How to Decide on the Better Campsite for Your Familys Needs

Camping is a great American past time. Just like any other family vacation, camping requires a degree of planning. There are a number of diverse points to consider after you select where you are going to be camping. One essential part of a victorious camping excursion is selecting the right site for the camping excursion. Here are some things you will want to think about when you are picking a campsite within your chosen campground:

1. Reservations- If you are taking your family camping during the beginning of summer season, you may need a reservation to make sure your campsite. This reservation may need to be made months before, especially if you are deciding on a popular campground, like a Jellystone Park. Making reservations beforehand doesn't allow you to examine the site personally, but many campgrounds present online maps showing the areas of all their campsites so that you can see if you are around a restroom/outhouse and if your site comes with electricity.

2. Services- What kind of conveniences you want will depend on exactly whom you are traveling with. Do you have small children, pets, grandparents...all these will affect how much you really want to "rough it". Generally speaking if you are traveling with small children, especially newly potty trained children, you will want to be as close the restrooms/outhouse as possible. Going behind the bushes several times a day with your children will not heighten your fun. Grandparents will most likely also enjoy having a shorter walk to the restrooms/outhouse, especially at night. The only drawback is that being near a restroom may mean that your site is in a less private area and prone to more foot traffic.

3. Playground- Plenty of campgrounds now come with playgrounds, which can be a great thing for campers with young children. Playgrounds will give your youngsters activities to do after they have woken up and before breakfast is ready. So instead of having them hanging around the campsite asking when the food will be ready, they can play with other little ones. If your campground has a playground you may want to try for a campsite near enough for your children to have easy access without total parental supervision.

4. General Store- Some bigger campgrounds include a general store with a few necessities. Many stores will generally carry things like matches, bread, butter, batteries, bug spray, sunscreen, hats, body soap, and other things that are easily left behind. These stores can be very handy, but you probably don't want a campsite too close to them because the stores are usually close to things like the road and the main dumpster, both unwanted when seeking out a campsite. If a general store is a necessity to you, decide on a campground that has a store but a campsite that is a ten minute walk from the store that way you will be close to some basic grocery items but far enough away to escape the sounds of car traffic.

5. Level- If you get to look at your site before picking it, pick one that is on level ground. A little sloping is okay, but a campsite that is full of little mole hills or potholes is no fun. Building a tent on ground that is not level is not always easy and sleeping on ground that is full of little holes and hills is not pleasing. Also watch out for tree stumps and larger stones that can mar the attraction of a campsite. Aaron Garcia is a camping enthusiast who loves to spend his summers at camping grounds around the US. During the summer, he chooses campgrounds with water attractions, to keep his family cool.