Favorite Camp Site?

“Yesterday I visited with some other canoe guides from the camp I worked at this summer. We talked about different trips and about our favorite camp sites. So I'm curious, where is your favorite camp site? Why is it your favorite?

For me, it is in the Boundar Waters (of course) on Fourtown Lake. The site is at the base of a very narrow peninsula just at the top of the Horse River. Since the site is on the peninsula, wind can come from any of 3 directions keeping flies and mosquitos down. The peninsula itself is maybe 30 feet across and 100 feet long with tall pines all along (great for a hammok). The tent pads are nice and flat and the view of the lake is great - fishing isn't bad either. Since it is right at the top of the Horse River, it is easy to get on the river early in the morning to hopefully see wildlife. This is one of those sites that you see in passing once and think about and plan on staying at in the future. I lead a group of kids and got to the site just after lunch time and waited on shore about 50 yards away for about 2 hours for the occupents of the site to take off. And if I ever find myself heading to Fourtown to camp again I am planning on heading there - it's that good.

So... your turn. Where's your favorite?

Peace,
SP”

“Rustler's Park in the Chiricahua's, SE AZ. Built by the CCC, the tent sites are leveled with rock retaining walls, fire pits, only about 25 sites, nice open meadow and the sites are in the surrounding trees. AT 9,000 feet its cool when Phx is sweltering, and its about an hour beyond the crowds. A pioneer history of the area is available to spark your interest in all the sites and names on the USGS Quad maps.”

“CS #37 in the Smokies is my favorite. It's right on the water of Big Creek.”

“I'd have to say Russel Pond in Baxter State Park, Maine. Was there with a whole slew of other TT'ers last October. I have a fond memory of being one of the first ones up and climbing up on a boulder on the pond and watching the sunrise. The moose sightings were really neat also. Great place, great memories, great people to share the experience with.”

“whoa, I started reading your post Santartex and thought to myself, "what??? I didn't post to this thread yet!"
LOL, it's also my favorite campground, all the sites are good.

My favorite backcountry site is harder to pin down, though still in BSP. Pogy Pond is probably the nicest - you get a lean-to that's off the beaten path, pond, canoe, resident moose and views of Katahdin all to yourself. Life is good there!
Lots of close seconds though. I'm getting excited about reserving for next year. =)”

“No single favorite site. Campsites offer different things.

Some of my best:

The old mines in St. Mary's Wilderness, GW NF in Va. In spring the whippoorwills take over the place and the sound pulsates all night long.

Judy Springs, MNF, WVA. Nice meadow with apple trees for early fall. Beautiful limestone spring. Spruce Knob is close by with nice walk along the Huckleberry Trail.

Small shelter on Canaan Mountain, MNF, WVA. I was only there once, but I want to get back. It is in an almost mature spruce forest with a beautiful stream running in front. When I was there it poured all night long. Lots of moss.

Klondike Lean-to, Adirondacks. It sits in a grove of white birch that literally light up the area. Sad note is the birches are dying because of acid rain.

Uphill lean-to, Adirondacks. It sits above the flume on the Opalescent, and within relatively easy reach of Marcy, Algonquin, Skylight, and Colden. The trail up Feldspar Brook to Colden is about as wild as you can get.

High Falls of the Cheat, MNF, WVA. An idyllic spot to camp before the tourist trains began coming there. Still is nice after the trains depart, I hear.

Laurel Fork Trail, SNP, Va. Only place I have ever seen a bobcat. The hollow is uphill from Herbert Hoover's camp used when he was president. He and British PM Ramsey McDonald hammered out details of Naval Disarmament Treaty sitting on a stump at the camp.

Stratton Pond, GMNF, Vt. A refreshing skinny dip spot after several days on the trail.”

“Mosky Basin, IR National Park.”

“Sass & Birch's backyard.”

“Spruce Mountain, Vermont.

Its northeast of Barre Town under twenty miles.

It is a two-mile hike(and 1,000 feet gain) to the 3,000+ peak.

At the top is an old fire tower with views of the White Mountains to the east and the Green Mountains to the west.

There is the remains of the old ranger cabin....foundation only.

I saw my one and only BOBCAT there on a solo overnighter in '87.”

“Jeez Tom, maybe we are allotted only one bobcat per lifetime?”

