By Roy Scribner
Family camping is more popular than ever as families simplify vacation plans in order to stretch hard-earned vacation dollars. But a family camping trip should not be thought of as something less than a real vacation. North America features some of the most interesting and varied landscapes in the world, and wherever you live there are interesting destinations that satisfy all of the prerequisites for a great summer vacation. Best of all, camping is a great way to unplug and spend some quality time with your family.
How to Choose a Destination
To get the most value out of your vacation dollar, limit the amount of time you waste driving and maximize your actual camping time. One of the quickest and easiest ways to find camping destinations near you is with ReserveAmerica (www.reserveamerica.com), a reservation site for private campgrounds, state parks and federal campgrounds. In essence, it is a one-stop shop that offers online reservations for campsites at thousands of campgrounds across America.
The ReserveAmerica interface is very straightforward. Simply enter your zip code (1) and arrival date (2) in the search form and click the search button (3). You will be presented with a list of campgrounds, sorted by distance from the zip code entered on the search form. Additional information about the campground is provided by graphical symbols that tell you, for instance, if the campground allows pets or has hookups for RVs.
The listing of amenities helps you easily refine your search to campgrounds that suit your vacation plans. If your plans include swimming or boating, it is easy to scan through the campground list and choose the ones that display the water activities symbol. For other outdoor activities, such as hiking, the description provided on the details page will tell you about the trail system in the park.
The campground details page provides a great overview of the amenities and features available in the campground. In addition, you can view a simple map of the campground which may aid you in selection of an individual campsite.
How to Choose a Campsite
One you have selected a campground for your family's summer camping vacation, you will want to select the best possible campsite in that campground. If you are tent camping, most campgrounds have a section or loop that is oriented more to tent campers. This section will be a bit more rustic than the loops that accommodate RV campers, but you will likely have a bit more privacy and not have to listen to RV generators all evening.
The largest campsites in a campground are usually the ones on the outside of a loop (1). Campsites located on the inside of a loop (2) are usually tighter and provide less privacy. If you are camping with young children, pay particular attention to what is behind your campsite and where the main traffic arteries are within the campground. When I am planning a trip to a campground that I have not stayed in before, I always locate the campground on Google Maps and use the satellite view to check out the area.
Other considerations may include the distance from the campsite to the bathroom facility. Young children tend to make lots of trips to the bathroom, but if your children are older you might want to be located further away from this high-traffic area.
One of the best things about using ReserveAmerica is that you are likely to discover an interesting state or federal park that you did not know about. People new to camping are often surprised to learn how many campgrounds are available in their area, which is a great excuse to get the kids outdoors more often and spend more time together as a family.
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