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)

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…)

It is so close to springtime here.  The grass is mostly green.  The Fox Sparrows are back in front of the house.  Robins are perusing the lawn for tasty grubs.  The Red-tailed Hawks that live in the Cottonwood just down the road are searching the fields for voles again.  Mud Season has just about passed and I don’t have to wipe the dogs’ feet every time they come in the house.  Flowers will be unfurling their splendid banners any day now!

They may already be blooming where you are… and if you aren’t sure, there are a number of excellent websites that can keep you up to date on the blooms occurring in your neck of the woods.  Here are my favorites, arranged by region (this list is hardly comprehensive, but is a start). (more…)

We always advocated that being outside is its own reward; that kids can be entertained with a minimum of ‘toys’ while in Nature’s Playground.  And while we still stand by that, it’s also true that a few simple props can greatly enhance any camping trip–especially ones that last a few days.

Here’s a list of our favorite camping gadgets.  If your kids are especially short on attentiveness, space these out over a few days for even greater enjoyment.

• Binoculars  Whether it’s to view the night sky or the moon, magnify a spider (turn your binoculars upside down), or check out the birds in the trees above camp, binoculars are a great addition to any bag of camping goodies.  With adult supervision, any pair will work or you can buy your kids their own pair fairly inexpensively.  Look for ones with low magnification, wide field of view, not too heavy or consider a pair specific to kids.  I’ve been drooling over these made by Bresser.  They ship from Germany.  For older kids, invest in a pair that is durable and will last awhile (but still not too expensive).  I like these Pentax binoculars.  We wrote a post a few years back on teaching a kid how to use binoculars.
• Whittling tools  Hours of fun, and with the added danger of a trip to the emergency room!  Just kidding… sort of.  Buy a thumb guard, or put a leather glove on the hand holding the carving wood to reduce the chance of injury.  If you want to splurge, get a beginner’s set of wood-carving tools.  Otherwise set them free with a pocket knife (there are many good pocket knives for young outdoorsmen, but I will forever be partial to Old Timer’s because it was my first).  A good beginner project is a marshmallow roasting stick.  Also fun are flutes.  You can also buy blocks of wood for beginners, or give your novice a bar of ivory soap and see what emerges. (more…)

Thaleia wrote to us the other week with the following excellent question:

Do you know of any sane pregnant women who tent camp with 3 children ages 3/9/10? Just wanting to find out :). What gear is a must have for comfort?

While we can’t relate directly to this situation, not yet having nine or ten year olds, we can definitely relate to camping, camping with kids, and camping while pregnant!  Between the two of us, these are our suggestions:

1)  Do not sacrifice comfort.  Pack heavy.  Now is not the time for lightweight backpacking or extreme camping.  Pregnant women have a hard enough time being comfortable at home, let alone in the boonies, or in a campground where the only place to sit is a picnic bench or the ground.

• An extra thick sleeping pad is essential.  If you’ve just won the lottery, or have a rich uncle to help, get a Paco Pad–the luxurious sleeping pads used by river runners who seldom worry about bulk and weight.  Slightly cheaper but also nice is a Big Agnes pad–also bulky, but they combine air chambers with insulation for extra padding… they may even have ones now with padding especially for women with hips.  And if you don’t want to spend that kind of dough either, consider a plain old air mattress.  You may even find  that an air mattress is more comfortable than your bed, depending on the relative squishiness of both!  Three notes:  it will never ever ever fold up as small as when you bought it, and don’t let the dog even sniff at it or it will develop a hole, and finally read the note below about mummy bags–air mattresses can suck the heat out of you!.  Also nice is one of those egg-carton foam pads if you can get your hands on one… or put all three together and sleep like a Princess. (more…)

Here’s a question from Sarah, a reader with great Christmas ideas:

I’m actually working on my Christmas stuff and had a quick question on your Olivia bag post. I’m making two of these for my sister and brother in law who live in Peru. They have four girls, all under 10. My brother in law routinely travels into the jungle, visiting villages along the way. I thought the Olivia bag would be a great Christmas gift since its practical and easy to take back. But I’m wondering how you would modify this for international travel/outdoors. Maybe there are some things that would be great additions to the bag for them that I can’t think of? And maybe some things can be eliminated or they might have problems in customs? 

What I love about this question is that the timing is SO PERFECT!  I’m travelling to Peru the beginning of November and (in my insane excitement) have already started packing!  It got me to thinking—could one put together an International list of multi-purpose items useful for travelling outside the country?

