Dinosaur Valley State Park

Located about an hour and a half outside of Dallas, Texas, Dinosaur Valley State Park is famous for its dinosaur tracks. Campers can view different dinosaur tracks located in the bed of Paluxy, which is a river that winds through the park.

Yellowstone National Park

There is perhaps no place more famous for its camping than Yellowstone National Park. Located throughout parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872. There are a dozen campgrounds in Yellowstone and over 2,000 campsites to choose from. In addition to a vast array of fauna, the park is almost famous for its Old Faithful Geyser which spews hot water into the air every 90 minutes.

Cedar Hill State Park

Also situated near Dallas, Texas, Cedar Hill State Park is renowned for providing something for everyone. The park provides not only convenient access to a major metropolitan area, but also fishing, hiking, mountain biking, boat ramps, swimming areas, golf courses, and an agricultural history center. The park is located on the shore of the Joe Pool Lake where all requests for water activities can be met. This park has become a famous vacation destination thanks to its accessibility and amenities.

Bend, Oregon

From this city of 85,000 people lies access to some of the countries most beautiful and famous camping sites. The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is in this area and a must-see for all camping enthusiasts. Outdoorsy folks will find everything they’re looking for in the parks surrounding this region. It is highly noted for its hiking, mountain biking, fishing, skiing, bird-watching, boating and scenery. Many citizens of Bend live there primarily because of the ease-of-access to these amenities.

Yosemite National Park

Some say Yosemite National Park, located in east-central California, is the most beautiful park in the country. The park is known for its cliffs, waterfalls, Giant Sequoias and diverse fauna. Its most famous cliff, El Capitan, looms over the park and is a rock-climber’s fantasy.

Manistee National Forest

Located in northwest lower Michigan, this national forest is famous for its access to Lake Michigan and diverse seasonal offerings. Popular summer activities include boating, canoeing and hunting. In the winter, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are activities some visitors enjoy. The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, are one of the only wilderness areas in the U.S. that contain a dunes system.

Allegany State Park

Not far across the Pennsylvania border into the western part of New York is Allegany State Park. This spacious park offers over a dozen hiking trails, some more than five miles in length. The park has over 300 cabins, some of them winterized, available to rent. Tent and trailer areas are also accessible. One reason this park is so famous is thanks to its proximity to several large metropolitan areas. Residents of Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo can all reach this park within a day’s drive.

No one wants their camping trip to be ruined by mosquitoes. Check out the following information on how to keep mosquitoes away while you?re camping.

The first thing you need to do is to protect yourself. This means wearing long sleeves and long pants whenever practical based on the weather. Mosquitoes seem to be attracted to darker colors, so choose light colors when you can. If you?re camping in an area where mosquitoes are prevalent, you might also want to consider treating your clothing with special mosquito repellents made for clothing or perhaps investing in pre-treated clothing. However, be aware that the repellents that are designed for clothing can?t be applied to the skin. Follow the manufacturer?s instructions regarding their use and laundering.

The parts of your person that aren?t covered by clothing should be treated with a mosquito repellent. The most effect ones contain various concentrations of DEET. Depending on the concentration, a product with DEET can protect you from 2-5 hours without re-application. There are also some naturally-derived repellent products on the market, but they require more frequent reapplication to be effective.

If you don?t want to have to worry about slathering on some repellent, there are some products that are available in the form of towelettes, which may be easier for you to carry around. Whatever you choose, follow the label directions carefully when it comes to application and removal. Don?t apply mosquito repellent to broken or irritated skin, or to skin that will be covered by clothing. If you don?t have a combination sunscreen and mosquito repellent product, you?ll usually get better results by applying sunscreen first, then the repellent. Don?t forget the back of your neck!

Now that you have your person protected, it?s time to think about your campsite. First, your tent should have a mesh door ? keep it closed at all times to keep mosquitoes out. This is also a good time to think about using that mosquito repellent for fabrics again. If thing are really bad, you can even use a mosquito net inside your tent. Netting is also a good way to protect yourself when you?re sitting outside and eating or cooking. Many outdoor stores sell square tent-like structures with net on the sides to keep mosquitoes away from your campsite.

A camp fire is also good for keeping mosquitoes at bay, as they don?t like the smoke. Depending on your camp site, you may or may not be able to have a campfire and you may or may not be permitted to keep it burning all night. Always follow the rules and regulations of the site where you?re camping.

In areas where mosquitoes or other flying pests are prevalent, you may want to consider treating the area. One of the newer products available is a portable device that uses butane to infuse the air with repellent over a 15 foot by 15 foot space. There are models designed especially for camping, as well as mini-models designed for easy portability. Just a few of these would provide effective mosquito protection over your entire camping area, allowing you to enjoy your camping trip without the constant threat of mosquitoes.

