Having your best camping trip

                                                                  

Having your best camping trip can be planned out but you'll never realize it was your best until after looking back on all of the fun that you have had on the trip. Those trips for me have been some of the most memorable experiences that I have had in my life. When planning a camping trip with your friends you never know if it's going to be your most memorable trip camping trip or just fun but average trip. I think that there are three things that make up a memorable camping trip which are you need at least a week there, a location or locations you never camped at, and a few good friends.

My dog Zuko on a hiking trail at Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

 When thinking of all of the camping trips  I have taken over the last few years when I first started to get into this lifestyle was when I took a trip with my cousin up North towards  Tahoe I have visited Tahoe a few times before but this was my first camping trip there as well as my cousins. We took the nine-hour drive on the 395 freeway and met up with my friend Johnny, he is from San Diego but he at this point lived in Tahoe for a long time and knew all the great places to boondock camp. We first drove out to Lost Lakes which was up a very shaky road dirt road up to 8,120ft of elevation and stayed the night there it was a very isolated location with some of the most gorgeous views that I have seen. Being in the wilderness like that in such an Isolated location made me realize that I was camping in a spot that was so remote most people might go their entire life without ever hearing about and that thought really resonated with me.

My dog Zuko standing on the rocky terrain that overlooks the Lost Lakes,

The other location we camped at during this week-long camping trip in Tahoe was we camped over in Hope Valley and stayed at Burnside Lake which resides in it. This Location had some really beautiful scenery and trails. When you're in Hope Valley it's so vast it really puts into perspective of what our American landscape looked like before we tore it apart. We stayed at this spot for about five days total fishing, cooking, going out on our rafts on the water, and just having a good time all around. My dog was also with me on this trip and he was just 8 months old on his first big mountain trip, you could tell how happy and stimulated the mountains and nature were for him. The thing I enjoy about this camping trip and what made it a memorable one was we did a lot of different things but were never set on a schedule during this trip, it took a lot of stress away from the vacation that I have had on others. This trip to me was special for a variety of different reasons such as the new location, being with friends/my dog, and having a week to decompress my stress away.

 A video clip of a beaver dam that I encountered in Hope Valley

    Having your best camping trip is significant because it sets the bar on how to have really fun camping trips. It's a little different for everyone so you just have to experiment with it until you find what makes you have your best camping trips. I assume you the audience have an idea of what might make for your best camping experience, you should try that out and if it doesn't make for a memorable camping experience get rid of the aspects you didn't like about your trip, and expand on the aspects you liked about your last trip. You might have your best camping trip early into your experiences with camping or way down the line when you're already an experienced camper. The best thing about having your best camping trip is that it's always subject to change depending on if you have a really good trip camping or not.

State Parks Vs National Parks

 Whether you want to camp at a State Park or National Park there are things that you should consider depending on which kind of camping trip you would like to have. The different parks both have their pros, for me personally, I like to camp in State Parks over National parks because it's cheaper, they have fewer restrictions on dogs as well as camping overall, there is plenty of gorgeous land in state parks, and it can be very secluded while camping. Even though its not my preferred park to camp in there are benefits to camping in National Parks as well which are that some of the landscapes in National Park harbor some of the most unique landmarks if you ever see the mountain El Capitan in person its so impressive as well as gorgeous, another benefit with national parks is that it's a safe haven for the wildlife since hunting is banned in the national park which makes the wildlife populations to much larger and friendly to humans than they are in state parks this can lead to some really memorable encounters with the wildlife, The last pro about national parks is that even though it's expensive and there are more rules when you go to National Park you are economically supporting the preservation of natural landscapes and wildlife. At the end of the day you can't go wrong with choosing either park it really comes down to what your personal needs are. 

The biggest reason I prefer State Parks is because of my dog “Zuko” he's my camping buddy the partner I take on every trip so for that reason when I got him two years ago I stopped camping at national parks, I don't have the heart to go on a fun camping trip to Yosemite without him. I also enjoy the aspects of it being much cheaper than camping at a National Park even if you have to pay for campground camping in a state park it's much cheaper than the fees you need to pay just to enter the national park. Another benefit of state parks is that they are generally closer to you than a National Park which means less traveling. Also, the more privacy you get from camping down a rural road in the middle of a national park is unmatched, I personally have had my most private moments with nature in a state park over a national park. 

My dog Zuko  in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park 

In a photo of Zuko and I on a hike in a state park at Mt. Laguna, you can see I made the mistake of wearing shorts.

National Parks are beneficial in the unique landscapes they provided as well as the experiences you can have with wildlife that is significantly less afraid of human interaction. The wide range of wildlife you can see can be remarkable it makes you think of how beautiful America was when it was just nature and not taken over by man. We should acknowledge Theodore Roosevelt has a legacy on conservation in National Parks he was able to secure more than 5 national parks conserving large swaths of land for the public to enjoy for generations to come. The thing I have enjoyed most when camping in the national park is the increased wildlife presence they really make the trips memorable. I hope in the future they have fewer restrictions for dogs than they have currently so that I can go back to the national parks again.