“Campsite #74 in the Smokies. Forney creeh curls around the site, and the acoustics are incredible. Sounds like whole families, horses and wagons, fiddleplayers, are using the creek for a road of ghosts. HPM and I both thought we heard a woman calling her kids, but nobody was there.
It's also cool because of all the exploring and exposed water-scoured rocks you find in the winter, after they drain the lake there. It gives you a much better appreciation of how things were, not to mention all the artifacts that turn up.”

“SE1 on the South Rim of the Chisos in Big Bend. About 7200 feet and overlooking the desert floor toward the Marascal Mountains. Watching the sun light creep across the desert floor while drinking a cup of coffee makes you forget that you have any worries in the world.”

“I was sitting by my little fire after dark and heard something and swung the light around in time to see the cat scooting over the rocks and out of sight.

He was checkin' me out.”

“I spooked mine with my morning cough. I was sleeping out on a bluff overlooking a swamp. I woke up and saw a doe and faw standing in the swamp with their ears up looking off across the swamp.

That was when I had to cough, and the deer ran off. I figured that was that. Then I heard something running up the hill to my front. It broke through the laurel bushes, saw me and cut right and ran out of the campsite. It was tawny brown, had pointed ears and a cat face, and a bob tail. My heart was pounding!”

“Zone 11S, 250406mE, 4231159mN”

“And where was this kitty?”

“Branbury State Park Vermont. We are talking purely campsite here, not backpacking.

This State campground is run by youth volunteers and the Rangers.
Grass sites well spaced out under huge trees. each site has picnic table and fire ring. Plenty of room for my family to set up 3 tents and a tarp without getting near the sites on either side.

The Lake has swimming, canoes and paddle boats to rent, I bring my small sailboat. Across the road is hiking trails into the Long Trail, a waterfall with swimmable pool at the base (Luna Falls). Local rock climbing spot with some easy and not so easy lines, excellent rock.

Mt Abraham and Camels Hump are within easy reach for day hikes.

what more do you want for a campsite ??”

“Tom, that was on the Laurel Fork Trail in SNP. On a previous trip up there I had heard a bobcat scream. This was all in the early 1970s, but I'd bet a bobcat or two still haunts that area.”

“You sure it wasn't some hippies tripping on the brown acid, Geobeet? Them were groovy times, ya know.”

“Nobody was tripping when the cat screamed, but they sure were afterwards. Holy Sheyit, what the hell was that? The hairs stood on end.”

“Aaawww....just a little bitty kitty and you guys are skeert?



Rrrooowwww!!!

Bite yer head off man!”

“Twarn't no growl. Twer a scream. A blood-curdling scream.”

“These campsites rocked. They are located in the Ansel Adams Wilderness area in northern california. Very secluded with veiws of the lakes & glaciers”

“Nice Try!

BWAAH-HAHHAHAHAHAhahahahahahahahaaa...”

“My fav backcountry site was on Quartz Lake in Glacier Nat'l Park. Absolutely pristine lake w/ an amazing view. Only three tent pads which keeps the numbers down. Beautiful hike in, too.

On top of that, we met some great people while we were there.

Now ya got me daydreaming again!”

“Saw my one and only mountain lion at Donner Pass, just west of the check station. It ran across the road and up the hill. Took me a few minutes to realize what it was. Made the day and the trip.”

“I'm not telling.


But you might see it on the Sierrapalooza 2003 trip.”

“Along the Grizzly Bear Creek Trail about the Halfway point there is a great spot with a view of Harney Peak, The creek is about 20 feet from the tents, and a big beautiful meadow beyond that.”

“You're favorite spot is in The Black Hills, walkindude? You don't say? lol”

“Shocking huh?”

“dixon ford, upper buffalo wilderness area.



utopia with copperheads......”

“This is so weird. On one of our SNP backpacking trips this summer, my son and I got scared out of our wits when we heard something scream. It didn't sound like a human-like at all, but a blood curdling drawn out scream. It was close too. We looked at eat other, and next thing I knew he was running down the trail and I was fast behind him. Wow, I'll have to tell him it may have been a bobcat.”

“they do that sound when they're.........gettin jiggy wit' it..”

“I heard the noise last night also............”

“Are you serious? Would they really scream, and not purr. Geez, two of them and I ran off??????”

“Any of the places in Montana and site #3 along the Manistee River Trail.

8)”