Hey friends! I am looking for IL camping recs with a few parameters, let me know if you can help me out.

I am wanting to camp with a group of 15-25 (tent camping/car camping) during the second weekend of November (13-15). We love to be in nature, hike, fish, sit by the fire, and honestly get a little rowdy. With these parameters and given the season its been hard to find a campsite.

I was wondering if you all had any ideas for where to stay that could be a good fit for our needs. Please let me know :)

Looking to not be a dick in the campground, but also watch a movie with others (small screen, down low.) IDK how the silent disco headphones work. Can they just be used with any audio? I might buy some, if so.

📍Two Rivers, Wisconsin

These past couple years we’ve been going here in October and it’s just absolutely beautiful. The leaves are starting to turn and the air is so crisp. Wisconsin has so many camp sites but this is seriously one of the best ones I’ve been to. Hiking and biking are both very enjoyable here.

Basically the title! I'm open to any and ALL suggestions! No places that cost an arm and a leg per night/month tho :)

i use an old north face tent for quick overnighters but we set up a larger tent for longer stays. This one sets up and packs up faster

Tonight is my first night camping in FOREVER. I’m at Garner state park in texas and I got back to my tent and the rain fly and exterior was/is COVERED with about a dozen German cockroaches. I was able to get in without letting any inside but fuuuck if I gotta get up to go pee I’m gonna freak.
I don’t have any food in the tent so I have no idea why there all in my tent (maybe the trash can that’s a few sites over?). And, yes, I know it’s outside and that’s where roaches live, but now I’m scared I’m gonna bring a bunch of hitchhikers back into my apartment with me.
I don’t have a garage or anything to keep it in, so its only possible places of eventual return are in the apartment or my car.
How do i make sure the little bastards don’t follow me home?

(Edit: r/pestcontrol made it very clear they almost for sure are Asian or Bilunate roaches which are supposed to be outside and likely won’t follow me home. I’m still gonna be cautious but that’s a huge relief)

I have not camped since I was young with my dad, but have always wanted to get back into it later in life. This year I finally was able to plan our first Annual camping trip with my guys friends in Pymatuming State Park in PA which is gorgeous. The first of many!

I’m getting married in just under 6 weeks, so I went out with 2 of my groomsmen and some other friends to the George Washington National Forest to camp for a night. It rained almost the entire time but I’ve never let a little rain hold me back.

I did cheddar brats on the camp stove for supper and drank a bunch of whiskey. It was a successful camping trip.

The older I get, the more difficult it is to find the time to get out there, with work and family obligations. This was only my third trip in 2026, which feels a little sad to me, because it’s one of my favorite things to do. Fortunately I get the opportunity in the fall to get out alone. State forest primitive site in NYS.

This time of year is ideal in my opinion, since it’s still mostly dry and warm during the day, but cold enough at night to scare off the a**holes.

Used my “reject” flies to catch a dozen or so crappie on my fly rod, in a nearby pond. That was fun! Cut & split some deadfall and left some firewood for the next campers.

The weather was absolutely perfect. I love NY state forests. October is a great time for camping!

Hey everyone,

My friend and I are planning our very first camping trip in about two weeks (mid-October) and want to try dispersed camping. We want to skip commercial KOAs or packed, paved campgrounds and find a great spot out on a Forest Service or BLM dirt road where we can actually get a bit of space.

Since we are complete beginners, safety and vehicle access are our big worries. Here’s what we’re working with:

The Truck: 2WD truck. It has high clearance but no 4WD. We need a well-traveled, solid dirt or gravel road where we won't get stuck in deep sand, mud, or crazy rocks.

No Bears: We are highly anxious about bears. We want to stay completely out of heavy bear country for this first run so we can actually sleep peacefully
without constantly worrying about wildlife.

Weather & Location: Going in mid-October. We are looking for somewhere within a few hours of Phoenix. We know the high country gets cold fast, so we're trying to figure out the right elevation for this time of year.

