Car Camping

Car camping can be more than just pulling into a wooded lot, pitching a tent, and then watching others do the same. In fact, car camping can deliver many of the same pleasures as venturing into the backwoods with a backpack. And, this style of camping (car camping) is as close as you can get to having all the amenities you're used to at home, without staying home.

Choosing a destination from the many available will be one of the first challenges. You might start by phoning the tourism bureau for the state you want to visit to request a list of campgrounds that allow car camping. Tourism officials may be able to recommend a location during the call. Otherwise, wait for the brochures to arrive and select a destination based on the following criteria:

• Does the campground have extensive day hiking trails?
• Is there a lake to swim in?
• How booked does the campground get?

When you've chosen a campground, be prepared to jump—make sure you phone ahead to make reservations well in advance. Long weekends in the summer get booked quickly; you may have to go farther afield than originally planned. Or (more likely), the campground does not accept reservations, and it's first come, first served.

Most campgrounds require permits for car camping, and you might want to secure these in advance as well. If you camp from your car for one night, hike to a more remote campsite the next, and trek to another the following night, park officials may require you to file an entire trip itinerary. Park authorities don't want to have to scour an entire wilderness area if you go missing.

If you're intent on showing up at a campground, pitching a tent, and staying put for a few days, look for a campsite away from any intersections of roads. Scope out the area thoroughly before settling on a particular site; try to choose a location that isn't sandwiched between two other camping sites.

Most car campgrounds offer all the amenities of a Motel 6. Not only will such campgrounds have toilet and shower facilities, most will also have a fireplace equipped with a cooking grate. Many have a store where provisions can be purchased in cases where something was forgotten.

You may be asking yourself what point there is of camping in such “civilized” conditions?

The answer is fairly simple: When time is short or you're uncomfortable with your untried camping skills, car camping offers a taste of the outdoors with very little danger of too much going amiss. All the amenities will be there, and you won't have to worry about going without a shower for days on end.

What you won't get is a true taste of the wilderness because the groomed conditions of such campsites often mitigate many of the natural things that go along with backpacking into the woods.