If you’ve studied up on your winter camping tips and feel ready to brave the frigid temperatures, where are some good destinations for winter camping? Thankfully, it’s a big, beautiful world, so you shouldn’t have to struggle to hard to find a great winter camping destination. Here are a few stand-out suggestions:

Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is located just north of the Mexico border in Texas, between San Antonio and El Paso. The park contains the gorgeous Rio Grande river canyon pictured blow.

The nice thing about considering Big Bend National Park as a winter camping destination is that it’s a nice warm-up to more extreme iterations of winter camping. January, the coldest month at Big Bend, still has an average high temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit with an average low of 35. Those temperatures are still extreme and require full winter camping preparation, but it’s quite a bit more pleasant than trying to negotiate a winter camping experience where the high temperature never goes above freezing.

There are four campgrounds in Big Bend, many of them located nearby restaurants and convenience stores. Backpacking and bird-watching are two popular activities in the park.

Mojave Preserve

The Mojave Preserve is a National Park in the southeastern part of California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This is one place you wouldn’t want to choose as a summer camping destination; the desert climate is scalding hot with highs regularly above 100. The winter is far more suitable although temperatures can get below freezing at night. One must follow normal winter camping protocol when camping here despite the fact that it is a desert.

Two campgrounds in the park are open year round. The park is known for it’s sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones, mountains, wildflower and Joshua tree fields. Roadside camping is also allowed. A favorite visitor activity is paying a visit to the abandoned mines and military outposts which can be found all over the 1.5 million acre national treasure.

Killarney Provincial Park

For some real winter camping, give Killarney Provincial Park in central Ontario, Canada a try. The park has a designated area for winter campers. They require all campers in winter months to file a trip plan with the park office. Temperatures at night can sometimes get as low as -20 Fahrenheit! The winter camp site includes a hut with a wood stove for frigid campers eager to warm themselves.

A popular activity for winter campers in Killarney Provincial Park is snowshoeing. The park is considered safe for blazing your own trail on foot in the winter since the terrain is fairly flat and relatively shielded from the elements by the dense forestry.

French Creek State Park

French Creek State Park is located in Pennsylvania in close proximity to Philadelphia.

For those appealed by the idea of winter camping with some amenities, French Creek State Park is a great place to look. They have ten cabins available to rent with electricity and heat. You won’t score many points with the hard-core campers, but it’s a good way to wet your beak to what it means to camp in the winter. The park is known for its hiking trails and is popular as a site of cross-country skiing in the winter. Ice fishing and ice skating is also popular.

Some people prefer the great outdoors when the weather is crisp and cold. A few reasons may be to have that not-too-often chance to ski, snow board, ice skate, ice fish or just enjoy the beauty of the land blanketed in white snow. If you prepare properly, you can enjoy camping in the winter weather as well. There are several places in the United States listed below, to give you a starting point on where to take your next winter camping trip.

South Dakota is a good place to start if you are looking to have a laid back, peaceful getaway. There are plenty of places to choose from here, which typically consist of a more quiet and serene atmosphere than some places. A few of these places are; Newton Hills State Park, Black Hills Snowmobile Trail Systems and Oakwood Lakes State Park.

Another great place to go to do a little winter camping would be Colorado. This beautiful state is well known for it’s lovely snow-capped mountains. Some great areas in Colorado would be, Mueller State Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Parry Peak, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center, Meadow Ridge so many more.

If you are looking to go further north, Michigan has quite a bit to offer for winter camping and activites, most of which include cabins, teepees, yurts and lodges. A few of the best campgrounds in Michigan are; Wilderness State Park, Interlochen State Park, Burt Lake State Park, Wilderness State Park, Fisherman’s Island State Park, Ludington State Park and Lake Leelanau RV Park.

Yosemite National Park is as wonderful in the winter time as it is in the summer time. You may actually be limited on the amount of driving and hiking that can be done in this area compared to the warmer months, but the fact that there is a significantly smaller amount of tourists around the park this time of year makes up for it. All lodging options in Yosemite are open year-round, including the non-heated tent cabins in Curry Village. Only a select few campgrounds, though, are open in the winter months, including, Yosemite Valley’s Upperpine Campground, Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow Campground and Wawona Campground. Also, a lot of the roads are closed to automobiles during the snowy months, but are open as snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing trails this time of the year. All in all, Yosemite is always a beautiful place to be, no matter what time of year it is.

You can always find a wonderful place to camp or lodge in the United States during the winter. Just knowing some of the best places to choose from always helps in your search for your next wonder winterland getaway.

Dinosaur Valley State Park

Located about an hour and a half outside of Dallas, Texas, Dinosaur Valley State Park is famous for its dinosaur tracks. Campers can view different dinosaur tracks located in the bed of Paluxy, which is a river that winds through the park.

Yellowstone National Park

There is perhaps no place more famous for its camping than Yellowstone National Park. Located throughout parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. There are a dozen campgrounds in Yellowstone and over 2,000 campsites to choose from. In addition to a vast array of fauna, the park is almost famous for its Old Faithful Geyser which spews hot water into the air every 90 minutes.

Cedar Hill State Park

Also situated near Dallas, Texas, Cedar Hill State Park is renowned for providing something for everyone. The park provides not only convenient access to a major metropolitan area, but also fishing, hiking, mountain biking, boat ramps, swimming areas, golf courses, and an agricultural history center. The park is located on the shore of the Joe Pool Lake where all requests for water activities can be met. This park has become a famous vacation destination thanks to its accessibility and amenities.

Bend, Oregon

From this city of 85,000 people lies access to some of the countries most beautiful and famous camping sites. The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is in this area and a must-see for all camping enthusiasts. Outdoorsy folks will find everything they’re looking for in the parks surrounding this region. It is highly noted for its hiking, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, bird-watching, boating and scenery. Many citizens of Bend live there primarily because of the ease-of-access to these amenities.

Yosemite National Park

Some say Yosemite National Park, located in east-central California, is the most beautiful park in the country. The park is known for its cliffs, waterfalls, Giant Sequoias and diverse fauna. Its most famous cliff, El Capitan, looms over the park and is a rock-climber’s fantasy.

Manistee National Forest

Located in northwest lower Michigan, this national forest is famous for its access to Lake Michigan and diverse seasonal offerings. Popular summer activities include boating, canoeing and hunting. In the winter, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are activities some visitors enjoy. The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, are one of the only wilderness areas in the U.S. that contain a dunes system.

Allegany State Park

Not far across the Pennsylvania border into the western part of New York is Allegany State Park. This spacious park offers over a dozen hiking trails, some more than five miles in length. The park has over 300 cabins, some of them winterized, available to rent. Tent and trailer areas are also accessible. One reason this park is so famous is thanks to its proximity to several large metropolitan areas. Residents of Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo can all reach this park within a day’s drive.