The Texas State Park system has come up with a program I think is great. It is called Texas Outdoor Family and is geared towards people who would like to take their family on a camping trip but aren’t sure if they know enough about camping or the equipment and skills needed to have a fun and enjoyable camping experience.

Participants can choose a workshop at a state park or one at a local park.

The cost for the state park workshop is $55 per family with up to 8 people allowed. It’s two days long and participants bring their own food, but a shopping list and menu are provided because the instructors in the workshop will teach participants how to do camp cooking.

The program provides the basic camping equipment needed. Individual car camping sites for each family are also provided, plus restrooms with hot showers, along with overnight State Park Police Officer public safety and security.

Click on this link for a list of upcoming State Park workshop dates.

A sample agenda of the state park program includes: family fishing fun, a choice of introduction to kayaking or trail adventure and exploration through GPS and geocaching, pitching tents and leaving no trace, fire starting and outdoor cooking, s’mores in the evening before heading off to sleep, breakfast the next morning, a walkabout with a park ranger, how to break camp and leave no trace, and optional kayaking in the afternoon of the second day.

The cost for the local parks workshop varies depending on which workshop is chosen with the cost ranging from $50 to $150 for a family of 4. The local parks program usually costs more but all food is provided during the 2 day event. The basic camping equipment needed is also provided along with a packing list so participants know what clothing and personal items to bring.

A sample agenda of the local parks program includes a choice of activities with selection of those activities made during registration (registration information will be sent by e-mail or postal service mail and is sent out approximately 6 weeks before the date of each workshop) with activities such as fishing, paddling, archery, geocaching, climbing, shooting sports, and disc golf available depending on the workshop location and dates chosen. All participants in the local parks program will also take “Camping 101.” There is also a night hike, stargazing, storytime, and s’mores.

For more information on Texas Outdoor family, visit their website by clicking here; by calling 512.389.8903 and asking to speak to a Texas Outdoor Family customer service representative Monday through Friday from 9 am to 6 pm; or by sending an e-mail to tofsp@tpwd.state.tx.us.

A program like this would have been great for me when I was younger and took my first camping trip because my first camping trip was awful! I went with a girlfriend. We borrowed a tent, sleeping bags, cookstove, cooler, and lantern from her uncle. We kinda of listened to his words of advice and then headed out to a state park.

We couldn’t get our tent up and had to have help from other campers (after they watched us for an hour and chuckled at us and then decided they couldn’t watch our misery any longer). We couldn’t get the stove to work correctly and we were so inexperienced that we didn’t think to check the ice in the cooler which resulted in food spoiling. Plus, when our tent did get pitched had put it in the lowest spot (even though the people helping us asked us if we were sure that’s where we wanted it and we assured them we were) which meant our sleeping bags got wet when it rained. We didn’t keep our firewood covered so we couldn’t start a fire after the downpour that got everything soggy. And, we forgot insect repellent so we looked like human pincushions by the time we got home. That was when I vowed to NEVER go camping again and is the reason why I said “NO WAY” every time my husband suggested it when our kids were small.

Then, seven years ago, my sister-in-law finally broke me down after 2 years of her telling me camping was so much fun and me telling her she was crazy. I finally agreed to one weekend of camping with the agreement that if I hated it she would never mention it again. I also insisted “no tent” so we rented a camper. That’s when I learned how much fun camping can be - as long as a person is prepared and has the necessary equipment. I’ve been camping ever since and absolutely love it.