Back when I was child, my parents decided to start camping from a little Coleman pop-up camper that fit just the four of us. My dad loved fishing and sitting by the campfire. My mom loved the opportunity to read a book in the quiet. And my sister enjoyed exploring the campground and hiking.
Me? I loved all of the above. But I especially liked staying in locations away from home that had some historical significance I could soak in. Being away from video games and friends allowed me to enjoy one of my more unique passions – learning and experiencing all kinds of American history.
Now as an adult I still naturally seek out campgrounds that have some history attached to them. There is something about living more primitively for a weekend that naturally connects me to the past. I often leave reinvigorated to learn more, experience more, and appreciate the history that led us to today. So if you’re looking for a similar experience, maybe you’ll want to try out these 8 campgrounds perfect for any history buff.
#1 Fort Mcallister State Park
If you’re ever around Georgia and want to learn a little bit more about the most significant event in American history, the Civil War, then you should consider staying at Fort McAllister State Park. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Fort McAllister was one of the 3 forts which defended Savannah, Georgia which was an important port for the Confederacy throughout the Civil War. The Fort fell in 1863 during the infamous Sherman’s March to the Sea, and led to the collapse of Savannah and ultimately the Confederacy. The fort was burned to the ground.
Interestingly, the automobile tycoonist Henry Ford purchased the property in the 1930s. He began restoring it and ultimately in 1958 the fort was given to the State of Georgia which turned it into a state park. This allowed the fort to be restored completely and a museum created to display its artifacts. Today, the Fort McAllister State Park is a 1,725 acre park which tells the fort’s story and offers fishing, hiking, and camping.
This makes Fort McAllister State Park a bucket list campground for any history buff. Amenities are listed below:
7 Cottages, 65 Tent, Trailer, RV Campsites, 2 Backcountry Campsites, 2 Picnic Shelters, Group Shelter, Pioneer Campground, Earthwork Fort, Civil War Museum and Gift Shop, Boat Ramps, Dock and Fishing Pier.
#2 Trail of Tears State Park
If you are extremely interested in the Native Americans and their impact on America, you will probably want to stay at the Trail of Tears State Park. Maybe the saddest chapter of American History, the park commemorates when the Cherokee Indians were forced to march over 5,000 miles from their homes east of the Mississippi into Oklahoma so white Americans could settle their lands. Of the approximately 16,000 that started the journey, about 4,000 would die.
The “Trail of Tears” is not a literal trail by any definition, but marks the 3 year period where thousands of Native American tribes forcibly migrated westward. The site of the Trail of Tears State Park exists in Jackson, Missouri on the Mississippi River, where 9 of the 13 Cherokee tribes crossed during harsh conditions in the Winters of 1838 and 1839. A visitor’s center located within the park tells their story. There is also an on-demand 23 minute documentary available as well as interpretive programming throughout the summer months.
Additional amenities included with the Trail of Tears State Park are:
Accessible Rooms, Accessible Sites, Amphitheater, Beach/Water Access, Benches/Seating, Boat Ramp, Dock/Pier, Electrical Hookup – Boat/RV, Fire Pit, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Information – Maps Available, Information – Ranger/Staff Member Present, Parking – Auto, Parking – Boat Trailer, Parking – Bus/RV, Picnic Shelter/Pavilion, Picnic Table, Playground, Restroom, Restroom – Accessible, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Sewer Hookups – Boat/RV, Showers, Tactile Exhibit, Telephone, Toilet – Vault/Composting, Trailhead, Water – Hookup – Boat/RV
#E3 Ingall's Homestead
On the lighter side of history though is the Ingall’s Homestead in De Smet, South Dakota. Here, you can experience the calm, beauty, and simplicity of early pioneer life in America. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, the famous author of “Little House on the Prairie” series for which the later TV adaptation was loosely based, lived here with her family in the late 1800s. Today, the homestead is owned and operated as a tribute to her life as well as a working homestead.
This campground is particularly great for children, as the Homestead offers various pioneer activities throughout the summer months. This includes covered wagon rides across the property, washing clothes on an old washboard, and visiting a one-room school house where children can wear time-appropriate dress and participate in a normal school day from the late 1800s. If you’re a tent camper, you are also able to just set up your tent anywhere on the open prairie like a real pioneer!
