Today I’m joining a a group of outdoor bloggers in listing our favorite campgrounds in the US and Canada (be sure to scroll to the bottom to see more lists of great campsites).

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not really a campground kind of girl, but every now-and-then I’ve found myself in a low key backwoods campground where I actually didn’t mind having a few neighbors and sometimes even a bathroom.  Here, in no particular order, are my favorites (in the West, where I’ve most often found myself pitching a tent).

1)  Kodachrome Basin State Park. Cannonville, Utah.

Kodachrome Basin is just outside of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and just down the road from Bryce Canyon National Park. This campground tends to be relatively quiet (as in not a lot of people). They have toilets, showers and picnic tables and quite a few trails (many of which are good for kids). It’s a small park, but very picturesque and it’s close to all sorts of amazing exploring opportunities.

2)  A Campsite near Lassen Volcanic National Park, California.

I have no clue what this the name of this campground is, but I can tell you that it’s between the Cinder Cone trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park and Highway 44. It’s a little Forest Service campground tucked away and apparently not advertised. It’s such a great little spot with big trees, a little stream running by and just a few miles outside of the park. I posted about this trip here.

3)  Coast Camp. Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

I really like all the campgrounds in Point Reyes,  mostly because you can’t drive to them, you have to hike in. Coast Camp is my favorite because it’s an easy hike in for kids, 2 miles along an old dirt road, or you can bike there, or push a stroller. It accessible but provides that added element of adventures to anyone willing to give it an effort. The campsites themselves are nothing to write home about, but whole experience is what’s worth it. It’s really close to the beach, and some tide pools, and it’s got the best rope swing I’ve ever had the privilege of swinging on.

4)  Anza-Borrego State Park, Arroyo Salado Campground, California.

You have to hit Anza-Borrego State Park in the spring, during wildflower season. It’s warm and colorful when most of the rest of the country is still cold and drab. There are quite a few different campgrounds in the park, but we always migrate towards Arroyo Salado because it’s never crowded, probably because it lacks a few amenities. It’s got a pit toilet, but that’s about it. Still, we get down there every spring we can.

5)  Buckhorn Draw. San Rafael Swell, Utah.

This place is pretty darned awesome. The place we camp doesn’t have toilets and tables, but there is a campground at San Rafael Bridge Recreation Site that does have some amenities (toilets, tables, flat spots but no water). It’s a long dirt road in, so you have to be dedicated to finding beautiful scenery well off the beaten path. The campground is right in the heart of petrogluphs, climbing, hiking and off trail exploring.

6)  Gold Bluffs Campground. Orick, California.

This campsite is amazing, especially in the winter when it’s totally empty. There are not many campsites left on the West coast that let you set up camp so close to the beach. They have showers, restrooms, fire pits, water and picnic tables. They don’t have RV hook ups, in fact large RV’s are not allowed in. It’s a sandy campsite well off the main highway (off a dirt road) with golden bluffs on one side of the campground and the ocean on the other. Sometimes you get Elk wandering through your camp and the campground is by one of the most beautiful places in all of Northern California, Fern Canyon (which also just so happens to be the perfect hike for kids).

7)  Loma Linda Campground, Summerhaven, Arizona.

This place isn’t too far outside of Tucson, and the drive from the valley floor all the way up to 9,000 feet on Mount Lemmon is incredible.  The campsite features all the amenities (i.e. tables, bathrooms, etc.)  It is a little pricey, but worth it for one night, just to watch the sunset from so high up.  It can be crowded in the summer, but the off season isn’t bad at all.  There are a number of other campgrounds on the way up to Loma Linda as well that may be just as nice, and numerous hiking trails.  And if you’re the extra adventurous sort, I highly recommend the dirt road off the back side (north side) of the Santa Catalinas and winds its way down to Oracle.

8)  Gibson Reservoir Campsite, near Augusta, Montana.

I stayed here before starting a backpacking trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness to see the infamous Chinese Wall.  I had the whole place to myself… and between the incredible views, the little reservoir, and the crisp air in August, I was in heaven.  The drive up the Sun River to get here isn’t too shabby either.  Facilities are minimal, but (when I went) it was also free!

9)  Desert Pass Campground, near Las Vegas, NV

While the night sky isn’t the best you’ve ever seen from here, this little oasis in the desert is pretty cool, and pretty isolated considering the giant city not too far away!  We’ve enjoyed combining the contrast of a night in Vegas with the serenity of camping in the desert, and this little place provides the perfect contrast.  The Desert National Wildlife Refuge is not well-traveled so you can expect lots of peace and quiet, and this little place features Ponderosas and a nice breeze–quite a change from the Mojave desert surrounding it!  In the spring, the flowers can be stunning, and there are Big Horn Sheep and lots of birds that migrate through.  The road in here is bumpy, but exciting.  Make sure your spare tire is in the care, and inflated, and that you bring extra water!   There are several trails up into the mountains… a nice summary can be found at this website.

