Seems like you're fantasizing about going camping, and if so, you're not alone. Many Americans tired of social distancing, but not quite ready to return to public spaces, seem to have turned to camping as a method of escape over the past few weeks.
It's incredibly important that if you do decide to go on any sort of vacation this quarantine, you wear a mask, wash your hands, and properly socially distance (and avoid going anywhere if you're sick or immunocompromised).
But if you're feeling prepared to brave the outside and are ready to hit the woods, here are some beautiful escapes to try.
1. Acadia National Park, Maine
This pine-tree-laden, blueberry-scented wild paradise that is Maine's Acadia National Park tops most lists of top campgrounds, and for good reason. Maine's breathtaking ocean views and its wildly glorious landscapes make this a memorable escape.
Acadia National Park is located on Mount Desert Island, and boasts two campgrounds—the slightly more populous Blackwoods and the quieter, more remote Seawall.
2. White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
White Mountain National Forest
New Hampshire's White Mountains are unrivaled beauties. Located at a crossroads between the Appalachian Trail, Quebec, Boston, and other notable ports of exit, these mountains cover about a quarter of New Hampshire and offer majestic views all year round.
If you're not up for roughing it at a campsite, the White Mountains offer many scenic driving routes that will take you through mind-blowing mountain scenery.
3. Delaware Seashore State Park, Delaware
Delaware Seashore State Park
Sleep cradled between to the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth Bay at Delaware Seashore State Park, an oceanside campground that offers a multitude of ocean-related activities. Try crabbing, clamming, sailing, or living it up on the beach, and pick any of its 37 camping sites (many of which come complete with RV hookups) for a place to set up camp.
4. Nickerson State Park, Brewster, Massachusetts
Nickerson State Park
A few miles away from the bustling beachside towns of Cape Cod lies a scattering of over 400 campsites, built around eight lakes formed by glaciers thousands of years ago. A visit to Nickerson State Park offers a wide variety of experiences, ranging from peaceful cabin retreats to totally secluded forest getaways. This beloved spot is also perfect for hiking, biking, and other day trips that will guide you through towns, around lakes, and possibly into other parallel dimensions if you find the right portals.
5. Cathedral Pines Campground, Maine
Cathedral Pines
If you're the type of person who finds more religious symbolism in forests than in any church, you'll enjoy Cathedral Pines campground. Pray, sing, or start a cult beneath the stern faces of this forest's pines, located only 30 miles from Canada. This is truly a natural wonderland, a place to remember our reciprocal relationship with the Earth and to work on dissolving the boundaries that separate us from the world around us. High altitudes, abundant wetlands, and a welcoming community make these woods well-worth the trek.
6. Shawme-Cromwell State Forest, Massachusetts
East Sandwich, Massachusetts' dense woods offer many secluded places to hide away and do whatever you've been longing to do this whole quarantine, be it scream at the sky or something else equally cathartic. 700 acres of trail wind through the pines, offering perfect hikes or biking ventures.
These are just a few of the Northeast's abundant forests.
Be sure to do your research before going—many of these parks are still closed—and be careful. That said, if you are lucky enough to go, enjoy every minute.