Laguna Ridge Trail, California
Photo by: dlockeretz (Stock Exchange)

It’s good to see you back again at AllCampgrounds.

As you know, this is the place to be for tent camping, RV parks and campgrounds, and just about anything to do with the camping life: whether you want to go camping quick, make a camping pie, or even find the “camping bathroom.”

No surprise, then, that whether RVing or tent camping is more your style, you’ll find something to smile about in this latest round of news from around the camping community.

Climb aboard the AllCampgrounds hay wagon and let’s go!

Families Warm Up to Mother Nature: From the Kansas City Star, the newspaper of record in that fine town, comes this little report that suggests more and more people are bringing the young ones around to enjoy the wonders of the great outdoors. It’s a growing phenomenon, and not confined to the central plains. The East Hampton-Portland Patch sounds a similar note here: Family Camping Has Many Benefits. Some of those benefits have been compiled by the National Wildlife Federation as part of their Great American Backyard Campout campaign. It’s not too late to sign up and be an official part of the Campout, so check out the NWF site for details.

When you think of camping, the city of Boston might not be high on your list. Known more for its great libraries and Revolutionary War history than its camp grounds, Boston gets a cheer from this piece out of the Boston.com Article Collection. Boston-area camp grounds have a lot to offer: just take a gander at the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area and you’ll get a good idea how you, too, can have the best of both worlds on your next camping trip out in the northeast.

Travel Daily News International recently posted Camping: The Trendier Way to Holiday? As reported before in this blog, upscale camping areas are proliferating, not only in North America, but throughout the world – aiming for the young, affluent adult demographic and encouraging exploration and enjoyment of nature in a “safe” space. At the same time (on the same day, even!) AOL Travel’s “Gadling” blog joins the glamping craze with this primer: Glamping 101: What is “Glamorous Camping,” Exactly? If glamping interests you, don’t forget to browse AllCampgrounds’ coverage of the topic as part of our signature series, Camping for Everyone.

If you like to use camping to disconnect and get off the grid, you might wonder what use your smartphone is on a wilderness excursion. Well, don’t count out the little Droid, Apple, or whatever else it may be just yet. Gizmodo’s App of the Day feature just alerted the AllCampgrounds crew to some useful software in this post: Trail Maps for iPhone and iPad: Maps for When You Go off the Grid. Sound cool? Well, it is.

As many of our readers will attest, one of the most challenging parts of backwoods camping is navigating lesser known trails. Now, of course, some backcountry camping will take place in areas where your handy phone won’t have a signal. But with this app, you have a built-in “command center” that will download gargantuan, incredibly detailed maps – helping keep you on course even when you’re low on “bars.” There are lots of nifty navigational features when your connection is up, too.