I am not a huge fan of car camping, mainly because I prefer backpacking as I can get into the wilderness away from people and experience stunning views in the backcountry with my dogs.

However car camping does have its time and place, especially when friends want to get together or if I am in a National Park with my dogs or if the forests are closed. This summer the forest closure has forced my hand to car camp on the weekends so I have easier access to trailheads. I just returned from a magical 3 night car camping trip in the Hoover Wilderness in the Eastern Sierra and I figured I should write a quick blog post about my tried and true car camping tips!

A couple of years ago I wrote a detailed blog post about my all girls glamping trip in Big Sur. This trip included a lot of car camping hacks so I have linked the post here.

I hope you enjoy reading this post, gather some new useful information and get inspired to spend time outside!

Reserving a campsite

If you are planning a car camping trip, whether it is months in advance or last minute, it is important to figure out where you are going to camp. Are you camping in a National Park? A State Park? BLM land? Forest Land? It is important to understand the difference, especially during these trying times associated with forest closures. It is also important to note the difference so you know how to reserve a spot and what to expect for first-come, first-serve and what to expect on arrival.

Some things to think about when deciding on your campground:

Do you want a bathroom with a flushable toilet?
Potable water?
A shower?
RV hookups?
Tent only?
ADA availability?
A fire pit or BBQ?
A fancy yurt that is already set up for you?

Dispersed camping

Most free dispersed camping on BLM and Forest Service land do not offer any amenities. Dispersed camping means you set up your camp and do you thang! Bury your poop, store your food properly, understand the fire restrictions, bring all your own water and enjoy the quiet away from people on public land.

First come first serve campgrounds

These are usually on Forest Service Land, but can also be found in State Parks and offer basic amenities such as food storage, toilets, potable water and dumpsters. First come first serve means you cannot reserve in advance and it is important to arrive early to claim your site and have a back-up plan if the campground is full. Usually for first-come first serve I arrive early in the morning or Friday afternoon after work and have a few other campground options in mind in case my first choice campground is taken. Sometimes you may have to circle the campground and look for people packing up to try to claim a site. The campsite posts have a paper tab with the checkout date marked, however campers can choose to pay for another day so this is never a 100% option.

How do you know which campgrounds are first come first serve?

You can log onto recreation.gov, search a specific area or campground and anything with “FF” means first come first serve.

Once you claim your FF campsite, go to the fee box and fill out the form, pay with cash and if you have an interagency pass (America the Beautiful), write down your number so you can get that steep discount, usually half off. There is usually a 14 day limit on these campgrounds.

Research your campground on Recreation.gov
Bring cash
Claim your campsite
Pay your fee
Bring your interagency (America the Beautiful Pass for discount)

I recently purchased a pair of Mountain Hardware down puffy pants and they are a complete game changer. Highly recommend.

California State Parks are reserved online through ReserveCalifornia.com

California State Park also hosts a few FF campgrounds in case all reservations are full.

Campground reservation resources

Recreation.gov
ReserveAmerica
KOA
Campflare (if your desired campground is full you can sign up here and receive notifications if it becomes available)
Hipcamp

Important campground tips

Research fire restrictions in the area before booking and arriving
If you are allowed to have fires, purchase firewood in the local area to prevent spread of diseases and non endemic insects, etc.
Be nice to the camp host, ranger, campground employees
Leave no trace
Throw away your trash
Store your food in bear safe containers at all times
Bring photo ID and screen shot your campground reservation for check-in
Be nice to your camp hosts, forest rangers, and your camp neighbors

I prefer tent only sites to avoid the sound of RV generators

I try to get a site away from the bathroom (less smell and foot traffic)

Meal prepping tips before you hit the campground

Prep EVERYTHING before you go!

Slice, marinate, season and individually package all meats and veggies.
Crack, scramble, season and place egg mixture in plastic sealed bags for breakfast.
Purchase individual ketchup, mustard and relish packets (or take a few here and there from fast food chains) to save room in the ice chest or storage bins.
Slice and dice potatoes with seasoning and wrap them in foil (to place over the campfire stove).
Pour olive oil and camp soap in small reusable containers for easy access and storage. These Nalgene travel-sized storage containers are great for traveling, camping and backpacking.
Bring tin trays to keep food warm when cooking for large groups (I covered these with tin foil and placed them over the campfire while cooking the rest of the food).
Bring dish towels, scrub brushes and a large bucket to wash dishes throughout the trip.
Bring extra seasonings and spices in small ziplock bags.
Coffee is essential. I bring my french press from home and my favorite coffee from Black Sheep Coffee Roasters in Bishop, Ca.
A large tea kettle is always helpful to boil hot water in the morning for your camp crew.
Don’t forget your camp stove, extra propane, camp pots and pans, cooking utensils, wine opener, cooking mittens, lighter, coffee, avocados, hot sauce, apron, tablecloth, serving utensils, knives, napkins, cutting board, or trash bags. I store all of my kitchen camping gear in a large plastic bin.
Refillable water jug for drinking water and handwashing/face wash station.
Don’t forget your champagne, wine and beer.

I have a car camping plastic storage container that I store in my ski closet all year around that includes pots, pans, kettle, cooking utensils, cooking mitten, paper plates and towels dish towel, lighter, extra stove fuel, trash bag, can opener, wine opener, lantern, olive oil, dish soap, table cloth, ziplock bags, tupperware food storage containers, knife, cutting board, sponge, and apron. That way I can grab it and go so I can save time on preparing and packing.

Don’t forget the essentials

Self-starting jumper car cables
Snacks
Sunscreen
Toiletries
Hiking gear
Extra batteries
Warm clothes
Flashlight/headlamp
Extra toilet paper
First aid kit
Inflatable float tube (if there is water nearby)
Baby wipes
Quick dry towel
Full tank of gas
Trash bags
Downloaded offline google map since you probably won’t have cell service
Paper map of recreation areas/hiking trails
Camp shoes
Warm clothes
Cozy blankets and pillows...afterall you are car camping
Camp chair
Hammock
Book
Download music or podcast
Ice chest
Camp stove
Sleep set up ( I sleep in the back of my 4runner because it is huge)
Camp stove
Ice chest: I finally invested in a proper ice chest that is considered top of the line but does break the bank compared to Yeti. I went with the RTIC 45 quart hard cooler and I couldn’t be happier.

Car camping with dogs

My pups love to travel with me and especially love being outdoors. But bringing dogs along means more packing and putting in a bit more effort to ensure that they are safe, comfortable and are enjoying themselves. Below is a list of things I always bring for my dogs when I car camp: