With winter fast approaching, many people are putting away their camping gear until next summer. (Need tips on how to do that properly? We’vegot those.) But what if you’re not ready to be done with campingjust yet? This holiday season, you can still pitch a tent on the beach or amongred-rock deserts. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite spots to do just that.
Beach
Harris Beach State Park, Oregon
During the winter months, the campsites at (from $35), just north of the Oregon-California border and outside the town of Brookings, are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s not exactly balmy on these northern shores of the Pacific in December,but it ispeaceful and quiet. Just bring extra layers and your warmest sleeping bag. From the beach—which is steps from the tent sites—you can explore tide pools, spotmigrating gray whales, and bird-watch for species like the tufted puffin flying above Goat Island, a closed-to-the-public national wildlife sanctuary and the largest island off the state’scoast, visible from camp.
Grand Isle State Park, Louisiana
Two hours south ofNew Orleans, has 14 tent-camping sites (from $14) smack on the beach facing the Gulf of Mexico, as well as 45 paved, pull-through sites set back from the waterthat are more suitable for vans or RVs. Mild winter temperatures, with highs in the sixtiesand lows in the fifties, make beach camping here midwinter totally doable. The park has three miles of hiking trails, a 400-foot-long pier where you can fish for speckled trout, and great bird-watching.
Gaviota State Park, California
The 39 campsites (from $45) at , 30 miles west of Santa Barbara, are just steps away from asecluded beach. During the winter, this site is only open on weekends and by reservation, so you won’t see the same crowds that thepark draws comesummer. The regional company will deliver a loaner RV to your site for you (from $750 for three nights). From camp, hike the six-mile round-trip trail to 2,458-foot Gaviota Peak in the Santa Ynez Mountains, or ramblethehalf-mile from the main trailhead for a soak in Gaviota Hot Springs.
Desert
Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah
You can pitch a tent or book a yurt year-round at, 32 miles outside Moab, Utah. It’s chilly there in the winter, with daytime highs in the fortiesand lows in the twenties, but also way less crowded. The park has extensive hiking and mountain-biking trails and 52 sites (from $40) spread between two campgrounds, as well as an array of yurts that opened in 2018. Recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, the stargazing here is stellar. The Colorado River cutsthrough the park’s massive canyon and feels like a mini Grand Canyon—minus the throngs.Moab’s endless trails, as well as the adjacent Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, are a short drive away.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Texas
Most folks come for the day to visit, 18 miles north of Fredericksburg. The main attraction isamassive pink granite dome that gave this state park its name. But staying overnight is well worth it. The park offers55 campsites (from $14); some are accessed via an 100-foot walk, and others require hiking in a mile or two, making thisa good option for anyone interested ina relatively easy-to-reach backpacking destination. The area, which encompasses1,600 acres of desert landscape, has nine miles of hiking trails, plus rock-climbing routes and bouldering on the dome. leads climbing trips and courses here (from $85).
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona
At the sunny southern edge of the state, you’ll find , an uncrowded expansenear the Mexican border and two hours from Phoenix. Two campgrounds (from $12) reopened here in mid-October after a COVID closure. Alamo Campground has just four first-come, first-served tent sites in a rustic, remote setting, while Twin Peaks Campground has over 200 RV-friendly sites and requires reservations. There arealso backcountry sites a few miles in. Hiking trails that wander through the cacti-studded landscape leave right from thecamps.