Camping RV Destination Guide
Planning a camping RV roadtrip but don’t know where to start? This camping destination guide will point you to the best the east coast has to offer for amazing beach camping!
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Camping is a fabulous means to create memories that will last a lifetime. For our family, it is dedicated time to spend together away from the draw of our every day lives. Time to let stress from work melt away, to lessen the distraction of screens, and reconnect through the exploration of new places and experiences. The east coast offers endless camping and rving opportunities and there is not enough vacation time to be able to explore them all. I have compiled the ultimate list of beach RV camping resorts on the east coast.
1. Bayley’s Camping Resort
Southern Maine Seashore
Bayley’s Camping Resort on Southern Maine’s seashore is a gem and worthy of a spot on your bucket list. Maine is one of my favorite places to visit, quintessential New England charm and quaint towns ensure a relaxing escape from every day life. The delicious Maine lobster certainly add to the draw.
Bayley’s is an amazing family friendly camping resort. We visited during the 4th of July season and had an epic vacation. Located less than a mile outside of Old Orchard Beach, the resort itself is not oceanside however, this is not a deterrent at all. There is regular transportation to and from two beaches on a old fashioned trolley. The resort is also located on the Scarborough Marsh. You can launch right from the resort and enjoy the sightseeing while kayaking through Maine salt marshes teeming with life.
Beaches
Located about a half a mile from a 7 mile stretch of amazing beach, the resort allows for plenty of sun and surf. There is a trolley that runs routinely all day to Pine Point and Old Orchard Beach every 30 minutes. Pine Point is an expansive stretch of beach, allowing for great family time. The beach is so large, you do not feel smashed in like sardines on the shore. The view is breathtaking and low tide leaves a huge expanse of shimmering sands.
While Pine Point is a quiet, lazy beach, Old Orchard Beach is the opposite. Brimming with activity, life, and crowds. Old Orchard Beach has a traditional boardwalk, with rides, games, and all the delicious food that comes with a seaside boardwalk. We enjoyed an afternoon here, however when it comes to lounging on the beach and playing the sand we preferred Pine Point.
Resort Amenities
The resort offers 3 pools and 6 hot tubs, live music, on site dining with lobster dinners. It is enormous, sitting on 200 acres. A golf cart would be a wise investment if your site is away from the amenities you plan to use. There are plenty of activities, including Pool Pole Plunge which is an amusing game of opponents battling on a pole over pool, attempting to knock each other in with large inflated balls. Family activities galore ensure a vacation full of good memories.
Resort 5-Star Features
- All day trolley service to Pine Point Beach and Old Orchard Beach
- 1/2 a mile from Old Orchard Beach Boardwalk
- 3 on-site pools and 6 hot tubs
- Pool Pole Plunge
- Adult Only Little River Complex with live music
- Three fishing ponds
- On-site dining at the Seaside Square Cafe
- Tons of family friendly activities
2. Massey’s Landing RV Resort
Heart of Delaware Beaches
Massey’s Landing RV Resort is located in the heart of Delaware beaches. I must admit, that prior to planning a trip to this resort, I had not considered Delaware as a beach camping destination! Located just a few miles from the expansive Rehoboth Beach, this camping resort is full of family friendly fun!
The Pool
The pool was pretty awesome. The water was the perfect temperature and my kids were in for hours! There is a sectioned off area of the pool with a huge swim up bar, bonus for the adults! They served pina coladas, frozen drinks, beer, anything you want! My only criticism of the pool was that it is the only one. The resort is HUGE, so on the weekends, the pool was really crowded.
Activities
There is a ton of fun activities for kids here. The resort is located on a large brackish water lake. There are multiple boat launches and waterways, which are perfect for kayaking. A huge water obstacle course offered hours of entertainment for our kids. They had a blast pushing each other off into the water. Beware though, there are little jellyfish in the water. An enormous inflatable water slide is open most of the day as well, providing hours of fun. At the end of the day, our kids were truly tired to the bone.
The resort does offer a small sandy beach. We did not spend too much time here, in part due to my kids loving all of the other activities so much and as it was so hot the week we were there the sand was intolerably hot. A trolley bus was available to take you to Rehoboth Beach, which offers a small boardwalk with restaurants and souvenir shops. The beach is huge, but the week we were there, it was crowded. It was a sea of umbrellas looking up and down the shore.
