Avoiding the Camping Crowds

News & Tips: Avoiding the Camping Crowds

AvoidingCampingCrowds blogGetting away from "it all" is the intention of most campers who break free of their daily routines. The summer camping season has started and this weekend, the Memorial Day holiday, thousands of campers are heading to the campgrounds. It's tough during busy weekends at campgrounds to find the peace and quiet campers prefer. On holiday weekends it's even tougher. But with a few adjustments to your camping plan or schedule, it's possible to avoid the crowds or at least not have the extra campers dampen your experience of getting away for a few days.

If your schedule allows, select the weekend before or after the holiday. The weekend after is usually the better of the two options — the campground has been tidied up and the surrounding environment has settled back to its routine. At most campgrounds during the week, only a few campers are present. Plenty of privacy and quiet relaxation times are present then. Not only are more campsites available for the choosing, so are better chances for fishing, hiking, and boating.

Avoid camping during the holidays is the easiest answer to avoiding the camping crowds, but for many, that's not possible. If that's your situation, then consider a less popular campground or park. Parks with most planned activities and attractions draw the most campers, so search out a park that may appear boring in the number of events category. Even if your favorite pursuit is not available at such an often overlooked campground, the simple enjoyment of no crowd is appreciated. Plan your action-packed camping trip for the weekend following the holiday.

If you prefer to not just sit around camp with your feet propped up on the picnic table, then the holiday camping crowd may not really bother you at all. For active adventurers such as this, the campsite is merely for crashing at the end of a fun-filled day of paddling, hiking or fishing. So the time spent at the campground will be early and late — when most holiday campers are sleeping in or mesmerized by a flickering flames of a campfire. When planning for the holiday time on the trail or water, add more time out there and less time at camp to avoid the crowd.

If you still can't beat them, you may as well join them, but out of sight and sound. Most campgrounds have a few sites that are isolated from the primary blocks of sites. These off-to-the-side sites provide a bit of space between busy sites and buzzing campers. A cluster of trees or vegetation provide a barrier for privacy as does a rising knoll or bend in the campground road. Keep an eye out for these campsites when camping there at other times, and reserve one before the holiday. These sites may not be the most attractive or laid out at other times, but during holiday weekends, these sites are prime ones for those searching for the calm, camping experience.