By: Melanie Mann, guest blogger

There are thousands of campgrounds that extend throughout the vast wilderness of our nation, each one unique, ranging from mere spots of flat dirt to luxurious cabins with accommodating facilities. All of these public campgrounds are run and managed by federal, state, or local agencies. Most of these campgrounds are geared towards tent camping, but many also offer setups for RV vehicles and a few offer cabins and showers.

There are a few features that almost all campgrounds provide. Bathrooms with electrical lighting are usually provided, often in addition to port-a-potties. Almost all campgrounds also have workers that patrol the grounds enforcing strict quiet hours and overseeing camp activity. This is a plus for people who worry about noisy neighbors. These patrollers also help keep the grounds clean and organized. As a bonus, at some campgrounds, the park rangers lead hikes or organize group campfires.

Two downsides to national park campgrounds are the high sticker price and their popularity. During summer months, they will quickly fill, usually daily, with smaller grounds usually being first come, first serve, while larger grounds may offer reservations. During these times, one can often find overflow campgrounds located outside park borders, built for campers who arrive late for them to be able secure a campsite at the park. Also, because of concerns of erosion, the grounds are often far from natural water and the scenic views that hikers seek.

To contrast nationally kept campgrounds, municipality, township, and county campgrounds are usually unmarked on maps and are therefore less crowded and often more private. They also are apt to have a smaller sticker price and are typically smaller. They can be found in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book. Private campgrounds are the alternative option to publicly, government run sites. These can end up being little more than rest stops off the highway that are geared towards the overnight traveler. Some are stringently RV parks and do not provide for or allow tent camping.

Deciding which type of campground you are going to lodge in should be based on individual and family priorities, because not everyone is looking for the same camping experience and a campground that is right for one person may be wrong for another. For campers who are new to camping or going on their first camping adventure, insecurity and fear may be a factor, due to primitive facilities and general lack of technology, and they may prefer a more facilitated and well equipped campground to a patch of dirt. Some people may not be looking for any sort of nature experience at all and simply wish to park their RV, pull out their barbeque and relax.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a campground and it is often helpful to sit down and make a list of what kind of experience you want and what kind of campground would best facilitate that experience. Other things to consider are the surrounding scenery and hiking features as well as the terrain and weather in the area you are looking at. There is a campground for everyone; all you have to do is a little research.