Practicing good camping etiquette helps keep everyone safe and the environment protected. Stick to marked trails, properly extinguish campfires, and store food securely to avoid attracting wildlife. Respecting others by keeping noise down and maintaining a clean site ensures everyone enjoys the great outdoors.

TIPS FOR AROUND THE CAMPSITE:

• Selecting a campsite: Be sure to survey the landscape.  Be aware of dead trees that can fall at any time and ruin a perfect camping trip.  Downed limbs and debris around the site can be a good indicator of what’s to come. 
• Know the general wind direction.  Nobody wants to be sucking down the neighbor’s campfire smoke all night. Look for sites that are upwind whenever possible.
• Pitch your tent facing east so you can see the sunrise when you emerge to make a morning cup of coffee. Determine where the sun will rise and set.  A site with tree cover may block some of the early morning sun.  A nice sunset view could be equally rewarding so think it through.
• If it’s windy, though, pitch the tent so that the door is facing away from the wind to avoid being blasted every time you unzip.
• Practice fire safety with kids. Fire pits get hot to the touch almost instantly.  Use rocks to surround the fire pit and create a bit of distance between kids and the flame.  Explain the process of fire building to your kids so they understand what you’re doing and how it all works.  Giving them an activity like collecting tinder can make them feel included.  Consider what your children are wearing.  Some synthetic garments can be dangerous when exposed to an open flame.
• Avoid large swarms of mosquitoes by setting camp up away from standing water.
• When you are on a primitive camping trip, you may not have to an opportunity to take showers regularly. Be sure to stay clean by washing your hands and using baby wipes or personal wipes to clean other body parts.