Whether your goal is to car camp in a Michigan state park or to spend a week in a national forest, finding a good campsite is often the most difficult part of the trip.
With outdoor recreation (i.e. camping!) becoming more popular by the minute (#2020), having a strategy to book the best campsite is now more essential than ever. The most popular state and national parks are often reserved within the first 30 minutes of becoming available, so timing is key.
Step 1: Choose a Place to Camp
For the Camp Gals, this comes down to finding a town closest to the majority of gals. During 2020, this will probably be whatever campground is within driving distance.
Step 2: Choose Your Adventure
Decide which activities are most important to you (hiking, beach, coffee, nearby town, etc) and make sure your location offers them.
> Find favorite local outdoor spots anywhere in the world on at The Outbound (bonus points if you find Rach’s post!): Link
> Find your next favorite trail: AllTrails & Hiking Project
> Check out Airbnb Experiences: Link
Step 3: Choose Dates
Get your gal pals to send a handful of options, it’s easier to book if your group is flexible!
Step 4: Choose Your Campground
Resources to help you find a campsite:
Step 5: Know Your Camp Phrases and Symbols
Campground websites will indicate whether the loops have bathrooms (& what kinds), showers, camp stores, electricity (for string lights, of course), etc. Knowing how to interpret those terms will help you better prepare your gear and your gals for your trip.
Campsite Types:
Loop: If you look at any campground map, the sites are usually organized into one or several loops, each usually with a separate name. For safety and traffic, the roads in each loop are one-way, narrow, and have a slow speed limit.
Site Number: The number of your campsite in the loop. There is always a sign or a painted number on the road by the site to help you find your reserved spot.
Number of people: Campsites almost always have a limit on the number of cars and number of people that can stay at the site overnight. This will be listed on the website, or when you look at the site details.
Campground Map Symbols: Each website will have their own symbols, and will have a key or will have a description when you hover your mouse over the symbol. Make sure you pay attention to these when you book your site so you know what amenities are available.
Step 6: Mark Your Calendar
You can reserve most campsites up to 6 months in advance. To have the best shot at a site, put a reminder on your calendar! Being online right when your campsite becomes available will give you the best chance to reserve for your preferred dates.
If you don’t snag a campsite in time, you’re not out of luck! Here are some other options to get outside:
Step 7: Book Your Campsite
You will need to have your dates picked out and your credit card handy!
The next set of photos are examples of the screen prompts when you book a campsite through the Michigan State Parks’ website.
1. Enter your trip details
2. Select the area you want to camp and pick a campground with available sites
3. Select a loop in the campground
4. Pick out your campsite
5. Click on various campsites, look at photos, and read the site details
6. Reserve your campsite! The rest of the checkout process will be akin to any other online shopping experience.
Step 8: Get Ready to Hit the Woods 🙂
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