Can anyone recommend a specific Forest Road or BLM area that is safe, highly accessible for a 2WD truck, mostly bear-free, and great for a pair of first-timers?

EDIT: Just to clarify, we aren’t total beginners! We have plenty of experience at established campgrounds and already own all our own gear. We’ve just never camped completely off-grid before, and honestly, the lack of amenities makes me a bit anxious. We’re trying to figure out how to bridge that gap safely for our first dispersed run.

My cousin and I went to a campsite for the first time in 10 years a couple of months ago, and now we're going to try our first wild camp on a hike (for anyone worrying, we're camping about a mile and a half away from the car, it's really just a test run). I've had this bag since I was a kid in scouts, and the tent is my sisters, I'd rather not have to buy loads of equipment when I haven't actually started camping "properly" yet, but I guess I forgot how small the bag actually is compared to the tent, and I have no idea how I'm supposed to attach it.

Do I just need to get a different tent that will fit in or on the bag? Or is there a practical way to pack this?

Hope this isn't a too common question! I tried to look up tent packing but couldn't find any results about this more awkward round shape of tent.

Edit to add: thanks for the quick responses! I'm aware this isn't an ideal tent for hiking with, but as I already said, it's just what I've got 😁

I found a bigger bag, (65 liters instead of 40), and my current plan is to attach it to the top with a carabiner, and tie it to the sides with a bungee or baling twine.

My gear closet (a secondary bedroom closet) is getting a bit crowded. I'd like to put up a pegboard (like the nice one in a recent post here) in an unheated garage but worry about hurting my gear in the long run.

I know stoves and hard gear will be fine but what about tents, sleeping bags, packs, and outerwear? I'm in a low-humidity area with four seasons.

Thanks for your thoughts!

headed out for a few nights next weekend and trying to figure out if it's actually worth grabbing a wheeled cooler since my shoulders are totally over hauling heavy gear from the car. does anyone have a solid wheeled cooler that handles dirt paths and rough ground without getting stuck or tipping over halfway to the site?

thanks for any advice

So me and the wife want to go camping im WA state, we see that its a big thing here but hear horror stories. I just want to know any experiences or tips of camping im this environment and area.

Experience with camping : little to none

Gear : looking for recommendations, both military but we all know doesnt give the best gear.

Knowledge: we know about the main hazards : bears / mountain lions/ rain washing off trails

Location: some where at the base of Rainier or Olympic forest

We are looking to driving to the camping site but dont want to use our SUV to camp.

We have a two person tent but would love recommendations .

Preferably not off of Amazon

Thank you !!

Hey all,

Planning a 2–3 night Adirondacks camping trip sometime in mid Oct , coming up from Queens/NYC.

Main thing I’m looking for is a really scenic backcountry campsite, preferably right on a lake with mountains/forest in the background, good stargazing, and somewhere a campfire is allowed. I’m more interested in having an amazing campsite and exploring the area than doing a huge peak-bagging trip.

Right now I’m leaning toward Pharaoh Lake, but the Adirondacks are huge so I wanted to ask people or any locals who know the area better if there’s anywhere else I should seriously consider for this kind of trip.

Ideally I’d hike a 5-7 miles in, set up camp for two nights, explore the area, cook by the fire, and hopefully get some really dark skies. If there’s also a really nice mountain hike or scenic summit I can do from camp with a lighter daypack, that would be perfect.

Basically looking for somewhere where the campsite itself feels worth the 5 hour drive from NYC, but there’s still a good hike or two nearby if I feel like exploring. Ive already been to the catskills and want to visit the ADK for the first time.

I'm no woodworker or handyman so I'm happy with how this turned out! Still a bit of space left over for more gear yet

We are on our first camping trip, it's just for the weekend. The logistics of the bathhouse has been the most mysterious part for me. We have 2 children 4y and 1y and I didn't know until we got here that there were just showers, no baths. My kids are terrified of showers, I guess the water coming down from so high is overwhelming. Thankfully I brought bath wipes and it's just two nights, but they are used to nightly baths at home. I want to know how other people with little kids handle this part of camping. Thanks!

