Top LGBT Camping Spots in the U.S.

Rainbow Ranch is a LGBT campground in Central Texas just outside of Groesbeck on Lake Limestone. Accommodations include a 2,800 square-foot house with room for up to 14 people, an apartment, small cabins, a tent site and a RV site. And guests will not want for activities with a swimming pool, pavilion, pool table, air hockey, fire rings, big screen TV, nature trails, fishing piers, sand volleyball and a basketball court on site. It's open 365-days a year, rain or shine, and is a popular venue for events like Womyn Fest, Men's Round Up, Ladies Summer Splash, Fall Fur Fest and an annual new year's celebration.

The Jones Pond Campground, named after a three-acre pond dug back in 1885, has a rich history as a 19th century farm, a mid-century campground with Sunday services by the creek and finally - since the early 1990s - a men-only retreat run by a series of gay owners, including Canadians. In addition to campfires, a swimming pool and 100+ acres (over 40 ha) of nature, Jones Pond offers regular themed weekends such as a Jones Pond Pride each June and cowboy weekends with line dancing. Clothing is optional in designated areas. A wide variety of camping styles includes log cabins, a bunkhouse and pet-friendly cabins. Located in western New York State about 75 miles (c. 120 km) southeast of Buffalo, it draws all ages and is seasonal.

In the Appalachian foothills of northeastern Tennessee, Timberfell is a clothing optional camping resort that grew out of a men-only B&B in 1985. It comes with beer bar, redwood sauna and bathhouse as well as a stocked fishing pond and hiking trails. Guests have a wide choice of accommodations: lodge, cabins, bunkhouse, RV electric and water hookups and basic tenting. It has a packed special events calendar celebrating holidays, cowboys, bears and circuit parties. A Mr. Timberfell is selected each Labor Day weekend.

Open since 2016, the seasonal Creekridge Campground is less than 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Lansing and about an hour and a half from Detroit. The 60-acre (24 ha) property offers clothing optional outdoorsy fun for guys like fishing ponds and hiking trails plus a dance hall, an updated shower house, fire pits and a new swimming pool. Guests hook up their RVs, pitch tents or stay in cottages or the bunkhouse.

Not a campground in the truest sense, Resort on Carefree Boulevard is a lesbian modular home community with nearly 300 lots for mobile homes and RVs on 50 tropical acres (20 ha) sprinkled with freshwater lakes and preserves. Clubhouse, sports and organized activities come with the lifestyle. Fully equipped rentals are available.

The semi-rural Freedom Valley, located 57 miles (about 90 km) from Akron is Ohio's only back-to-basics camping site for gay men. The outdoor activities include cycling, hiking, volleyball and swimming, fishing and boating in the 2.5 acre (1 ha) pond with plenty of creature comforts like indoor and outdoor showers and flush toilets in the tenting area. Socializing for guests of all ages is around the fire pit, in the dance hall, at themed weekend events and by the in-ground swimming pool added after the longtime camping facility became all male in 2008. There's poolside BBQ with ribs, chicken, pulled pork and burgers. With a wide range of accommodations, the award-winning campground is open May into October. Clothing is optional.

Campit Outdoor Resort has its own 33 acres (13 ha) of outdoor activities, but it is also only a few miles from a Lake Michigan public beach and 10 minutes south of the twin towns of Saugatuck and Douglas, known for their art galleries and many gay-owned businesses. Campit lodging has plenty of room for RVs and tent campers plus 20 log cabins and a 5-room B&B. Weekly events, volleyball and the club house keep guests entertained. It also offers a full calendar of special events for women, including Friday night mixers, themed weekends and excursions.

The clothing-optional Hillside Campgrounds is a 235-acre (95 ha) woodsy playground in northeastern Pennsylvania with bonfires, bingo and weekend disco dancing after a day of exploring secluded trails or lounging by the heated pool. Established in 1985 as the second gay campground in the US, it maintains a rustic feel even as it adds amenities and events that include Pride celebration, bear and leather parties, shows, parades and naked wrestling. As many as a 1,000 men may show up on a weekend (reservations required), but weekday stays are more tranquil. With a variety of accommodations, it is open seasonally.

The rustic Triangle Recreation Camp in the Cascade foothills is 80 acres (32 ha) of spectacular wilderness about an hour northeast of Seattle where LGBT campers have been pitching their tents since 1975. RVs can be accommodated, but services are the most basic - portable toilets, no showers or running water, and cellphone reception gives out. In a nod to technology, credit cards are honored at the host hut on party weekends. Open from sometime in mid-April to mid-October, it a good base camp for hikes along the 55-mile (nearly 90 km) Mount Loop National Forest Scenic Byway. Summertime sees special events like the Bears in the Woods/White Towel weekend in late July. Camping for those 21 and over.