Dining
There are a some great options for dining at the resort, including Paradise Landing which offers a full bar and bar foods. We had a blast at the nightly karaoke. The second restaurant, the JackSpot offers a more extensive menu, the fish sandwich is yummy. They will deliver your meal to you pool side! Complete with a large gift shop and an ice cream parlor, all your needs will be met.
Resort 5 Star Features
- Multiple on-site dining options
- Trolley to outlet mall, beach and boardwalk
- Super fun water activities
- Great location for kayaking and fishing
- Swim up bar at the pool
- Golf carts available for rent, a must…it is a huge resort!
- Outdoor movies
- Beautiful sunsets
3. Cape Charles Chesapeake Bay KOA
Virginia’s Eastern Shore
The Cape Charles-Chesapeake Bay KOA is a favorite destination for our family. The beach on the Chesapeake Bay is one of the best. Given it being on the bay, the waves are smaller in size which is perfect for our young children. There are literally hundreds of blue crab in the waters, which was great fun for us to catch. A recreational crabbing license is not required in Virginia, so feel free to cook them up (but check those rules for yourself)! Watching my kids with nets trying to catch crabs in the warm Chesapeake Bay is treasured in my mind forever.
The location is gorgeous. Walking on the shores watching fiery sunsets was a daily ritual. We were by the water or in the pool the whole time we were here. Shore fishing and building sand castles made for an epic family vacation.
Dining
The Jackspot is located right on the beach on the resort grounds. A full bar is offered and the menu is delicious. The crab cake sandwich is hands down the best around! There is often live music, which adds to the fun atmosphere. Not many dinner backdrops can beat the gorgeous sunsets you can view on the deck while eating at the Jackspot!
Resort 5 Star Features
- Beautiful beach on the Chesapeake Bay
- Breathtaking sunsets
- A dog beach
- Zero entry pool
- Catching blue crab on the beach!
- The BEST crab cakes at the Jackspot Bar and Grill
- Live Music
- Happy Jack’s Cafe offers coffee drinks and ice cream
- Huge Camp Store
- Good shore fishing
4. Cape Hatteras KOA
Outer Banks of North Carolina
The Cape Hatteras KOA on the beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks is most likely our favorite east coast camping resort. There are so many wonderful features to this RV resort, you will not regret planning a trip here! It is family oriented and with many amenities to keep everyone entertained. The resort is located between the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Pamlico Sound on the other, neatly framed by sand dunes. The sunrises were breath-taking and a small moment in time where I could take a step back and center myself in the beauty of life.
Pool
The pool was a winner with my kids…with zero entry and two water slides that dump out into the deep end, they were entertained for hours every day. The gigantic L-shaped pool wraps around the main building of the resort. The hot tub is kid friendly, being hot but not too hot. It is a kid’s dream vacation pool!
Amenities and Activities
The resort is geared toward family activities and childhood fun. There are themed weekends with entertaining events that create memorable moments. There was a pirate weekend the one weekend we were there, which included a treasure hunt with buried treasure of gold coins, juice boxes, and pirate bandannas. The highlight was a water war. The resort had two “pirate ships” and a pirate train, complete with water warfare of water balloons and squirt guns. The ships and train with kids and parents loaded on chased each other around the resort. All campers were fair game for a squirt gun shot, so the fun was had by all. The joy on my kids faces will be a memory I cherish!
Perks
There are many features about this KOA that make it a truly enjoyable experience. There is an on-site restaurant that offers sandwiches and light fare. The restaurant is located poolside, which allows for uninterrupted swim time.
One of the absolute best perks is the ability to have beach fires. You need only fill out a simple form permitting you to have a fire on the beach and carry it with you. The Outer Banks is known for it’s beach. Being able to sit under the stars, with a fire, hunting ghost crabs is an experience you will never forget!
