• Coast to coast, America has virtually unlimited camping opportunities.glaciers peaks reflections 1 image by Pierrette Guertin from Fotolia.com
  
  With so many campground spots across America, making the decision of where to spend your camping vacation can often be the most difficult part of the trip. For some, camping may mean an RV parked on a concrete pad, while for others it means seeking solitude. Regardless of definition, camping is about escaping the routines of daily life. Stretching from California's redwood forests, across the Rocky Mountains and down into the Sunshine State, America is blessed with national and state parks, forests and recreation areas that offer boundless camping options.
  
  

Yosemite National Park

• With 94 percent of its 747,956 acres designated as wilderness and over a dozen campgrounds, Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular destinations in the National Park system, receiving over a million visitors a year. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, rafting, photography, rock climbing and interpretive programs are just some of the activities Yosemite offers. Only 10 of Yosemite's 13 campgrounds can accommodate RVs, with lengths of up to 40 feet. Three of the 10 campgrounds require reservations and are generally full from April to September, while the other seven are first-come, first-serve. There are no hookups in Yosemite, but dump stations are available. There are also six backcountry campgrounds, all requiring permits. Due to bear activity food cannot be stored in tents or soft sided RVs.
  
  Yosemite National Park
  
  P.O. Box 577
  
  Yosemite, CA 95389
  
  209-372-0200
  
  nps.gov/yose
  
  

Gallatin National Forest

• Three of the five points of entry to Yellowstone National Park are located in Montana, in the heart of the Gallatin National Forest. Within just a few minutes' drive of the Montana entrances, adjacent to the towns of Cooke City, Gardener and West Yellowstone, are 15 National Forest campgrounds, seven of which are less than 10 miles from Yellowstone. Being camped outside the park provides the freedom to make excursions into Yellowstone, or hike, fish and view wildlife in the unspoiled beauty of the Gallatin National Forest, away from Yellowstone's summer crowds. Most campgrounds have no hookups, but the cost is cheap and the scenery priceless. Some of the campgrounds are on the National Forest reservation systems, while others an on a first-come, first-served basis.
  
  Gallatin National Forest
  
  P.O. Box 130
  
  Bozeman, MT 59771
  
  406-587-6701
  
  fs.fed.us
  
  

Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail

• Part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST) circles the shores of Lake Okeechobee. Nicknamed Florida's Inland Sea at over 450,000 acres, Okeechobee is the fourth-largest lake wholly contained within the USA. Lake Okeechobee is renowned for fishing for largemouth bass, catfish, crappie and perch. Stretching 110 miles around the lake there are 13 campgrounds on LOST. Nine of the 13 are operated by the Army Corps of Engineers and are free of charge. Sites have picnic tables, shade awnings and fire rings, but no water or restroom facilities. The other four campgrounds are operated by local municipalities, have bathhouses and charge a fee. There are also numerous full service campgrounds and boast rentals in nearby towns.
  
  Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail
  
  525 Ridgelawn Road
  
  Clewiston, Fla. 33440
  
  863-983-8101
  
  florida-outdoors.com