Family Camping: Where to Stay

By: Lori Thayer

Taking your family camping for the first time? If you hope for more than once make sure you set it up for everyone to have the best possibly time.  Recently we discussed why your family should go camping. Today we'll cover where are good places to go.

If you've never been camping and plan to go first time or have a new tent.  Set up your tent ahead of time and spend a night in it.  This can be a great way to expose kids to camping as well. They can have a lot of fun on their own or with friends setting up a tent and staying in the backyard for a night.  They will see it as an adventure and love the independence and novelty of being out there on their own.

It's never a good idea so set up your tent for the first time while far from home.  We recently met some folks from California who were on their very first camping trip in Yellowstone.  Luckily my husband was there to help them set up their tent as they had never set up a tent before.  Once they had things moving my husband let them finish up.

We kept watching for the next hour as they set up their tent and then disappeared without setting up the rain fly on top of the open tent. (Most tents have screens on the top for venting and there is a rain fly that needs to go over the tent to keep rain off the tent and keep warmth in.  The weather was cool this evening and the wind was up, it looked like it might rain. Finally my husband went over there and saw them all huddled in the tent.  He called the guy by name and said "it's time to put the rain fly on".  Those poor people, I can't imagine how difficult the evening could have been for them if there wasn't someone nearby to help.  The moral of the story is, take your equipment for a dry run at home if possibly and near home if not. (e.g. if you don't have a yard camp within a few miles of home the first time)

Finding a great camping spot

I have to confess that my favorite spots are far from everybody and and facilities.  I grew up doing lots of camping in the Idaho, Washington State and Oregon where there were no toilets, no other people and we caught frogs and did trail riding in the mountains. The picture above is from one of those trips, probably from about 1980.

I do not recommend that you camp that way unless you are experience and most, if not all of the people going love that kind of camping. If you've never been camping or have never taken the family camping I would suggest starting with one night somewhere relatively close to home. You may also want to combine camping with some favorite activities or at a campground with a lot of activities the kids will enjoy.  If everyone has a great time the likelihood of more camping in the future increases!

What types of activities does your family enjoy?

Considering everyone's interests is the first step to finding a great site. 

• How active do you want to be during the day?
• Are the activities nearby?
• Want to stay at the campsite the whole time?
• Do you want peace and quiet in your campsite?
• Need a store nearby?
• Outdoor activities?

Where to look for a site:

• Many KOA Kampgrounds have a lot of amenities. This could be a great choice for your family.  The downside is that you will be near a lot of other people and won't have so much of a "surrounded by nature" feeling. Possible amenities include: Pool, Hot Tub, Jumping Pillow, Horseshoes, Ice Cream Socials.  KOAs will have shower and bathroom facilities.
• A good place to look for other local campgrounds is Go Camping America. The amenities and facilities at these sites is variable.  Check the campground website or the Go Camping America page for the campground for more details.
• State Park. You state has a lot of fabulous state parks. Many are in absolutely beautiful settings. State Parks may or may not have campgrounds.  Check Reserve America, do a google search for campground + your state or look for a book at the library or your local bookstore. The amenities will vary, check the website.  A wealth of wonderful outdoor activities are likely. State campgrounds will most likely have bathroom and shower facilities
• National Forest. A national forest is a great place to look for a camping site far from everyone else. You can often find primitive sites here, but they also have maintained campgrounds. Visit recreation.gov to search for one near you. The facilities will most likely be pretty primitive here with outhouses.  Fishing and lake activities, hiking and biking will often be found nearby a national forest campground.
• National Park. A national park will have some of the most beautiful sights you will ever see. These camp sites are a convenient place to stay while you explore the park but don't expect a lot of facilities.  There should be bathroom facilities but showers are a big maybe here.

What types of campsites are your favorites for family camping? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook.

Lori Thayer is passionate about finding ways to have the best life, from healthy eating, healthy living, saving money and enjoying life. She is excited to share these tips with others. Improve your health with her FREE article "5 Easy Habits To Improve Your Health".