Additional amenities at the Ingall’s Homestead are:
Covered wagon, Bunkhouse, RV Sites, Shower, Bathroom facility w/ electricity, Reservations, Firewood available for purchase
#4 Donner State Park
Pioneering doesn’t always have the charm and allure of an Ingall novel, though. Donner Memorial State Park, located in the town of Truckee, California, pays tribute to the thousands of pioneers who traversed across the treacherous Sierra Nevada mountains on their way West. Including of course the most famous party who did so, the Donner Party.
The Donner Party included 87 members who through several mishaps ended up stuck in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the dead of winter, snowbound. While several rescue attempts were made, those that remained stuck resorted to cannibalism to avoid starvation. Of the original 87 members, only 48 survived. They have long become a sensationalist story of westward expansion and what humans can do to survive.
The Donner Memorial State Park pays homage not only to that party, but all pioneers who made their way across one of the most beautiful, but deadly, mountain ranges in America. This includes a 104 year old monument to the Pioneers and a visitor center which includes history of the Donner Party, Native Americans, and builders of the transcontinental railroad.
#5 Deadwood, South Dakota
If you’re a fan of John Wayne movies and the Old West, you should probably stay in a campground in Deadwood, South Dakota. While many think of California being the only location of a gold rush, there was also a gold rush in the 1870s when gold was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A town by the name of Deadwood was founded not long after, and had an illustrious history as a home for the gold miners and the outlaws that followed them.
Deadwood was host to a variety of famous outlaw gunslingers like Calamity Jane and Potato Creek Johnny. Probably none are more famous than “Wild” Bill Hickock who ultimately met his demise in a saloon in Deadwood. He was playing poker there when he was shot holding a hand of Ace’s and 8’s, now referred to as a “Dead Man’s Hand.”
While you cannot camp directly in the streets of Deadwood, there are many campsites in the surrounding area and it has become a popular way to stay near the action. They offer tons of activities, museums, and re-enactments throughout the season and is a must stop for any cowboy enthusiasts.
Look here for a list of potential stays which are highly rated.
#6 Historic Lake Scott State Park
When you don’t want to pick just one kind of history you go to Historic Lake Scott State Park located in Scott City, Kansas. Located on Lake Scott, this state park has over 26 documented archaeological sites found in its acreage. Most notably is El Cuartelejo, a pueblo-style settlement built in the late 1600s by Native Americans. It is the northernmost known pueblo and has an interesting history as a meeting place of Native American, French, and Spanish settlers throughout the 1700s.
In 1889 a man named Herbert Steele found the ruins left of the settlement. A year earlier, he had established his homestead nearby and it is also within the State Park’s boundaries. Today, it is open as a museum and remains preserved as it was in the early 1900s, displaying early tools and furniture that settlers of the area used.
Amenities include boating, swimming, hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. Nature trails accommodate hikers, horseback riders, and naturalists and provide excellent opportunities to observe wildlife in natural habitats. Wild turkey, deer, bobcat and beaver are common in the area. A horse camp area has amenities for equestrian visitors.
#7 Fort Churchill State Park
Another gem from a time of pioneers running westward exists at the Fort Churchill State Park in Silver Springs, Nevada. What makes Fort Churchill unique is that the fort has not been renovated or updated – but instead frozen in a state of decay. They have not falsely re-created the fort like many sites will do for better interpretation. The ruins left are exactly as they were seen in the late 1860s.
There is much to see outside of the ruins, as well. A visitor’s center tells the story of the fort’s inception as the first in Nevada, designated to protect settlers traveling to California from Native American attacks. It includes many artifacts from the time period and re-creations. Additionally, you can tour the home of Samuel Buckland. He was an early settler who became very prosperous along the trail West, and his home has been renovated to tell his story.
#8 Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park
With the longest history on the list, let’s end with Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park in Manchester Tennessee. Build over 1,500 years ago, the “Fort” had been abandoned by indigenous peoples when the first European settlers arrived. They mistook the settlement for a fort, and thus the name came to be called the Old Stone Fort even though that was never it’s true purpose.
Today, the property has a hiking trail which follows the old stone wall which likely served as a ceremonial gathering place for the Native Americans who built it. Interpretive panels are also placed along the trail to highlight the little we know about its original inhabitants and its history to today. If you want more information on indigenous peoples in the area, a museum and gift store are also located in the state park.