Clear skies for camping and some awesome outdoor views ...
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Welcome to AllCampgrounds!

It seems like just yesterday we were talking about national parks and camp grounds being shuttered during a threatened government shutdown.

That was back at the beginning of the camping season, and things have sure turned around since then: June 1 marks the start of National Great Outdoors Month, and all campsites around the country, including state and national camp grounds, are chugging along.

AllCampgrounds is doing its part with some great info for campers.

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With a little practice, you can eat at camp just as good as home!
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Today’s AllCampgrounds aims to make your next camping trip tastier than ever.

Virtually all campsites offer a little in the way of cooking amenities, and when you head to your favorite camp grounds, there’s nothing keeping you from going beyond franks and beans to delicious food you’ll look forward to.

Not to look down on the mainstays, mind; but if you’re into classic tent camping, you can always make your trips more fun by adding variety to your camping meals.

Here’s a collection of recipe links for inspiration.

Campfire Cooking Tips : Topics include getting the most out of your Dutch oven, grilling and barbecuing tips and recipes, and some terrific recipes that kids will really enjoy, including no-bake cookies and one-minute pizza. Not quite your style? Try the Dutch oven lasagna for a more sophisticated treat.

Campfire Cooking at EarthEasy: Need a refresher on building and preparing your campfire before you cook? EarthEasy has you covered with this link, including step-by-step, illustrated instructions. But even the pros will have a mouth-watering treat here, with a variety of recipes for shishkebab, campfire potatos, and even beer-battered fish fillets! Don’t know about you, but I could go for that right now!

Dutch Oven Recipes for Campfire Cooking: Next time you head out to your favorite camp grounds, be sure to bring this list. With twenty recipes to suit all tastes, you’ll be amazed at just how versatile your simple, stalwart Dutch oven can really be. My favorite here? The one-pot tortilla breakfast. The baked salmon is pretty impressive, though. Also from this page, you can check out authentic “old west”-style recipes.

Campfire Cooking Recipes: A quick one, but a good one, especially for primitive campers who are planning to eat what they catch or hunt. Includes recipes for campfire trout, wild duck, grilled vegetables, and a fruit dessert using pears. There are some other interesting topics covered on the rest of the site, including backcountry camping tips and RV camping trip planning. Remember to have your fishing or hunting licenses in order!

Also note that if you head to YouTube, you can find a lot of videos including step-by-step instructions on campground cooking. This is a pretty good method, since it lets you see what’s going on and you can judge the end result for yourself! There are also plenty of great books on the subject, including Dutch oven, “on a stick,” and foil cooking with no pots or pans at all. Thanks for using AllCampgrounds, and we hope your next camping trip is delicious!

Camping goes solar at Herkimer Diamond Mine KOA ...
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Good morning, and welcome to AllCampgrounds!

You may think you can’t get any “greener” — more environmentally friendly, that is — than camping. All campsites offer an opportunity to enjoy nature most of us just don’t get in our day to day lives.

And, of course, hardcore tent campers and backcountry explorers know that “leave no trace” is the order of the day.

Heck, RV campers can run their rigs on electric or solar to make them more earth-friendly!

So, how can camping get even “greener?”

Here’s a terrific new idea from Kampgrounds of America … (more…)

Love nature, but not looking to “rough it?” Glamping may be for you
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Welcome to AllCampgrounds!

Today’s continuation of the “Camping for Everyone” series will shine a spotlight on “glamorous” camping destinations and the style of high fashion camping called “glamping.”

Thinking about camping, most folks might envision the traditional campfire get together – or, perhaps less enticingly, the idea of “roughing it” with hardcore survival skills, far from civilization. (That’s what we would call “primitive camping,” by the way, and there’s an article for that, too.)

Well, if neither of these appeal to you, you might enjoy the opposite of primitive camping – glamping. (more…)

Anyone can enjoy camping with help from AllCampgrounds!
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Welcome back to AllCampgrounds! The weather is heating up, and we hope you’ve been enjoying your local camp grounds and RV parks so far! Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked about how to save gas on camping trips and revealed that camping makes you happier. We also talked about budget cuts at national parks and how you can help your local tent camping grounds and RV parks to keep kicking. This time around, I want to review one of AllCampground’s special features, “Camping for Everyone,” that can help you come up with unique camping ideas to suit the tastes of your whole group. (more…)

Planning a camping road trip? Save gas with our tips!
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Welcome back to AllCampgrounds! Camping season has begun, and you might think the biggest question on everyone’s mind is which great park or camp grounds to visit.

Sad to say, though, gas prices are making a big impact on whether your local camp grounds are seeing a boom or a bust!

Now, RV campers have known for a long time that fuel prices make a difference, but for those more used to tent camping, $4-a-gallon gas makes for a tricky balancing act.

Here are some tips on saving gas on camping trips! (more…)

“Happy campers” might be more than a cliché ...
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Here on AllCampgrounds, we’ve taken plenty of tent camping and RV adventures in camp grounds throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Though we don’t go overseas much, now is a great time to point out the camping craze that’s hit our good friends over in the United Kingdom. In fact, an international camping outfit called The Camping and Caravanning Club – which offers member benefits to locals and campers from afar, very much like our own camping associations here in the States – is a major player in the new craze and has some things to say about camping that just might surprise you! (more…)

Yosemite National Park ... closed for business?
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Howdy, all, and welcome back to AllCampgrounds!

Last week, I promised to talk about how you can help your favorite public parks and camp grounds weather the storm as states and the federal government wrangle over spending.

As we learned last week, the National Park Service, which operates 58 national parks around the country, is considered “non-essential” – and if the government shuts down, both tent camping and RV camping opportunities at these sites will shut down, too.

But fear not! Campers can get involved to help keep all campsites humming. (more…)

Gather ‘round the campfire for more AllCampgrounds ...
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Howdy, campers, and welcome back to the AllCampgrounds blog!

After an invigorating rest stop, it’s time once again to plunge into the latest and greatest in the world of camping.

Once again, we’ll be taking a close look at RV parks and campgrounds, tent camping grounds, and all the information you need to get camping quick. All campsites are welcome here at AllCampgrounds!

Now, it’s been quite a while, so let’s hit the trail and see what’s new out there.

We’ll be back in the swing of things before you know it. (more…)

Not quite the setting for primitive camping!
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In today’s conclusion to our Camping For Everyone series, we discuss “primitive” camping. While most of our posts on this theme have been for newcomers to tent camping, primitive camping is advanced; it literally means camping in the wilderness in an area that hasn’t been settled or prepared for it. Most primitive camping takes place in large national and state parks, but far from established camp grounds. Though primitive camping isn’t the same as going back to cave days, it does mean going “off the grid” and exercising serious camping skills. (Sorry, RV campers – most RV resorts and campgrounds don’t offer the primitive experience!) (more…)