The Imperfect Backpacker

Backpacking Tips and Stories

Campsites

Campsite Spotlight: Mallard Lake, Yellowstone National Park, MT

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Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of year visited: July

  • View: 2 Secluded lake in the woods.
  • Water: 4 You’re on a lake.
  • Accessibility: 2.5 Only 3.5 miles from the trailhead, with a gradual upward grade.
  • Solitude: 2.5 Only three campsites on the lake. You can’t see the others but you can hear them on occasion. The thru path does not run close by so no foot traffic.
  • Comfort: 2.5 Flat and dry tent pad just above the rocky shore. No fire ring and a bear pole that is about about 50 yards away. Some mosquitoes in mid July.
  • Coolness: 2 While there are more rugged and remote places to camp in Yellowstone, this is still a semi-private mountain lake that is easily accessible.

Of Note: This site is only 3.5 mile from the very populated Old Faithful area. So if you’re just looking for an overnighter in the area but still want to see the park sites, this is a good choice. With the trailhead literally outside our cabin door, we were able to hit the trail after supper, and were back in time for breakfast. But much more adventurous backcountry camping awaits in Yellowstone.

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Campsite Spotlight: Big Creek #37, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Big Creek, next to backcountry campsite 37.

Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of Year Visited: November

This site doesn’t score high for privacy.
  • View: 1.5 You’re in the woods along a big creek, but you will likely see other campers.
  • Water: 4 You’re on a river.
  • Accessibility: 1.5 This campsite is just under 6 gently ascending miles from the Big Creek trailhead, which is near the town of Mount Sterling, NC.
  • Solitude: 1.5 Yes, you are in the backcountry, but you can easily see the other campsites along river. No foliage or brush to separate them.
  • Comfort: 3.5 Flat and shaded next to a large, babbling creek. No bugs in November. Fires are allowed at times.
  • Coolness: 2 River camping is better when you’re in the backcountry and you can hear the river moving.

Of note: This campsite lies near the junction of Big Creek Trail and Swallow Fork Trail. Just downstream from the site you can fish for brook trout. You can easily see then contemplating your lure. Catching them might be more challenging.

An angler tries his hand at trout fishing on Big Creek.

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Campsite Spotlight: River Backpack Camp, Colorado Bend State Park, TX

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Camping along the other Colorado River.

Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of year visited: January/February

  • View: 1.5 Camped on the wooded bank of a slow flowing river. Further south there are some rocky bluffs along the opposite shore, along with houses.
  • Water: 4 You’re on a river.
  • Accessibility: 4 I hiked in at night from the Cedar Chopper Loop parking lot which was about 3 1/2 miles. But you could come in from the Canyon Group Site, which is just under a flat mile along the river.
  • Solitude: 2 In many cases, solitude depends when you go. On a non-winter weekend I would expect this to be close to zero, but I saw only a couple people as I hiked out on a Friday morning in January and a total of ten for my two-night trip.
  • Comfort: 3 Grassy and soft. Partially shaded.
  • Coolness: 2 For a state park, this one is pretty cool. I’d take it in Indiana any day.

Of Note: CBSP is a fairly new park that opened in 1987 after the Texas parks department purchased part of the Gorman and Lemon ranches. The 5328 acres contain a diverse landscape and you can see a wide variety of environs in a short trip. Stop at the Bend General Store on the way out for some music and a breakfast sandwich or burger.

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About a mile and a half from the campsite along the river is an opening to a Gorman Cave. Cave tours are available in the park at other sites.

Campsite Spotlight: Lake Ritchie, Isle Royale National Park, MI

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Lake Ritchie

Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of year visited: September

  • View: 2 Secluded lake in the woods.
  • Water: 4 You’re on a lake.
  • Accessibility: 1 Getting to the island itself is a challenge. It’s a long ferry ride or a seaplane or your own boat. Our journey to Lake Ritchie included a seaplane, a twenty minute boat ride, and a two mile hike.
  • Solitude: 2 Most of the campsites on the island are tent sites spaced along an area with some foliage between them for privacy, or a community of wooden shelters. Lake Ritchie was the former and they could’ve been spaced out a little more.
  • Comfort: 2 Flat and firm on a rock plateau on the lake. No fires. Minimal bugs in September.
  • Coolness: 2.5 Being on an island, even a large one, is pretty cool. Throw in a handful of wolves and it gets even better.

Of Note: Isle Royale National Park is the only place in the world where moose and wolves live together without the presence of bear. At one end of the island is the Rock Harbor Lodge where you can spend a night or two before and/or after your backpacking.

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Campsite Spotlight: Northern Joshua Tree National Park, CA

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Location: Joshua Tree National Park, Utah. This at-large site was near the junction of the Ryan Johnnie and Johnny Lang trails.

Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of year visited: March

  • View: 2.5 This spot was tucked in a tiny knoll. An easy walk to the top provided wider desert views.
  • Water: 0 You’re in the desert. During my three night stay, I didn’t see a trace of water in this area. Pack it all in.
  • Accessibility: 3 I hiked in along the Ryan Johnnie Connector Trail. It was just over 2 miles in from the parking lot at the Boy Scout Trailhead.
  • Solitude: 2.5 For this spot I hiked in the afternoon and didn’t see anyone after about a mile in. No passers by and no other hikers, even from a distance, until late afternoon the next day. Climbing up a nearby ridge, you can see cars below on Park Boulevard.
  • Comfort: 1.5 It was rocky and a bit inclined, almost like you were sleeping in… the desert.
  • Coolness: 2 For a midwestern boy, camping in this arid climate is pretty neat. A desert has become my destination of choice to escape the dreary Indiana winters.

Of Note: Joshua Tree National Park is where the Mohave Desert and Colorado Desert meet. Driving through the park from from northwest to southeast you pass through the distinct terrains of the Little San Bernadino Mountains and the Pinto Basin. If you have some map and compass skills, Joshua Tree is a good place for off trail hiking. There is not much brush to bushwhack your way through and landmarks are visible from a distance.

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Campsite Spotlight: Buffalo River – Dillards Ferry/Loafer’s Glory, AR

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Morning, camping on the river.

Scale is 0 to 4.

Time of year visited: April

  • View 2.0 Camped on the wooded bank of a slow flowing river, but better views come before and after when the trail runs along the bluffs.
  • Water 4.0 You’re on a river.
  • Accessibility 3.0 This spot was about 7 miles from the Loafer’s Glory (near Morning Star) and about 4 miles from Dillards Ferry (highway 14 junction). There may be another access point somewhere in between.
  • Solitude 3.0 Though our camp was not far from the trail, we did not see another hiker during our entire 11 mile overnight journey.
  • Comfort 3.0 Sandy, soft and shaded. No wind and no bugs in April.
  • Coolness. 2.0 River camping is always kind of neat.

Of note: The Buffalo River was the nation’s first national river. The park contains over 95,000 arces. This section of trail runs high on the bluffs and low on the banks so there are spots for pictures and for fishing. For hiking trails and tips in northern Arkansas, check out the Arklhoma Hiker at arkokhiker.org.

Breaking down camp.