Camping is no easy chore. For beginners, you can save a lot of headaches by learning from the camping mistakes of others. Consider avoiding the following common camping mistakes on your next trip to the woods for a better time!

1. Arriving at your campsite exhausted and near dusk. Setting up camp in the dark can be a complete nightmare. Be sure to arrive with a sufficient amount of daylight left so you can get everything situated.

2. Leaving the mattress pad at home. If there’s nothing but the bottom of the tent between your sleeping bag and the ground, be ready for a restless night!

3. Leaving food or trash out overnight. Do this and you can almost certainly expect to wake up and find that an animal of some sorts has ravaged through everything.

4. Thinking a tent for four people will comfortably fit four people. Unless you like sleeping on top of your friends and family, always buy a bigger tent than you think you’ll need. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

5. Bringing too much stuff. People, you’re camping! You don’t need to bring your kitchen sink with you. Unless it’s an essential item, leave it at home and rough it up a bit!

6. Letting the dog off leash. Even the most obedient dogs will find it hard to contain themselves in an area full of new smells. Unless you want to be walking through the woods calling out “Sparky!? Sparky?!” all night, consider keeping your best friend curbed.

7. Setting up camp near a cliff. Going to the bathroom in the middle of the night should not be a life or death matter.

8. Bringing insufficient drinking water. If there’s one thing you don’t want to skimp on, it’s drinking water. Think about how much you think you’ll need and bring double.

9. Not bringing enough blankets. Do you know how cold it gets at night when you’re sleeping outdoors? Oh, double up on the socks too!

10. Leaving the flashlight at home. Bring several flashlights and spare batteries for each of them.

11. Forgetting bug repellent and/or sunscreen. Both of these items are crucial to enjoyable camping.

12. Not cleaning up. Camp responsibly. Clean up after yourself before you leave. The only evidence of you having been there should be your fond memories.

13. Building a fire or using a stove inside a tent. This is incredibly stupid. A torrential downpour is still no reason to start a fire in a tent. Never start a fire in a tent.

14. Setting up a beach campsite below the high water mark. Usually high tide is around midnight. If you set up camp close to the water line during the day, you’re likely to wake up to a wet campsite. You should be able to detect evidence in the sand of the high tide point from the night before. Set up camp considerably behind that mark.

15. Cooking elaborate meals. Even if you have a stove or grill, cooking at a campsite is nowhere near as nice as cooking in your kitchen. Keep the meals simple and easy!

Do you want to get more exercise, but find fitness clubs occasionally a bit boring, repetitive, competitive, or fluorescently lit for your motivational needs? Perhaps you could use a little more fresh air and sunshine while climbing the virtual hills on your stair climber? It is likely that hiking is just the activity to motivate your mind rejuvenate your body.

Hiking is a truly wonderful way to get some really good exercise in a healthy environment while enjoying the unique wonders that nature has to offer. There is nothing in an indoor fitness club that really compares to the refreshing air, the smell of flowers and trees, and the warm feeling of the sunshine on your skin producing some nice vitamin D to nourish your body. If the weather is right then now is the time to recoup any missed opportunities at natural bliss.

Hiking often seems, due to popular media and so forth, to conjure up images of people with huge mountain boots and potentially gigantic backpacks to carry on their potentially rigorous adventure through the wilderness. Taken to the extreme they may be carrying a pair of hiking poles and maybe even a knife to cut through any vegetation which may be in the way of their expedition into the vast unknown. This conceptual image of human against nature is a great misnomer and likely the reason that more people are sitting at home watching a rerun of a sitcom rather than out enjoying a refreshing hike through nature right now. Modern towns and cities can often be so void of natural vegetation that one can even forget what it is like to smell the dazzling myriad of refreshingly vibrant flora that abounds in natural environments. A patch of grass in the forest, no bigger than the size of a human, can potentially be more entertaining than any show on television. Looking closer and closer, one can see further and further mindboggling layers of the organic wonderland.

All you really need for a good hike is a pair of shoes that are comfortable to walk in. You don?t even need them, if you are hiking in a nice area and the weather is nice. We aren?t talking about trekking in the wilderness on a six-month expedition, just an hour or a few enjoying an invigorating walk through nature. It is advisable to bring a bottle of water or juice if you are hiking for more than an hour, as it is obviously wise to stay hydrated. It?s best to carry it in a small backpack or just use a small hydration backpack.

Finding a good spot to enjoy should be easy with the advent of the internet. You can likely even view the location with Google Maps or other such services. Once you have a good idea of the location, either check the forecast or be spontaneous and go on days when the weather inspires you most.

Once you start enjoying exercise in nature, it is likely that it will enhance much more than just your bodily fitness. You may even realize that you have found an even healthier health club that is free and has always been available to you.