Resort 5-Star Features
- Epic pool with zero entry and 2 water slides
- Kid friendly hot tub
- Onsite dining
- 2 additional restaurants within steps of the resort
- Miles and miles of awesome beaches
- Fun kids activities
- A huge bounce pillow
- Pirate themed playground
- Beach campfires
5. Camp Gulf RV Park
Florida’s Emerald Coast
Located on Florida’s Emerald Coast, Camp Gulf is a destination that will provide a one of a kind camping experience! This camping RV resort offers beach camping on the sand. The view is absolutely gorgeous and looking out over the white sand and emerald waters is a must have experience. Looking out onto the beach while drinking my morning coffee was true relaxation.
Location
The resort at Camp Gulf is located in Miramar Beach, just outside of Destin which is a tourist destination to be had. Family friendly fun and activities to keep you happy and content. But in all honesty, hanging at the beautiful beach was our favorite activity. We saw dolphins swimming by daily and my kids loved seeing military choppers flying overhead. It is a beach wonderland with the softest and whitest sand in the world.
The resort has two pools, a small playground and two gift shoppes. There is a large slide that is open a few select hours, which our kids thought was a blast. The camp staff are friendly and helpful. The main draw for this resort is the beach and the location in Destin. The beach sites are a bit expensive and there is no sewer, however you can pay for a pump out for a small fee. This camping RV destination is one of a kind and will give you beautiful memories for your family!
Check out a full review of Camp Gulf!
Resort 5-Star Features
- Amazing beach with gorgeous white sands
- Camping on the sand with awesome views
- Shallow waters and small waves, great for kids
- 2 pools and a huge water slide
- Rentals for ocean kayaks and other beach activities
- Located close to Destin, Florida a mecca of family fun
6. Fiesta Key RV Resort
The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are an annual destination for our family in the winter. Key West averages about 260 days of sunshine a year, which is a commodity when attempting to escape the frigid north. The RV Resort at Fiesta Key has become our go to destination as the camping resort is in a great location and has great features.
Buy Your Camping Gear at Eastern Mountain Sports
Location
While there are a few organized activities for campers at the resort, they tend to be geared toward the snow birds who have extended stay. We however, have always found ourselves able to fill up our vacation activity calendar easily. The location of the camping resort is one of the draws. Located near Marathon, it is pretty centrally located along the Keys, making it easier to explore both the upper and lower Keys.
We really love exploring the unique habitats that make the Keys so special. There are so many one of kind experiences in the Keys, such as the John Pennekamp State Park and the glass bottom boat tour and the Dolphin Research Center. I hope that may kids remember these experiences and enrich their memories of childhood. Being a little more centrally located makes it easier to spend time at these amazing activities and make a day trip to Key West as well.
Amenities
The pool works well for us, as there is a small kiddie pool section, walled off from the deeper pool. This makes it much easier to supervise my older and younger children swimming. The playground is nice and recently updated. The marina adds loads of fun as we spend time fishing and my kids were able to see manatees up close. Such an amazing experience!
Exploring the mangroves in kayaks was so enjoyable and peaceful. We saw two manatees swim by and a stingray. The header photo on my website was from our kayaking trek at Fiesta Key. Watching the sun set while floating on the crystal clear waters is an experience you need to have!
The Lobster Crawl Restaurant
The camping resort is an island onto itself and has an independently owned restaurant located on the grounds. When looking for a RV camping destination, finding one that has food on site is a preference. While we cook most meals at our RV, it is nice to kick back, relax and let someone else cook for us on occasion. Fiesta Key does not disappoint!
The Lobster Crawl restaurant has decent food, typically live music on the weekends, and a full service bar. The Menu offers unique eats indigenous to Southern Florida, including Gator and Conch Fritters. They are a must try! The main dining area is an open air, thatched roof structure. It is located right on the water and there are several tables on the sand. Having this amenity on site is a definite perk.
Resort 5-Star Features
- Located on the water with many sites backing up to the ocean
- Full working marina and boat launch
- Amazing kayaking experiences from the door of your camper
- “Local” manatees visit the marina daily
- Pool is well suited for small children
- Onsite restaurant with full bar (Happy Hour too!)
- Breath-taking sunsets
- It’s the Keys…what could be better?!
I hope that this list has inspired your desire to wander to some of these great destinations. It can be overwhelming to plan a vacation with your cherished family time. We have truly enjoyed our time at these best beach destination camping resorts and would recommend them for your east coast RV camping bucket list.
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Wander well….
