Now that camping season is starting to gear up in many areas, here’s a few of my own personal tips for choosing a campsite. They are things I have learned from the dozens of times I have gone camping at various campgrounds.

Because I didn’t think about some of the things listed below I have had some “not so fun” camping experiences, so I’m sharing them with you so they don’t happen to you too (I also did a video on this topic too, so if you’d rather watch than read, feel free).

1) Campsite Length - Make sure the campsite is long enough to accommodate your camping vehicle. (this is self explanatory, right?)

2) Bathroom location is important; especially if you are like me and don’t have a bathroom in your camper and have kids or if you yourself need to visit a bathroom frequently. If the bathroom facilities are modern a site right next to them is great. If the bathroom facilities are more primitive then you still want to be close to the bathroom but not right next to them - especially during the warmest months when a “ripe” smell can be prevalant. A camping trip can turn miserable in a hurry if all you can smell when sitting at your campsite is the bathroom odors from next door.

3) A RV or tent on corner campsites or at “intersections” of the campground often have the glare of headlights shining on them at night. After my family spent one camping trip having headlights shining in our camper as vehicles turned the corner on the busy road in the campground we were staying at, we learned to avoid campsites on corners of campground roadways and instead look for ones more towards the middle.

4) Be aware of the location of dumpsters. Being near dumpsters is convenient when you want to dispose of your garbage, but these can also be smelly so try not to be too close to them. Many campgrounds have dumpsters located away from the campsites but some have them nestled among the campsites and I can personally attest to the horrible odor a person has to put up with if their campsite is really close to them. Plus, if the dumpsters aren’t properly closed after people put their trash in them they are a magnet at night for wild animals looking for a bite to eat.

5) I like camping in state parks because the sites are typically larger and more wooded then private campground campsites. But, that also means some of the campsites are located near steep dropoffs and/or near standing water or swampy areas that are a haven for insects. One of my favorite state parks has campsites where the camper pad is less than 50 feet from a steep dropoff. The view is incredible; but it’s not the type of site I would choose if I had small children camping with me. Standing water/swampy areas are bad for me because I have allergies to insects and stinging bugs swarm around those areas in droves at dusk and dawn and sometimes even in the middle of the day. Call the campground before making a reservation to inquire about specific campsites before making a reservation, especially if you reserve sites online.

6) Shaded or not shaded? I like shaded campsites; otherwise the interior of my popup gets beastly hot during the middle of summer days. I have a sister-in-law however who prefers sunny sites without trees because there are typically less bugs.

Do you have other tips and things to consider when choosing a campsite? If you do, please write a note in the comments section to share it.

Happy Camping!