Leave No Trace Basics for a Busy Campground
Apply Leave No Trace principles to a shared campground: use designated areas, dispose of waste properly, secure food, respect wildlife and keep noise considerate.
RV travel · Camping · Road trips
Field notes for life at the campsite and on the open road.
Campgrounds, rigs, routes and the know-how to enjoy them. Plain-spoken guides for first trips, long seasons and everything between.
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Featured guide
Plan Your First Campground Stay: Reservations, Site Fit and Arrival Checks
Before booking a campground, match its dimensions, parking rules and facilities to your equipment. Allow daylight for arrival and setup, and know who to contact if the site does not fit.
Read the guideTrail map
Pick a trail
Six sections cover the trip from planning to packing up.
Campgrounds & Parks
Where to stay: public lands, private parks, reservations and first-come sites.
2 articles
RV Life
Living, travelling and working from a rig, for a weekend or a whole season.
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Gear & Setup
Hookups, power, water, storage and the kit that earns its space.
2 articles
Routes & Road Trips
Trip planning, driving days, seasonal routes and where to stop along the way.
1 article
Camp Kitchen
Cooking well from a small galley, a camp stove or a fire ring.
2 articles
Skills & Safety
Towing, leveling, weather awareness and leave-no-trace basics.
3 articles
From the logbook
Latest articles
Weather Checks and Evacuation Planning for Tent and RV Campers
Plan a different response for lightning, tornadoes and flooding. Check forecasts, confirm an appropriate shelter and accessible routes, and know when to relocate or cancel before conditions deteriorate.
A Simple Camp Kitchen for a Two-Night Trip
Build a compact kitchen around familiar meals, an outdoor stove and reliable cold storage. Plan for potable water, safe reheating, washing and the campground's required wildlife-resistant storage.
Read Campground Rules Before You Book: Fires, Pets, Quiet Hours and Access
Check fire and stove restrictions, pet access, quiet hours, generator rules and arrival procedures before booking. National park examples show what to look for without assuming every campground uses the same rules.
How to Plan a Road-Trip Driving Day With Room for Delays
Allow time for breaks, road conditions, weather and campground arrival. A flexible driving plan gives you options when fatigue, wind or a closed road makes continuing unsafe.
Generator and Carbon Monoxide Safety at a Campsite
Portable generators and fuel-burning camp gear can expose campers to carbon monoxide. Check outdoor placement, equipment instructions and alarms, and know when to leave immediately and call for help.
Planned coverage
What the site sets out to cover
Before you go
Choosing a campsite, booking windows, packing lists and pre-trip checks.
At the site
Leveling, hookups, power and water, camp cooking and being a good neighbor.
On the road
Route planning, driving days, overnight stops and seasonal conditions.