10)  Aguirre Springs Campground, near Las Cruces, New Mexico.

The best thing about this campground is it’s proximity to so many fun and unique things.  Aguirre Springs is in the Organ Mountains, which rise from the desert floor suddenly, and spectacularly.  There are trails to the tops of their jagged peaks (we recommend hiking up there very early for sunrise or sunset), and this place is open year round (we recommend visiting between September and May because that is when it is least visited, and when the desert is coolest–and we mean both kinds of coolest).  The view is phenomenal, and a half an hour away is White Sands National Monument which is good for several days of fun!  The campground is cheap, with clean but simple facilities and plenty of picnic tables and tent sites.  As an added bonus, the giant boulders scattered around camp make for fun exploring for kids.

• The Best Provincial Park Campgrounds in Southern Alberta (Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies)
• Alaskans Share Their Favorite Campgrounds (AKontheGO)
• Sandflats Recreational Area, Moab, UT (Kid Project)
• Best Campgrounds in North America: Western Colorado Edition (Brave Ski Mom)
• Camping at the City of Rocks (Climb Run Lift Mom)
• Top 5 Backcountry Campgrounds in Banff National Park (The Campsite)
• Yellowstone National Park Campground Review (TravelingMel)
• West Coast Campground Review – Sweet Summer Spots to Relax & Recharge! (Mommy Hiker)
• North America’s Best Campgrounds: Elkmont (Val in Real Life)
• North America’s Best Campgrounds: Cloudland Canyon, Georgia (GA Family Camping)
• The Best of West Coast Camping (OurBoler)
• Top 5 Campgrounds near Moab (Adventure Tykes)
• North America’s Best Campgrounds: Dolly Copp Campground in Gorham, NH (Adventurous Moms)
• Classic Campsites: Murphy Hogback Campground, Canyonlands National Park (Adventure Parents)
• Camping and Climbing in Maple Canyon UT (The Kid Project)
• The Best of West Coast Camping (Family Outdoor Adventures)

Starting today we here at Outsidemom have joined

Frankly, we’re thrilled, and have already begun the initiation (i.e. Lindsey is on a field trip all day, and I’m headed outside for spring cleaning just as soon as I hit the Publish button!). (more…)

Have you heard of this?

When I say napping outside, I’m not talking about letting your child finish thier nap in the stroller after a walk or  letting them fall asleep in a pack while you hike – although those are both great ideas. I’m talking about people who put their children outdoors to take nap every single day, no matter what the weather. No matter where they are, which is often right outside their own home.

I first read about this idea on DesignMom, in a post about a trip she’d taken to Sweden. She described the country as “one big Waldorf school” where kids spend a lot of time outdoors. They play outdoors, spend school time outdoors, and yes, their kids take naps outdoors. It’s sounds like the OutsideMom’s version of a utopian society to me. (more…)

I recently moved down the street from a lake. A bonafide honset-to-goodness lake. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting into stand up paddleboarding (SUP). Preferable with my kids. So I knew just just the person to go to for advise. Danielle and her husband own Sweetwater Paddle Sports in Southwest Florida and run a SupMommys group, a class where Moms AND their kids come to learn the ways of the paddleboard.

Thanks for sharing your wisdom Danielle. Can’t wait to try this out.

How did you get into Stand Up Paddleboarding?  

I grew up in Naples, Fl (on the beach), then lived in the Virgin Islands with my husband for a few years. Being on the water has always been a part of who I am.

Three years ago my husband and I got the urge to try stand up paddleboarding since surfing is rare on the southwest coast of Fl. After a few times out on a board my husband and I decided we wanted to open our own stand up paddleboard shop, Sweetwater Paddle Sports. We’ve been open for 2 years, have been crazy busy and are now expanding!

What made you decide to start your SupMommys group?  (more…)

As I mentioned last week, it sorta felt like we were short on adults for our camping trip last week. I had a feeling this would be the case so I tried to think up really easy meals.

As I walked past a boboli crust display in the grocery store I got an idea… Turned out it was actually a pretty good idea.  Pizza while camping is totally a lazy man sort of meal.   Also turns out Olivia had a few more lazy-man pizza ideas to add.

All these recipes are similar in that they involve your basic pizza toppings. They differ in that there are 4 different ways you can make the crust depending on how much time you want to put into it.