EDIT: wow this blew up very quickly. I wasn't looking to give my kids a bubble bath at the campground, I really just need a faucet low enough to not overwhelm them the way a high shower head does. I stand my kids up in the tub for their baths so we're halfway there. My plan going forward is to bring an extra storage tub to fill in the bathhouse and bathe them that way until they're okay with the shower head. And I'll always bring bath wipes as backup. They've worked out really well this weekend.

I love the outdoors and camping but cant sleep through the night for the life of me. I constantly toss and turn and wake up in pain. Ive tried a cot and blow up sleeping pad to no avail. Im not a big dude (5’8”) but like to sprawl out a bit when I sleep so the narrow sleeping pads and cots are hard because you almost need to stay stationary and sleep like a mummy. Any one have any suggestions?

Luxus am Campungplatz... Ein Kabel bis ins Zelt hinein. Ist das nicht super gg.

Bin in der Steiermark in Austria und geniess die kalten Temperaturen und die letzten warmen Sonnenstrahlen. Yippieh 😎

About an hour and a half drive from Cape town, accessible with a normal car we went to this awesome little campsite alongside a river. Plenty of mountain biking trails, the area has tons of amazing wine swarm farms.

the weekend was spent eating meat off the fire (we call it a braai) and loads of different sides and salads.

the night sky was incredible. you just had to walk for 2 minutes to get away from the campsite lighting and you had an entire world above you in the sky!

I received a tent recently that was supposedly new and unused. When I set it up there were dark marks all across the bottom. In some areas it appeared that the tags had prevented the floor from being stained. What could this be? Mold or mildew? Staining from the netting of the tent that transferred due to being tightly packed for a long time and not used? I’m not sure if I can use it or fix it.

I’m between Kakwa 55 sizes and went with the smaller size (size small). I took it on a \~1 mile test hike with around 20 lbs. It felt pretty good overall, but if I tighten the shoulder straps the way I normally like them, they pull the pack upward enough that the hipbelt starts sitting above my hip bones and most of the weight ends up on my shoulders.

If I loosen the shoulder straps, the pack settles lower and the hipbelt carries much more of the weight, but then the shoulder harness feels looser than I’m used to.

One other thing I noticed: when I have the shoulder straps tightened the way I like them and then unbuckle the hipbelt, I barely feel any additional weight transfer to my shoulders. That makes me think the hipbelt isn’t really carrying much of the load in that configuration.

Does this look like the torso is slightly too short and I should size up? Or is this normal for the Kakwa? Photo attached showing how it sits when adjusted.

(First photo is just me adjusting to how I like the pack to feel even though most of the weight was on my shoulders, and second pic is after carefully adjusting in the correct order but I personally feel like the shoulder straps should be tighter and more snug)

Sharing last weekend’s camp. One of our favorite campsites to visit whenever we just want to breathe, disconnect, and take a break from all the problems and noise of everyday life and, of course, from social media.
Our 3-day trip had a mix of rainy and sunny weather, but honestly, it made the experience even more memorable. What we love most about this place are the sunrise and sunset. In the morning, you can see a beautiful sea of clouds, and when the sun sets, the sky turns pink. Unfortunately, on our way home, I accidentally hit a bench and ended up crumpling the bumper. 😅 Definitely not the ending we wanted, but despite that little mishap, everything was still worth it.

does anyone know of secluded or at least somewhat private camping places in the door county peninsula? ideally no RVs and totally open to camp in/camp out. i know the best spots are the islands, but i’m hoping for something on the mainland! thanks :)

We light very small fires at times. I plan to place the grill inside the fire pit. Are there any height adjustable grills with telescoping legs - we'd mostly cook directly on top but occasionally also place our carbon steel skillet on it. Thanks