Best trail camera

Trail cameras used to be these super expensive accessories used only by diehard hunters. Today, the best trail cameras are affordable, offer a wide-angle view of your backyard, the back 40, or even your property. They're equally at home as a wildlife camera or a security camera.

Which trail camera is right for you? That depends a lot on your needs. If you want a low-profile out-of-the-way security cam, you'll need one with night vision. You'll need a totally different setup if you're scoping out wildlife out your backdoor or in a farm field.

Whatever your needs, we have advice. Whether you're a hardcore hunter, nature lover, wildlife photographer, or need a security camera for your property's perimeter, we've rounded up the top six trail cameras to fit any budget.

If you want a stealthy trail camera capable of spotting and photographing a buck or someone climbing over the fence in your yard 80 feet in the distance, you want this 1080p model from Vikeri. The green camo helps this trail camera blend in with foliage and trees so it stays out of sight. The 48 no-glow infrared LEDs mean it'll take pictures after dark without scaring anyone or anything away. Additionally, the 120-degree viewing angle is superb, and the whole thing has an IP66 waterproof rating.

Cameras that work well after dark can be tough to find. This is where the GardePro A3 excels. Powered by a Sony Starvis low-light sensitive sensor with a large aperture and 100-foot night vision flash range, you'll take the most incredible videos and still images with this trail camera. The motion and sound detection has a fast 0.1-second trigger, and the TV remote-style buttons make this one of the easiest to use and operate cameras on our list.

Good things come in small packages with Wosports mini trail camera. This outdoor cam is outfitted with a 16MP sensor, and it takes sharp 1080p HD videos. The built-in automatic infrared filters snap clear images and video after dark and in the bright sun. This kit requires four batteries, but they hold out an impressively long time.

The biggest hassle with trail cameras is that you normally must return to the camera's location and retrieve the SD card to view the footage you've captured. If you're monitoring hunting land far from home, that's not ideal. The SPYPOINT Link-Micro-LTE is a trail camera that operates over a cellular network, so you're able to view videos and pictures on your smartphone using an app. How great is that? This small camera is easy to conceal and offers advanced wildlife spotting features in-app.

With an 80-foot range of sight and date, temperature, and time tracking, the Bushnell Trophy gives you all the data you need to watch and track wildlife or keep an eye on your property. Colors are realistic, photos are clear, and the video is grain-free. Day and nighttime images and videos are crisp, and the trigger interval is adjustable, so swaying tree branches or falling leaves never get in the way of the job at hand.

As a game or security camera, the Yellowstone.ai 4G LTE trail camera ranks up there with the best of them. It works across multiple carriers, sends pictures and videos straight to your phone, and comes with a mounting strap and SD card. Better still, instead of running this cam off batteries, you can hook it up to a solar charger for trouble-free scoping. Videos are crystal clear in 1080p, and the stills are detailed day and night.

Capture everything with the best trail camera

There are so many uses for trail cameras today. Whether you want one for home security to keep an eye on your property far away or to track that big buck, we recommend the Vikeri 1080p 16MP trail camera. It takes clean video and stills day or night and has a 0.2s trigger, so you'll never miss a shot.

If capturing action after dark is your goal, throw the GardePro A3 in your cart now. It has a super low-light sensor with a big aperture and can see up to 100 feet away.

If you want to place your trail camera far from home, you need the SPYPOINT Link-Micro-LTE. It operates over cellular and using your smartphone and a free app, you can view pictures and change the camera settings.

Why trust us?

At GardeningEtc, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Why trust me?

I'm a photographer with more than 20 years of experience. One of the tools always in my gear bag is a trail camera. It's simple to attach to a tree or fence, takes fantastic photos at all hours, and is one of the most affordable cameras on the market.