Regardless of which state or national park you choose they are both truly wonderful experiences in their own wright. Personally, I enjoy State Parks over National parks because I'm able to take my dog with me, save money,  and have more privacy, with fewer rules than when in national parks. A state park that is one of my favorites and close to home in San Diego is Cuyamaca Rancho State Park it's where I gained my love of camping from. National Parks are great too and offer a lot of great options such as pristine trails, wildlife, and landscape; which can make for amazing experiences. I think that when deciding on which one to camp in you want to take into account privacy, cost, rules, what you want out of your trip, and many other factors. It's nice to be aware of these things because it helps you decide on which one is better for your needs and trip.

The different kinds of camping that you can do

 The different types of camping that you can do can vary in many different ways from things like cost, location, amenities, and privacy. I try to categorize camping I do into four different categories which are Campground camping, boondock camping,  and car camping. I have done all of these different types of camping for various different reasons, camping can be very situational and the type of camping you choose to do can make or break the trip. For example, most people wouldn't want to take their very young kid backpacking but would be more willing to take their child campground camping or boondock camping. 

Campground camping is the easiest as well as the safest way to camp. I remember when I was a kid and my parents would take me to campgrounds in Mount Charleston they had showers, bathrooms, and a lot of other people around which took away the intimidating factor of being in the woods alone. Campgrounds are great if you want things such as amenities, people nearby, and guaranteed fire rings this is huge if you are in California since there are so many fire restrictions. The thing I like the most personally about campground camping is that it's nice to see everyone who normally would not be your neighbors or a community become one for a night. A campground near where I am located in San Diego and that I enjoy going to is Paso Picacho Campground near Lake Cuyamaca,  there are fun hikes to do there like Stone Wall Peak.

From Paso Picacho campground

Boondock camping to me is when I drive out to a remote spot with my friends or my dog and set up my tent close by to where my car is. This kind of camping is really fun to do if you want to have a remote experience with minimal cell service, It really connects you to nature. Some of the places I have Boondock camped and really enjoyed were Hope valley near Lake Tahoe and Kitchen creek road back home in San Diego near Mt. Laguna. It's a type of camping that can be intimidating however since you are alone in the wilderness but once you get past it some of the best camping adventures you have may be from boondock camping. 

This photo was taken in Hope Valley near Lake Tahoe

Car Camping isn't my favorite but I have used it for a specific reason which is needing to save some money on a snowboarding trip and being willing to camp out in a remote place but wanting the extra protection from a harshly cold environment. Some of the nights I have car camped have been in single digits temperature wise and with a tent, it's possible but not enjoyable. In a car, it's a little easier to manage the cold. I have car camped when visiting Mammoth, big bear, and Tahoe. 

Here's a video of me scraping ice off my windshield from the inside after camping in it overnight.

The type of camping you chooses matters for the type of experience you want when camping and it's crucial to not only what's the most fun but what you are capable of doing. No matter what type of camping you choose to do they all benefit from bringing us closer to nature.

Why enjoying the outdoors and nature matters.

My Name Is Dylan Cordova I really love going out to the outdoors and on road trips to mountains, I have been to some and some I have never been to. For me, this hobby has been a good way to explore this country, spend time with my dog, and unwind from daily life. I have chosen to cover the topic of camping and road trips because enjoying the outdoors matters because it helps connects us with the natural landscape, wildlife, and plant life of where we are at. When we are connected to these things we also care more about how we affect these things thus it can positively affect our mindset on conservation overall.  When you go for a hike in a new area not only is the adventure fun but the activity itself is healthy. According to the American Hiking Society hiking  "reduces the risk of dying of coronary heart disease, and decreases the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure”  with this knowledge we know that not only is hiking a fun activity that connects you with the natural world but it’s also an activity that’s very beneficial for you health. I assume that you the reader have a love for the outdoors too or at the very least know how important it is to preserve the forest and mountain land we have left. I think when you hear my stories and the adventures I have been on it as well as my suggestions for your own trips it will inspire you to want to go out on some road trips and go on your own outdoor adventures. Not only can the outdoors be beneficial for your health but it can also be beneficial for your mental health as well. According to Utah State University camping can provide a variety of physical/mental benefits they state that the benefits include “relationship building, opportunities to learn and develop new skills, unplugging and getting away from screens, connecting with nature, stress reduction, and increasing physical fitness” the benefits camping has for mental health and giving a sense of relief are tremendous. When thinking of the outdoors and all the benefits it has there is one that tops the rest, which is the spectacular views you can have all to yourself in remote locations. Such as this photo of my cousin Gael and I in the deep wilderness at twin sisters lake near South Lake Tahoe The mountains, as well as the forest, are vast and beautiful and we are lucky to have them. The aspect that the outdoors convey about my identity is the adventurous aspect of it, it's what drives me to go on new trips and experience random places that I have only seen online before.