Back to nature

[BoydLabBuck]

Newbie here and this is my first post, if it's in the wrong spot I apologize.

I got to thinking about exciting ways to "work out" without working out, and it lead me to thinking about camping.

Are there any places that specialize in camping trips geared toward moderate activity (hiking, canoeing, white water rafting, etc)?

I was thinking about planning a sort of primal living weekend trip, sleeping in a tent, cooking on a campfire, that sort of thing. What better way to practice primal living than to leave the modern world for a few days? Eating healthy and being active all day long.

[Relosa]

Well, there's a ton of places that do outdoorsy trips, but it all depends on where you live. I live in Maine and I'm about 3 hours from some of the best white water rafting the east coast of the US can offer. And trust me white water rafting can be a pretty intense work out. As for hiking, just go for a walk! Start heading in a direction and just see how far you can make it in two hours. And for camping you just need to find a campsite, or not, and pitch your tent then hang out. There's plenty of places all over the world for that. If you let us know where you live I bet people can offer some places to try out.

http://www.thebackpacker.com/

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

[thescrawnycaveman]

One thing I like to do that I suppose is part of hiking, is playing around as you walk on the trail. You and maybe a friend hiking up and down mountains, seeing how big of a rock you can throw how far, climbing trees, jumping on/over falling trees etc. You can have a whole heck of a lot of fun while also burning a few calories. You can get creative or put yourself in a position of intensity like white water rafting, or just hang around. I love the idea, and I've wanted to do it for awhile, I just don't have the money/gear to do it on my own.

Or you can go the less healthy way that I've done a few times. Go to a campsite with a few friends and a case or two of beer and just have some fun fishing, cooking, drinking, and exploring. Though if you are going to drink, make sure at least one person stays sober enough to know where they are/how to get back to the campsite if you go exploring.

[qpop]

Newbie here and this is my first post, if it's in the wrong spot I apologize.

I got to thinking about exciting ways to "work out" without working out, and it lead me to thinking about camping.

Are there any places that specialize in camping trips geared toward moderate activity (hiking, canoeing, white water rafting, etc)?

I was thinking about planning a sort of primal living weekend trip, sleeping in a tent, cooking on a campfire, that sort of thing. What better way to practice primal living than to leave the modern world for a few days? Eating healthy and being active all day long.

In the UK they're called outdoor pursuit centres. Dunno about the other side of the pond.

[Sloth the Enduring]

You could try looking at State Parks or a National Parks. In most states, National Forests and state forests offer camping, but they are usually more primitive than the State Parks, so fewer amenities, like showers and flushing toilets, but that makes it even more primal.

National parks will usually have ranger led activities like rafting or canoeing, state parks will usually rent equipment for them, and national/state forests are DIY.

Do not go to a private campground, while there are a few nice ones (like the KOA outside of Yellowstone), they will not give you the primal, getting away from it all, experience you are looking for. Most of them are parking lots for RVS.

Winter is a great time to go camping. Even if you are in a warm state, the parks and hiking trails are pretty deserted. Monday to Wednesday trips are good for the same reason.

What state do you live in? I bet someone here could point you toward a really nice park near you.

[BoydLabBuck]

I just moved to the Cincinnati area a month ago, I'm originally from northern Ohio.

I guess I am looking for a place with a lot of variety. I started looking into Pasgah National Forest and I might plan a trip there for hiking + canoeing. Climbing the highest peak east of the MS river is appealing, and there's a 7 mile canoe trip offered right nearby.

Any recommendations for drivable trips from Cincinnati? Probably <7 hrs is the most I'd want to drive, and I know Asheville, NC is pushing that. I also have a slightly high maintenance wife, so shower facilities are pretty much a necessity.

[thescrawnycaveman]

I'm not sure the of what town, but over the summer me and my family had to drive through southern ohio and it was BEAUTIFUL!! It had rolling hills and trees for days (keep in mind, I'm from illinois...)

[VintageGeek]

This is a good question, and it ties into a question I've had for a while...how do I find good camp sites in my area? I've been able to find plenty of RV parks, state parks (not sure what the rules are about camping in state parks), and lakeside resort type places, but nothing that explicitly says, "Hey, you can pitch your tent here and build a fire and sleep on the ground." How do I do that?

[BoydLabBuck]

There are quite a few state parks in Ohio that would probably work, but for the most part I think rolling hills is about all you get. Of course with my starting point that's about all I need right now. I guess it's not as exciting to stay close to places you're familiar with.

[Sloth the Enduring]

This is a good question, and it ties into a question I've had for a while...how do I find good camp sites in my area? I've been able to find plenty of RV parks, state parks (not sure what the rules are about camping in state parks), and lakeside resort type places, but nothing that explicitly says, "Hey, you can pitch your tent here and build a fire and sleep on the ground." How do I do that?

State parks are your best bets for camping; pretty much all of them have campsites. Most states have an online registration system which will explain the virtues and amenities of the park and what the camping situation is. Unless you are camping somewhere really popular or on a summer weekend you probably don't need to pre-register. When you drive up the state park there will usually be a ranger's station at the entrance and they will register you and point you toward the campsite.

Some states have good county park systems, but they're usually just outside of town somewhere, instead of off in the woods and it's harder to find much information about them before you get there. We usually find them on road trips just by looking at the road map.

If you are looking to get away from it all and do some backwoods camping your best bet is a state or national forest. Here in Minnesota, at least, they have both campgrounds with facilities and they allow camping off in the woods by yourself. Basically you can pitch a tent and build a fire anywhere that isn't a developed recreation area. The basic rule is to treat the area with respect and leave no trace. Your state's Department of Natural Resources website should have all the information you need.

If you want to be primitive, pitch a tent, have a fire, and sleep on the ground, stay away from RV parks, you'll be disappointed.

[Sloth the Enduring]

I just moved to the Cincinnati area a month ago, I'm originally from northern Ohio.

I guess I am looking for a place with a lot of variety. I started looking into Pasgah National Forest and I might plan a trip there for hiking + canoeing. Climbing the highest peak east of the MS river is appealing, and there's a 7 mile canoe trip offered right nearby.

Any recommendations for drivable trips from Cincinnati? Probably <7 hrs is the most I'd want to drive, and I know Asheville, NC is pushing that. I also have a slightly high maintenance wife, so shower facilities are pretty much a necessity.

If you are new to camping and have a high maintenance wife, you might want to have a practice run at a campground near home, sometimes it's worth it to have a bail out plan. Now that we have little kids, a lot of our camping has been within 90 minutes of home.

Ohio is one of the states that I haven't camped in. It's always been a drive through state. Pisgah sounds nice; anywhere in the Appalachians is worth camping and hiking in.

Kentucky has some nice camping. I love the National Parks. Mammoth Caves is worth the drive no matter where you live. The rangers at National Parks are awesome, they're used to dealing with newbies, so they're really helpful. Kentucky also has a couple of really nice National Forests, Land of Lakes National Recreation Area and Daniel Boone National Forest.

*Disclaimer: I've only camped for a few days total in Kentucky. But I loved it, it is beautiful down there. Our next big road trip will include KY, probably on the way to the Carolina Shore.

This thread has got me keyed up for summer and camping. I can't wait until the kids are big enough to take on real camping trips.

[jessie75]

A great resources is http://www.reserveamerica.com/ for camping. It lets you know what kind of camping they allow and you can make your reservations right online I took the girls camping for the first time last summer.