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Literally hundreds of campsites available with scenic views of coastal headlands, evergreen forests, high desert, rugged river canyons, sand dunes, and whitewater rivers, Remember to keep your tents away from the shoreline to avoid being swept away during high tide. Most of the sites tend to be quite remote and accessibility could be a challenge. Dispersed camping is usually available outside of the state parks along the Oregon coast. The majority of campers tend to prefer the areas listed below due to a combination of their accessibility, climate, and stunning views. Census Bureau, almost 60% of Oregon is made up of public lands, giving campers plenty of choices when it comes to dispersed camping. What are your favorite tips for finding great campsites? We’d love to hear them.According to U.S. Other camping apps to explore include Reserve America, Coleman Classic Camp Cooking and Camping.This app is geared more to RVers, but tent campers can also find some good information. Also provides details on casinos and Wal-Mart stores that allow overnight camping. AllStaysCampRV – lists public, private, government and public land campsites, as well as rest areas, service stations and scenic viewpoints.Lists reviews, amenities and contact information. CampWhere – location-based service offers detailed descriptions of public campgrounds for both tent campers and RVers.Embrace Technology Constantly checking in on a Smartphone may not seem like a true camping experience, but we’ve found a few apps that make packing a phone charger worth the effort. Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota offers great cave tours, hiking and wildlife sightings, with a fraction of the annual visitors as better-known parks.ĥ. Now is the perfect time to start planning a post-Labor Day trip.Ĭan’t wait that long? Consider visiting spots off the beaten track. We saw and learned more than we ever would have during the crush of summer high season. Not only did our guide spend more time answering questions, she also took our tiny group into a few areas off the standard tour route. During the summer months, these walks sell out every hour, sending huge groups of 120 people traipsing down into the caves. We stopped at Mammoth Caves in December and participated in two guided tours. Want to see more sights than busloads of tourists? Visit during the off-season. Go During the Off Season If you visit Yosemite National Park in July, it’s going to be crowded. And, make sure to bring extra drinking water or a water filter potable water is not often available.Ĥ. If you choose to boondock, please be respectful. Gazetteers from Benchmark or DeLorme are invaluable for knowing exactly where public land boundaries fall. Our most beautiful campsites weren’t in real campgrounds at all – throughout the West, especially, we found myriad spots that met our highest Camp Site Wishes – free, waterfront, with a view. What you’ll give up in amenities you’ll more than make up for privacy. It’s typically legal to camp anywhere on public land, though you should always obey posted signs.
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Know Your Public Land Looking for pristine views and solitude? Free or low-cost camping is available on National Forest or BLM land, where you’ll find a variety of sites from full-service to unimproved. A few hours later, after people had canceled their unneeded sites, we were lucky enough to get two nights in a beautiful site surrounded by red rocks.ģ. At Arches National Park, where sites at the single campground are booked months in advance, we were turned down when we arrived hoping to find a spot at 7:00 a.m. Or Get There Late On the other hand, you can also get great sites by showing up late in the day, after camp staff has had the chance to process no-shows and reservation cancellations. We were able to get spots at a popular Oregon coast state park, Zion, Bryce and even Yellowstone this way.Ģ. Show up when the camp office opens and you’re likely to snag a site. Arrive Early Many parks offer select sites on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are our top tips for finding great campsites.ġ. In our more than 300 nights on the road, we’ve only had reservations twice. A recent study by the Outdoor Industry Association indicated nearly 49 million people spent at least one night in a tent or RV in 2011, and camping continues to be a recession-friendly vacation option.Īdvance planning isn’t always an option, though. Have you reserved a campsite at your favorite destination? If not, you might face competition.
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Now through September, parks and campgrounds across the country will be more crowded as families take advantage of warm weather and closed schools. The long Memorial Day Weekend was the official start of the summer camping and outdoor recreation season.
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