Family Camping

farmerboy1381

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I have four children, my oldest being a seven year old daughter (8 this summer) then three sons. We live in central PA, but love to travel and camp. My kids are just about as at home in a tent in the woods as they are anywhere. I really want to show them all areas of our great country and let them grow up realizing how much opportunity and area there is to live their dreams. The problem I am finding is that we all like the remote areas, however, when you try to search for spots to stay or things to do in other areas they are all way to touristy. For example, we took a trip out to Yellowstone last summer, we enjoyed it, but did not fall in love with Wyoming until we got into the bighorns which were much less crowded. So forgive the long post, what I am asking is what areas would you recommend we check out? Do you have a favorite camping spot/campground you are willing to share? We all love fishing and pretty scenery, we have canoes but kids are too young for the BWCA (bucket list). I will start, for anyone coming to PA check out Kettle Creek State Park in the lower campground. And do an overnight in the Pa Grand Canyon with either bikes or canoes.
 
I am much the same way as far as crowds and tourist areas. Been enjoying the last few weekends before Curt Gowdy State Park turns into tourist madness here in WY.

Unfortunately much of Wyoming turns into touristy areas during the summer, and anywhere else is overrun with locals and folks from Colorado.

After living in the region here are a few of my favorite places.

Hot Springs South Dakota. The Black hills are a lot of fun and Hot Springs is not as busy as some of the other areas closer to Rapid City. Cottonwood reservoir has a nice campground and there is a lot to do in the area such as the mammoth site, wild horses, Wind Cave NP, Custer State park, Jewel Cave NM, lakes, etc... Fishing is good at Cottonwood reservoir. Black hills are a lot of fun.

Ft Robinson St park and Chadron St park in NW Nebraska are true hidden gems. IF they were in WY or CO they would be packed, but usually its' very quiet. Gobs of public land nearby, Hudson Ming Bison center, Toadstool geological park, agate fossil beds, wildcat hills, crescent lake NWR, are all nearby. Good place to go relax and have lots of fun. Also lots of western history, crazy horse died there for example. Playhouse is fun if you like that and very surprising to find in rural Nebraska, also pool, horses, canoe, fish, etc...
http://outdoornebraska.gov/fortrobinson/
 
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I try to base my camping travels to managed spots by the reservation system. If a spot requires months of advanced booking I avoid it. In Colorado the state parks are a nice alternative. We have been to Steamboat Lake State Park a couple of times and always enjoyed ourselves. Mid-week it is a pretty quite place and the one summer we were the only one in our loop monday-friday. The weekend filled up but that was OK. The other strategy I use is to peruse the forest service motor vehicle maps. My favorite way of camping is to avoid established campgrounds all together. Not for everyone but we like it. One spot that is great are the primitive camp sites at Sand Dunes National Park. It's a pretty easy 4WD road from the park entrance side. There is also some great access on the Grand Mesa.
 
-- Dispersed Camping --
Absolutely.
If you're in the market for remote experiences, stay away from campgrounds for sure. If you went from Yellowstone to the Bighorns you drove past LOTS of places with less people recreating than the Bighorns. A couple summers ago I took off from a trailhead literally in Jackson Hole. I got back to my car 21 hours later after walking 50 miles in the Gros Ventre Wilderness. Aside from a few people at the other trailhead I passed I saw a grand total of one other human. Getting away can be done.
Of course I'm not saying you need to walk far with little kids; at many points on that particular walk I was only a short distance from the end of two-tracks and accessible places.
 
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Thanks for the advice guys. I first heard about the dispersed camping when I was at a campground in the bighorns, someone recommended it to us but we didn't have the chance to really look into it any farther. I know some of our most fun places in PA and VA are on state forest land that sounds similar to dispersed camping (at least as similar as WY and PA can get). And thanks Prairie Hunter I am going to have to look into those spots in Nebraska never heard of them but sounds like something I want to see. The one thing we have going for us is that we homeschool our kids and do school year round, most of our trips happen when other families are stuck in school.
 
I'd head for the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the No. Kaibab National Forest. You can camp anywhere you like in the national forest. There are lots of trails, especially among the southwestern rim above the canyon. The park itself is more touristy, but only gets about 9% of the visitors the south rim gets. There are three developed campgrounds, two in the forest and one in the park. There is also a primitive (no water or services) at the Thunder River trailhead. Remember you can camp anywhere in the national forest (get a forest map at Jacob Lake) which has a lot a good info and of course the roads. You need to bring a couple of 5gal. Water jugs. There is water in the developed camps and in the park and at the Big Springs ranger station in the forest. This was T.R.'s favorite place. Good luck wherever you go. GJ
 
All the above, stay away during August for sure though....an overlooked area is Escalante National Monument. It is absolutely stunning with millions of acres designated as part of it. We've been a couple times and haven't even scratched the surface. Dispersed camping, or at least camping at the unimproved areas is real nice. We saw places while out and about where there were no campers at all which surprised me coz we were there in August.
 
Check out Hwy 50 in Nevada. The Loneliest Road in America. From Great Basin Park to Austin there are lots of dispersed camping in the mountain ranges and the USFS campgrounds are not crowded. Ely, Eureka, Austin all are small but fun stuff to do. South to Tonopah and lots of ghost towns in the area. Cottonwood Campground north of Belmont is a gem. Toquima is nice and the cave is amazing.
 
Lake Powell Az. start out with a pontoon boat,Rainbow bridge,Antelope Island and all the connecting sights could take a week or more.Head west from there and see the Vermillion Cliffs(Cal.Condors).Fish Lee's Ferry and continue on up to the Kiabab Plateau."Mule Deer heaven".Visit North Rim of the Grand Canyon and you will fall in love with Az....as per grandjuan stop at Jacobs Lake at the restaurant,real western food and hospitality.
 
P.S you are on your own at Lake Powell,The Vermillion Cliffs,and the Kiabab Plateau country.North rim of the Grand Canyon is not as large tourist attraction as the South Rim area.Bring plenty of water,better safe than sorry.
 
granejuan send me a PM.didn't know I had a fellow Arizonian that knew the Kiabab.Thanks dirtclod Az.
 
If ya want a weekend getaway check the Asaph campground in the Tioga State Forest. North of Rt.6 near Ansonia.
The west rim trail, south of 6, has sites along trail also. Easy access sites off Thompson Hollow Rd. Just west of the new brigde on PainterLeetonia Rd.There is a marked trailhead there and the sites are along the run to the left.
 
If BWCA is a bucket list item, try out Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. It has a very similar landscape to BWCA and is just an incredibly beautiful landscape and the fishing is incredible. 8 hours from State College, PA.
 
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