Beginning campers often start by car camping: not sleeping in the car, as my family once did, but pitching a tent beside it, typically at a site in a private campground or at a state or national park. For your first trip, pick a spot within a few hours of home and plan to stay no more than two or three nights (you want your kids to beg for more, not beg to go home). Call ahead and ask the rangers if they offer family programs and activities, and see if you can reserve a site; many are first-come, first-serve

Once you arrive at a campground, look for a site that is flat, smooth and on top of a rise (rather than at its base) to prevent your tent from flooding during rainstorms. The ideal site also offers privacy, a mix of sunshine and shade, and a source of water. Our family tries to camp by a river, lake or oc

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Backpacking Backpacking, , Death Valley, bring plenty, running water, car camping,