Hoping to go camping this summer

Any good camping stories or close calls during a camping trip? Which camp site you like best?

About 5-6 years ago, we went camping (somewhere pass yosamite 5-6 hrs drive) at a camping site near the river. So we went swimming and played in the water. Then I notices something that scared me shitless. Right in front of where we were swimming was a huge hole that seems to be made by animals. It can easily be a shelter for anaconda or croc. We jumped out of there and didn't even bother to go back in to get our toys (balls, and small floating toys).

I have to go at least once this summer.

we made it once last summer and once the summer before. when i was growing up we used to camp out on top of the mountain in WV and I told my wife about it and we always said we were going to. We got back in touch with a cousin of mine somewhere in the year 2000 and he said he wanted to go camping again too. Well him and his wife started going in 2006 so we decided to make a farm camping trip like we used to. Met them at Cabelas in WV one weekend a couple months prior and bought a tent and air mattress and such. We finally after many years managed to camp out a couple nights with our son who turned six months old that weekend.
We made a trip the summer of 2007 and I have Memorial day scheduled for this year already.

i only camp in primtive sights i hate when there is electricity.i do like freash water but thats all i want.and i like to be alone.i love being in a quiet place no loud radios no lights just me and the stars and playing with my lights

raggie33 said:

i only camp in primtive sights i hate when there is electricity.i do like freash water but thats all i want.and i like to be alone.i love being in a quiet place no loud radios no lights just me and the stars and playing with my lights

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ahhh now that sound really good... but do primative area have showers w/ hot water?! I can do no lights, no noise, no electric, but I cannot do no hot showers..

sadly the sights i camp at dont even have cold showers.there very primitive .you get used to it .ya can get pretty clean in the lakes.

jinx626 said:

It can easily be a shelter for anaconda or croc. We jumped out of there and didn't even bother to go back in to get our toys (balls, and small floating toys).

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Sierra anaconda are reasonably harmless. It's those Sierra crocs that you can't trust.

For primitive, croc free car camping, Green Creek out of Bridgeport (eastern sierra) is a pretty spot. Call the Bridgeport ranger station for road and snow conditions. The sierra crest is a fairly easy day hike with views down into the Yosemite backcountry.

Big Basin in the Santa Cruz mountains east of San Jose is beautiful with hiking trails, neighbors, and running water.

Of course, Yosemite is unique. Fewer campsites are still full most of the summer, but ten minutes hiking and you leave 95% of the visitors behind. You can eat breakfast at the lodge, then picnic on top of El Cap in the afternoon.

For real freedom and solitutde, give backpacking a try. Emigrant Basin near Sonora, Yosemite backcountry from Hetch Hetchy out Jack Main Canyon (5 stars), Rock Creek to Chicken Foot Lake (across and south of Tioga Pass, down 395). You may encounter a bear or two in Yosemite's backcountry but they're a whole lot friendlier than Uncle Bob, his trailer with TV and generator, and his two kids on motorcycles.