Camping for Beginners and Novices: 4 Tips on How to Prepare and Plan Your Trip for Your Next Camping Vacation

A camping trip can be a fun and memorable experience.  But without proper planning it can become a stressful nightmare.  Over the years I have gone on over 200 camping trips, and from my experience I know what can and will go wrong, and what you can do to avoid problems before the occur.

1.  Call and make a reservation at the campground before going there

People who are new to camping often assume that once they drive to the campground where they want to stay they will have no problem finding an available campsite.  This is not always the case; campgrounds can fill up, or can be closed for one reason or another.  If possible, always call the campground ahead of time and see if you can reserve your campsite ahead of time, rather than driving there under the assumption that a site will be available for you when you arrive.  This is especially important if you are planning a camping trip during the weekend, or the summer; after driving for countless hours in your car, the last thing you need is to arrive at your destination, only to find out the campground is full or closed!  With the more popular camping areas making reservations is usually pretty easy to do  (such as with places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, or Yellowstone).  With some of the smaller campgrounds however, this isn't always possible.  If you really heart set on staying at a particular campground which is impossible to reach by phone, have a backup plan ready.  Bring the names and phone numbers of several other campgrounds within a reasonable driving distance from the one where you had originally planned to stay in case your original campground is full or closed (if you are a  AAA member, obtain their book which lists campgrounds in the area where you want to stay).

2. Make a checklist, or find one online