Here’s the thing:  international travel includes a huge range of activities, climates, cultures, and (ew) diseases.  Coming up with a universal set of items useful in all environs can be tricky…  but I’ve traveled to a few countries over the last 15 years, ranging from the relatively laid back New Zealand, to hot and humid China.  And believe it or not there are things that are useful in all hemispheres.

The key is that these items are related to the travel lifestyle:  moving, limited packing space, and being comfortable outside your comfort zone… they have less to do with the cuisine of the Maori or the species of mosquito in the Amazon, and more to do with you, and the fact that you are the same person, with the same needs, wherever you find yourself.  Also, I like items that serve multiple purposes, that aren’t especially expensive, so that you can give them away or ditch them if you decide you don’t need them after all.

Just like your Olivia Bag, any international bag needs to be modified to fit your needs.  But here’s what I intend to put in mine. (more…)

Helena sent me this question (via ask outsidemom) a few months back, and I decided to keep her in suspense for awhile before responding. You know, just to keep things interesting… (sorry Helena)

I want to start kayaking but have never been before! The closest I’ve come is rafting. So my question is… what’s the best way to get started/learn, and when is it safe to take a child along? What age etc.?

-Helena

First I asked Helena if she was interested in flat water kayaking or whitewater kayaking. Her reply: Well, we are a military family currently stationed in Florida. We will probably always be stationed near the ocean, so probably flat water.

Although come to think of it, I suppose the steps for starting out would be very similar no matter what kind of kayaking you’re looking to do. After all, as a whitewater kayaker, the first place I learned to paddle was on a big flat lake in northwestern Washington. For this reason I’m mainly covering flat water kayaking related issues.

1. Choose a boat (more…)

A reader recently submitted this question:

My hubby has poor health, but I *need* more outdoor time! Any tips for a mom and kids outdoors on their own? Mine are 7, 5, 3, and 2 mos. We live in beautiful western Oregon, but I have a thing for the SW.

-Meaghan

Meaghan, thanks for this excellent question.  It’s something I deal with all the time as a stay-at-home-mom who is also an outside junkie.  I actually really like getting the kids out on my own.   I’m not much of a home body and getting the kids out for a hike or a trip to the lake always seems like a far better alternative than futzing around the house.  Our situations aren’t that different–I’ve got a 5-, 3-, and five-month-old.  Granted you’ve got an extra child, but let’s just call your oldest an extra ‘helper’.

Your style for getting outside with just you and them will be all your own, unique to your personalities and situation, but here are some random suggestions that might make getting out on your own easier.

PS rare photo of me (above) taken by my good friend and awesome photographer Rebekah.

1. Don’t psych yourself out.
It’s not as daunting as it sounds. One less adult can usually be mitigated with better pre-planning.  Remember always what your objective is.  To be outside?  See something new?  Have a wee adventure?

Figure out what you’re going for and ‘settle’ for doing only that thing.  When the kids cry or complain, when something goes awry, when you call it quits early, just remember your objective… “well, my goal was to get outside for awhile today, and we did it!”  Have that attitude in mind before you even leave the house and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to feel good about your solo trip from the moment you’ve locked the front door.

2.  Pre-Plan. (more…)

I once thought about making a photo blog called “Oh the places I’ve peed.” Nature can offer some pretty scenic restrooms!! Much better than the four walls your use to at home, and light years better than the experience you get from most public bathrooms.

If you read this blog I’m guessing you have no problem peeing in the out-of-doors. But I bet you know someone who does, it’s a pretty common hang-up for lots of women. If you do know such a woman, please send them this video.  I laughed when I watched it, only because I think Jessica (from bring-the-kids.com) is so awesome for actually making it.

And don’t worry, she’s wearing spandex…

Note: this post contains words related to child-birth. If theses sort of words make you light-headed, please look at this post instead.

Shortly after every pregnancy I’ve opened up my laptop, pulled up the internet and typed in to the search bar things like “postpartum mountain biking”, “how soon can I mountain bike after pregnancy”, “mountain biking after delivery”, “getting back on my bike after vaginal delivery”, etc.

I never find anything. No testimonials, no words of wisdom, no pictorials. Nada. I am going to rectify that situation. This post is for all those new OutsideMoms looking to see when other Moms get back on their mountain bikes after the brutal event known as ‘giving birth’. (more…)