Choosing A Tent Site

How to Find The Perfect Camping Site

Choosing a tent site is the first step in ensuring a good night's sleep.

You've planned your trip. You've packed your gear. You've arrived at the campground. Now what?

Here's what to look for before you start setting up your tent.

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Choosing a tent site

If you are camping in an established campground, your first task is choosing a campsite.

Perhaps you are booking online or over the phone. Or maybe you have arrived at the campground and are driving around, looking for a site.

Either way, choosing a tent site that is right for your family will take some time. Here are some factors to consider:

Distance to the comfort station or wash-house

Do you want to be close to the washroom or outhouse for convenience, or would you prefer to be some distance away to avoid having lots of people passing your site?

A grey campground wash-room block with a forest behind

The wash house

Distance to drinking water

Do individual sites have their own water hookups? If not, pick a site not too far from a water tap.

A drinking water tap surrounded by a low stone wall at a campground

The water station

Shade

Do you want sun or shade? An ideal site will have both.

A tent in a sunny grassy campground with trees in the background

Camping in the sun!

Shade sail

Of course, you can't always find an ideal site. You might want to bring your own shade sail!

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Safety

Do you have small children? Pick a site that's far away from any body of water, and away from traffic.

Proximity to other campers

Do you want to be in the middle of a crowd of new potential friends, or is privacy important to you?

Trees, rocks or bushes can be a buffer between sites.

In the woods

Other considerations

Is it important to be near the path to the beach?

Do you want to be near the playground?

A children's play area at a family camping site

Kids' play area

Do you need trees so that you can hang up your hammock?

Think about the details before you make your final choice!

Congratulations!
You've found the perfect campsite!

A picnic bench at an empty campsite in the woods

Into the woods

Go to the camp office and register if you haven't done so already.

Now you're ready to find the best spot for your tent.

Choosing a spot for your tent

You may or may not get to choose where to put the tent.

Many campgrounds provide tent pads or other designated areas. Use them!

A grey gravel campsite with a picnic table

Setting up your tent on another piece of ground will degrade the site - and may get you in trouble with the campground operator!

An established tent pad will probably be smooth and level: just what you want. Don't worry about camping on gravel or hard packed ground - that's why you brought a sleeping pad!