Car camping is a campsite where you can drive up to the site. It’s not necessarily sleeping in your car or backpacking in to a campsite. Car camping is the most easy and accessible way to start camping. The majority of campgrounds in National, State, and County parks offer car camping sites.

Here is a quick guide of what to look for once you get to your campsite:

• Locate the bathroom area in the campground
• Find the potable water station to use water for cleaning up at your campsite
• Know where the camp host is located. They are there to answer questions and they usually also provide firewood for purchase
• Bring cash to be able to purchase firewood directly from the camp host on site

When you car camp, you load up all of your gear for the trip in your car, pull into your campsite, and set up your tent in a designated area. Some also refer to car camping as base camping or more commonly, tent camping. The nice thing about car camping is the accessibility of your tent site. Since your tent site is so close to your vehicle, you can bring additional items that make your camping experience more enjoyable. Namely pillows, extra blankets, food, drinks, camp stove, etc.

Here are a few additional things to know before setting out on your next camping trip:

• Food – Know what food you’re going to cook and how you’ll be cooking it. Tin foil can really come in handy and should always be something you bring camping. Cooking over a campfire or camp stove is not like cooking in your home kitchen so be prepared to spend extra time preparing and cleaning up your meals
• Shelter – Read the directions for setting up your tent carefully to ensure your tent is staked down and the rain fly is attached properly.

• Clothing – Be sure to pay attention to the weather and make sure you have appropriate camping clothing for the time of year. Remember to bring layers so you can add or remove items from day to night and stay comfortable. You shouldn’t need to buy pricey outdoor gear to outfit yourself for a weekend camping trip.