First some thoughts on a few key toppings. (more…)

I forgot how hard it is to camp with an semi-mobile infant. They crawl around camp picking up dirt and rocks and sticking it in their mouth. They make attempts to eat rabbit poop and are fascinated by cacti, drop offs and sharp natural objects. I swear Viv’s got to be well on her way to developing a gizzard after last weeks camping trip.

None-the-less we had a great trip last week. We spent  a few days at our vacation home in Southern Utah (aka my parents house) then headed even further south for a little (aka a lot) sun on the Nevada/Arizona boarder. Spring fever is in full swing around here now.

I’ll let the photos do the talking. Happy almost spring everyone.

I’ve had writers block before, but nothing like this.

I’ve mentioned Jen on this blog before. I’ve never physically met her, but from the moment I started following her blog I knew she was someone I’d love to be neighbors with. I had to be content to just follow her blog periodically, keep tabs on her families biking adventures, and occasionally shoot her an email when I needed biking advice.

Jen and her family have been living, playing, and working in Mexico for the last few months. They’ve been having fabulous adventures with their kids. Biking, surfing, relaxing and enjoying being together.

All this came to a screeching halt two weeks ago. Her youngest boy is gone. Forever. And I feel like I’ve lost one of my own. The online world is a weird one. Strange how you can let yourself be so vested in the life of someone else. What do you say to a Mom who’s lost their child? I could hardly bring myself to speak the news out loud to my husband.

Jen, Randy, and Kalden, my heart aches for you. It aches for Axel. It aches for the life that won’t be lived. It aches for the horror that exists in our world. I know that the way I feel is 0.000001% of how Axel’s family feels right now, and that makes my heart ache even more. And it is desperately looking for solace somewhere. I find it by hanging onto the conviction that there is more happiness, and peace, and love in this world than hatred and grief. (more…)

Since March is typically famous for it’s windy days, I’ve been brainstorming new and exciting things for my kids to do when I throw them outside in a windstorm. Some of these ideas we’ve tried, others I greatly look forward to trying.

Build a storm proof hut
We do this activity quite often. Challenge your kids to go out and make a structure that will not blow away in the wind. Our favorite wind hut prop is our plastic swimming pool. It’s always very exciting when we fail and the pool goes flying across the yard.

Make wind chimes
Get a stick and dangle all sorts of noise making objects from the stick. Nails, jar lids, shells, beads, silverware, tin cans, bells etc. Hang them up in the wind and listen to the beautiful music you’ve created.

Conduct experiments
Get some of your clothes out of the washing machine, hang some outside and some in the house. Which one dries faster?  Make paper airplanes and fly them both outside and inside. Do they fly the same? The possibilities are endless here. (more…)

We’ve talked before on the blog about feeding children while backpacking. But today we have a new perspective from someone who’s dealt a lot with feeding a wide range of appetites in the backcountry. This is a guest post from Lauren Caselli, a Manhattan desk-jockey-turned-wilderness-junkie and former guide for Alpengirl Camp. 

Backpacking with kids and teens can be a rewarding experience. They think that every sweeping mountain vista is super rad, they have good energy, and they are surprisingly strong enough to carry most of their own weight.

But at the end of the day, when they’ve hiked miles with heavy packs in all kinds of weather, they’re still kids. They still get tired and cranky. And they definitely still hate spinach.

So what’s an outdoor mom to do when she’s got picky eaters in her tent?

Here are a few tips that I’ve learned as a guide for an all-girls adventure summer camp to keep even the pickiest of pack-carriers happy, and gives enough variety for everyone to go home and still appreciate pasta. (more…)

Just after Ari started back to school this last January, his teacher handed out a piece of paper outlining this year’s school wide science fair project.  I’ve talked before about what a wonderful and lasting effect the science fair had on my own life so I was excited to finally have the chance to share that joy with my own school-aged kid.

Olivia talked a few weeks ago about helping a fifth grader with his science project.  Just to help any mom’s who may still be grappling with their own fears of science, here’s another story–how Ari and I put together his project.

The real problem we (I) had was coming up with a question worth answering.  When I originally broached the subject, my ever-so-typical boy threw out the idea of farts, and testing what foods made him the fartiest.  I’ll be honest–I thought it was a pretty cool project, but I wasn’t so sure his teachers would feel as I did.  So we decided to do that one at home, and think of something else to take to school.

It took three weeks to come up with a new idea; I kept waiting for that spur-of-the-moment question; I kept listening for Ari to muse over some aspect of his daily life.  Finally, as Ari was helping me wrap a birthday gift for Joe, that special moment happened.  We were trying to wrap a box with a brown paper bag, and discovered that the tape we were using was horrible at holding it together.  I think it took us about 18 pieces. At some point Ari said “I wonder if we have any stickier tape we could use.” (more…)