Camping means different things to different people. To some, camping means backpacking – a long hike into the wilderness, where the only luxuries were the ones important enough to you to carry them with you. Luxuries in this case included things like dry socks and toilet paper. Others see camping as something done from the back of a mobile house, surrounded by other people of the same opinion, where the video game system and the microwave are necessities.

Since there’s no way to classify the very best campgrounds to everyone’s satisfaction, there’s not really any one Best Camping in Rhode Island. It depends on your priorities. Here are the best camping Rhode Island for different kinds of campers.

Best Rhode Island summer beach camping – Charlestown Breachway Campground on Charlestown Beach Road in (guess where) Charlestown. Because the beach is steep, the waves are a little rough, but you can enjoy trailer camping just yards away from the beach. They have room for 75 trailers. A close second is the Ninigret Conservation Area – but there is room for fewer trailers and civilization is a bit more distant. If you are into birding, then Ninigret becomes first place.

Best summer forest camping in Rhode Island – Burlingame State Park, with a huge camp site for hundreds of trailers and tents. Great hiking trails and lots and lots of wilderness.

Best nudist camping in Rhode Island – You probably know about Moonstone Beach, but there’s no camping and hardly any parking there (and supposedly no nudity allowed). Dyer Woods Nudist Campground in Foster is a private camp for people who believe in really getting in touch with nature. Room for 46 campers and 15 tents. Because Rhode Island weather tends to be a bit chilly in the winter, they’re only open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Best Rhode Island camping for history buffs – Fort Getty Recreation Area in Jamestown. Fort Getty not only has the remains of the old military gunnery emplacements but also has great views of the old Dutch Island Lighthouse. 103 trailers and 15 tent spaces.

Best camping for Rhode Island partiers – Fisherman’s Memorial State Park, with room for 147 trailers and 35 tents. While there’s not a whole lot of partying in the park itself, popular beaches, restaurants, and nightlife are a short drive away. And if you’re not into partying, they have horseshoes and a playground.

Best Rhode Island leaf-peeper camping – When the leaves change color, look to camp in Rhode Island’s upper left corner, places like Burrillville, Foster, and Glocester. The best is probably the Holiday Acres Campground on Snake Hill Road in Glocester RI with room for 200 trailers.

Best intimate camping in Rhode Island – Peeper Pond campground, a private campground on Liberty Church Road in Exeter – it has room for only 10 tents and no trailers.

Best Block Island camping – Sorry, no camping is allowed on Block Island. Your best bet is to sail in and camp on board, but even then you have to book your “campsite” fifty years in advance. Looks like you’ll have to camp in a hotel room if you want to spend the night on Block Island.

Looking for something not on this list? State parks are listed online at www.riparks.com and a partial list is available from the Rhode Island Tourism Division at www.VisitRhodeIsland.Com .

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