, though I’m sure there are others from my early life travels that I just don’t remember. As this trip pre-dates my blogging days by many years, this is the only photo I have of the actual view from our campsite. I also didn’t write down the campsite number, but from an online search of campsite photos, I think it was #7.
Lava Flow Campground | Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho | Sept 2010
To be honest, I’m not sure there’s a bad site at this campground. The entire thing is set within the jumbled black expanse of a lava field. But this specific campsite, which my family and I have stayed in at least twice, is my favorite because it’s tucked back in a little nook. I’d previously written that it was site #13, but a look at the campground map reveals they’ve re-numbered the sites at some point in the last few years. I think it’s now #9.
Molas Lake Campground, Colorado | July 2019
The mosquitoes were annoyingly abundant here, but Molas Lake Campground still deserves a spot on this list. It’s set in a truly beautiful location high in the San Juan Mountains, and though we opted not to pay extra for a lakefront site, I have no regrets because instead we ended up with this view.
Devils Garden Campground | Arches National Park, Utah | July 2019
This is yet another campground where I don’t think there’s a bad site. You’ll be surrounded by red rocks no matter what. But we also had a view of Skyline Arch from our site, plus we could glimpse a couple others off in the distance. And then a storm passed through, gracing us with one of the best rainbows I’ve ever seen!
Stillwater Campground, Colorado | June 2020
I mean. I don’t even think I need to say anything about this one. The photo speaks for itself. Even if the sunset hadn’t been unbelievable, this site still would have made the list.
Black Sandy Campground, Montana | June 2021
This is one of my mom’s favorite campsites, so when we passed through the area on one of our summer roadtrips, she made sure to book our stay here well in advance. Between the lakefront location and the giant shade trees, it’s a pretty great place to spend the night.
Vedauwoo Campground, Wyoming | June 2022
Unfortunately, other people completely ruined this experience for us. But putting that aside, we both really liked the campsite itself. It was a walk-in site, tucked back in behind the rocks, which made it feel like we weren’t surrounded by a bunch of other people. Plus, Vedauwoo is just a neat area, and it was fun to have some of the boulders right in our site and views of the outcrops from our tent.
Hovenweep National Monument Campground, Colorado | May 2024
Here we have it: the campsite that spawned this entire post. Our stay here was a fairly last-minute thing. We’d originally planned to dispersed camp nearby, but due to unknown conditions of many of the roads, we decided just a couple weeks in advance that we should make a reservation instead. Lucky for us, Hovenweep not only had some sites available – they had this one available!
Arrowhead Campground, Arizona | July 2024
While our stay here ended early in a swirling vortex of sand, I still have to include it on this list because it’s definitely one of the most scenic places we’ve ever stayed. A sea of endless stars was bookended by a colorful sunset and sunrise, all surrounded by the towering red rocks of Monument Valley. It was amazing!
Backpacking
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado | September 2019
Pitching a tent in the middle of a 30 square mile field of sand dunes and spending the night completely alone, surrounded by nothing but sand, mountains, and a sky full of stars. How could this not make the list?
Blue Lakes Basin, Colorado | July 2020
You know a campsite was pretty amazing when it makes this list despite the fact that the entire duration of our stay was a foggy, soggy mess. And not just a light drizzle or a little bit of fog. It poured for 13 hours straight, drenching the landscape and thwarting our plans to summit Mount Sneffels (which never emerged from said fog). Whenever we reattempt Mount Sneffels, we’ll be hiking in from the other direction instead. But if we ever find our way back to Blue Lakes Basin, 10/10 we would pitch our tent in this spot again.
Ice Lake Basin, Colorado | July 2020
The same can be said for this campsite. In fact, it was just three days later that we hoisted our packs onto our backs once more and began the journey to Ice Lake Basin. The rain we’d been drowning in for most of our trip was, unfortunately, not quite done with us, and this time it brought with it lightning that struck far too close for comfort. Thankfully, that turned out to be the grand finale. The weather cleared that evening and, thanks to our willingness to pitch our tent in this difficult-to-access little spot, we had the place to ourselves for the rest of the night!
West Maroon Pass and Buckskin Pass | Four Pass Loop, Colorado | September 2020
Back in 2020, we set off on one of our more ambitious backpacking trips: a 4 day/3 night trek around the Maroon Bells. Dubbed the Four Pass Loop after the four 12,000+ foot mountain passes we would have to traverse, this remains one of the highlights of our time in Colorado. It also has the distinction of earning two spots on this list due to the plethora of scenic options for pitching a tent. Night one was spent at the base of West Maroon Pass while night three was at the base of Buckskin Pass.
Sperry Chalet | Glacier National Park, Montana | July 2023
Okay, so this isn’t technically backpacking since we weren’t sleeping in a tent. But we did hike in with some of our overnight gear and spend the night here, so it’s not not backpacking, either. And the view from the chalet is one of the best I’ve ever had from a sleeping location, so I’m counting it.
Lone Eagle Peak, Colorado | August 2024
This is another location where I don’t think there’s a bad site. It’s such a scenic area, and all the sites seem to have pretty good views. But many people will agree that site #12 is the best, and we felt super lucky to spend a night here with our friends just this past summer. While we pitched our tents back in the trees, we spent all our time out on the rock outcrop enjoying this truly amazing view!
Henry’s Fork Basin, Utah | September 2024
And last, but by no means least, was our campsite from our most recent Labor Day weekend adventure to the highest point in Utah. A storm-free weather forecast afforded us the opportunity to camp out in the open with a view of the Kings Peak summit. It was quiet and peaceful, we were surrounded by the beauty of the Uinta Mountains, and at night the sky was filled with thousands of stars. It was beautiful!
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