America's Best
- AMERICA -OUT-OF-DOORS
Camping Spots
Majestic moun tains , fish-filled streams, rolling surf
this country offers them all to the family looking
for fun, adventure, and economy By ERWIN A. BAUER
10 Essentials
for Family Summer Camping
1. Shelter, either a tent or a camper-type trailer,
Wall or umbrella tents are best for larger groups.
2. Lightweight deeping bag or air mattress for
each person. Folding cots are optional.
. 3. A kitchen which includes a two-burner gaso
line stove, portable refrigerator or cooler, lan
tern, and canvos fly leaf for "roof."
4. Set of nesting aluminum pots, pans, dishes,
utensils.
5. Sand axe and small trench shovel. Gasoline
can.
Supply of aluminum foil and plastic freezer
bags.
7. Insecticide bomb for camp, insect repellent
for campers.
First-aid kit and any medical supplies nor
mally required at home such as tooth paste, as
pirin, laxative.
. Compact kit which contains nails, baling wire,
rope, flashlight, pliers, hammer, waterproof
matches, candle.
10. Camera and twice as much film as you plan
to use. , ;
There hasn't been anything like it since pioneer
days. Armed with tents and tarpaulins, with
portable stoves and folding cots, about one in every
four Americans headed for the wide-open spaces
last summer to go camping. And it's a good bet
that even more of them will sleep under canvas
sometime during 1961.
It's no mystery why camping is enjoying its
greatest boom in history. For one thing it's a happy
blend of adventure, escape, and relaxation an
elegant vacation that anyone can afford. With
equipment which may cost less than a week's pay,
and which will last through many seasons, camp
ing opens up a whole new concept of spending
leisure time. Nowadays, any family can enjoy our
most magnificent scenery, can sample our fastest
fishing, or visit countless historic shrines and show
places all on a shoestring.
One neophyte camper at Yellowstone Park last
year summed up the sentiments of almost all
campers. "Living in a tent," he said, "was the sum
mer's most rewarding experience. Responsibilities
seemed to evaporate for everyone in camp. Even
chores became a pleasure."
Camping was never the happy, almost luxurious
pastime it is today. Many designers and manufac
turers now offer tents wijh metal ribs which prac
tically jump into place. The station wagon has be
come the Conestoga of today. No less than a dozen
different lightweight trailers which open up into
small "apartments" are now on the market. And
then there are folding stoves, portable refriger
ators, dehydrated foods, inflatable mattresses, and
nesting sets of dishes. The list is endless. But all
the essentials for one family tent; stove, sleeping
bags, utensils can be purchased for about $100.
America's carefree campers have still another
advantage: more budget facilities are available to
them than to any other vacationers. There are
well-manicured camp sites in nearly all our na
tional parks, and in many state and county parks.
Camping is either completely free or permitted
for a very nominal fee.
Besides these public lands, numerous company
owned and industrial lands are "open." The Weyer
haeuser Timber Co., for example, maintains 14 free
camping parks in the Northwest
The secret of any successful camping trip,
whether it's for the weekend or for the entire
summer, is in the planning. There are a number
of good books on the subject. Beginners should
try short trips at first, extending them as they gain
experience. But both beginners and veterans should
remember that midsummer is camping's biggest
season, and that they will find some campgrounds
filled to capacity. It's always wise to make reser
vations or to inquire ahead.
Camping itself is fun, but other activities should
be considered. Some activities compatible with
camping include fishing, hiking, boating, : swim
. ming, collecting (rocks, gems, seashells, fossils,
etc.) , photography, bird watching, mountain climb
ing, and even spelunking (cave exploring). Some
campers carry Geiger counters to prospect for rare
or radioactive metals. Some pan for gold. Other
campers with small children carry playpens and
toys. Still others might tote such luxury items as
portable showers, toasters, rotisseries, or hi-fis.
But nothing is as important as selecting a good
camping area, and herewith are some of America's
best, selected on the basis of facilities and outdoor
opportunities available for campers. They're not
necessarily the largest or best-known camping
areas (which sometimes are too crowded), but in
stead each one offers plenty of elbow room, ex
cept during peak periods of July and August when
camp sites anywhere are most scarce.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo. Few
places on earth have greater natural beauty or more
spectacular Alpine scenery than this bit of high
real estate astride the continental divide north
west of Denver. A wandering outdoorsman can
pitch his camp near the timber line or deep in a
green valley below. Well-marked trails for hikers
lead to lonely lakes and good trout fishing. There's
excellent mountain climbing, abundant wildlife to
see, and extravagant photographic possibilities.
Cape Halteras National Seashore Recreation
al Area, N. C. Here is something distinctly differ
ent in camping, a change of pace for campers used
to a place on a blue Northern lake. This area is ac
tually a 100-mile-long strip of sand beach along
the outer bank from Nags Head to Hatteras Inlet
and Ocracoke, and a number of neat camp sites
ventilated with salty breezes have been established
there by the Government. Besides the novelty of
camping out on bleached white sand within the
sound of the surf, there's superb fishing in the
Atlantic and in Pamlico Sound, and beachcombing
for mementos of old shipwrecks. Water birds are
numerous, too. Area is crowded during August.
The Ozark Mountains of Southern Missouri
anil Arkansas. This is a picturesque region which
in part might have been preserved out of the hickory-smoked
past. From Government camp sites on
the shores of giant reservoirs (such as Bull Shoals,
Norfolk, Table Rock, Ouachita), a camper can ex
plore the hardwood hills all around on little-used
back-country roads. There are also lovely rivers
(Buffalo, Current, White, Eleven Point, Gascon
ade) that drift through undisturbed wilderness.
Both the rivers and reservoirs have good fishing,
and this entire region is considered happy hunting
grounds for antique collectors.
Quelico-Superior Wilderness, Minnesota and
Ontario. This evergreen vacationland, which con
tains more water than dry ground, is unique because
it's strictly for canoe campers. Here you load your
duffel and equipment into a canoe or two and
travel by paddle- and elbow-power. There's good
fishing everywhere, wildlife is abundant, and you
will find the Northwoods environment is complete
ly unadulterated. '
It's worth noting here that an outdoor family
doesn't need its own equipment to enjoy camping
in the Quetico-Superior forest. They can rent
everything from tents and teapots to guides, sleep
(Continued on page 16)
. family Weekly, May 21, INI