Adventure vehicle experts at Adventures on the Rock analyzed ten factors that could contribute to a successful camping trip and scored each one out of ten to create an overall Camping Index Score out of 100 for all 50 states.
The factors analyzed within the index included the number of national parks and landmarks relative to state area, the number of hiking trails, RV parks and campsites relative to state population, average fuel prices, yearly average rainfall, diversity of plant and animal species, deaths per 10 million national park visits and deaths caused by dangerous animal or plant exposure.
The 10 best US states for camping are outlined below:
Wyoming ranked as the best state for camping in the US, with a Camping Index Score of 72.12 out of 100. The state ranked top for several factors, including the highest number of RV parks, as well as free and paid for campsites. The Cowboy State was found to offer 26 RV Parks, 118 regular campsites, and 45 free campsites per 100,000 residents. The state also had the third highest number of hiking trails of any state, at 350 per 100,000 residents.
Scoring 69.29 out of 100, Montana ranked as the second-best state for camping in the US. Per 100,000 residents, it had the highest number of hiking trails (418), offered the second-highest number of free campsites (32) and paid campsites (90) and the second highest number of RV parks (21).
New Mexico was found to be the third-best state for camping in the US, with a score of 65.94 out of 100. Per 100,000 residents, the state had the third highest number of free campsites (18), the seventh highest number of campsites (40) and the 15th highest number of hiking trails (103). New Mexico also has 4,583 different species of plants and animals, making it the fourth most biodiverse out of any state.
Idaho is fourth on the list, scoring 63.62 out of 100 across the ten factors. The mountainous state has the fourth highest number of free campsites and ninth highest number of hiking trails relative to its population, with 17 free campsites and 178 hiking trails per 100,000 residents. Idaho also had the ninth lowest yearly average rainfall at 481 millimeters.
Vermont ranked as the fifth best state to go on a camping trip in the US, with a Camping Index Score of 61.23 out of 100. The state has the second-highest number of hiking trails and seventh highest number of RV parks, with 405 hiking trails and 12 RV parks per 100,000 residents. The state also had 24 campsites per 100,000 residents, ranking tenth in this category.
South Dakota ranked sixth with a Camping Index Score of 61.12. Per 100,000 people it has the third highest number of RV parks (17), fourth highest number of campsites (45) and the 11th highest number of free campsites (6). Home to the Black Hills Forest and Mount Rushmore, the state was also found to have 75 hiking trails per 100,000 residents.
Utah is the seventh-best state for camping in America, with a score of 60.15 out of 100. The landlocked state has 212 hiking trails per 100,000 people, ranking sixth in this category and the fifth highest number of free campsites, at 13 per 100,000 residents. Utah also records the second-lowest annual average rainfall of all 50 states and is the tenth most biodiverse, with 3,892 different plant and animal species.
Coming in eighth place is New Hampshire, with a score of 59.93 out of 100. The Granite State offered the fourth highest number of hiking trails, at 309 per 100,000 residents, and the ninth highest number of RV parks at 11 per 100,000 residents. The state also had 1.45 national parks and landmarks per 1,000 sq miles, ranking ninth for this factor.
Colorado ranked as the ninth-best state overall for camping, with a score of 59.86 out of 100. Per 100,000 residents, Colorado has the sixth highest number of free campsites (12), the ninth highest number of campsites (27), and the tenth highest number of hiking trails (141). The home of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains also offers the seventh lowest average yearly rainfall of 405 millimeters.
North Dakota is the tenth-best US state for camping, with a score of 58.81 out of 100. Despite being home to the disconcertingly named Badlands Overlook in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the state has one of the lowest number of recorded deaths in its national parks, at just one death per 10 million visitors. Per 100,000 residents, North Dakota also has the sixth highest number of campsites (40) and the tenth highest number of RV parks (8).
