Your Guide to the Great Outdoors
By Estelle Rodis-Brown
Spring is in the air. Along with it comes the urge to immerse ourselves in the great outdoors and maybe try camping for the first time.
Just don’t rush out the door without a plan.
Remember “The Accidental Tourist?” The novel-turned-film followed the stumblings and mishaps of a travel guide writer who failed to prepare before setting off to his next location. Of all people, he should have known better.
Seems obvious, but it’s vital to be well-planned and organized before embarking on any trip… especially if you’re going camping. Whether you rough it or glamp it, we’re here to help streamline the process for you. Pay attention to the details because this old adage applies: Failing to plan is planning to fail.
For Macon—the fictional writer of travel guides for reluctant traveling businessmen who preferred to stay home—his rigid mindset was a huge part of his problem. He was so focused on maintaining predictable, mundane routines wherever he traveled, that he missed out on the characteristic landscape, culture and adventure each locale could bring him.
A rigid mindset is a camping killjoy. While you should prepare for inevitabilities such as rain, bugs, mud and scratches, don’t make them deal breakers. Or you’ll be miserable. The great outdoors is a landscape of the unexpected so enter into that space of possibilities, fresh views and new experiences.
To enjoy a night or two under the stars for the first time, find a friend or a group with experience and gear to ease you into your first venture (you can also rent equipment from dozens of outfitter shops throughout Northeast Ohio). No need to invest in rugged camping gear if you overnight in an RV rather than a two-man tent.
You don’t have to venture far from home to find lots of public and private campgrounds. Here are a few suggestions:
Geauga County Park District offers four parks where you can stay the night in a tent or lean-to with a fireplace: (Big Creek in Chardon Township, Chickagami in Parkman Township, Headwaters in Huntsburg Township, and The West Woods in Russell Township). There’s even an enclosed rustic treehouse including a bunk bed at Big Creek Park overlooking a scenic ravine. All sites include a fire ring, grill and picnic table; most sites provide vehicle access.
After viewing the online campsite map, go to the Reservations page to claim a campsite. Online reservations must be made at least seven days in advance or by phone before 4 p.m. on the reserved day (walk-up/first-come-first-served camping is no longer permitted). Call (440) 286-9516 or visit geaugaparkdistrict.org/activity/camping/ for details.
Summit Metro Parks usually offers campsites at Nimsila Reservoir and Towpath Trail but Nimsila is closed for renovations until June 2024.
Basic tent camping is permitted year-round at two primitive sites along the Towpath Trail at Big Bend Trailhead in Akron and about 1/4 mile south of the Franklin Trailhead in New Franklin. Fires are not permitted; only one-night stays are allowed. Call or visit summitmetroparks.org/camping.aspx for more details.
Ohio State Parks offer a range of options at 60 campgrounds, including primitive, tent-only; electric, full-service and pull-through sites; equestrian camping, cedar or Sherman cabins; group camps and some hike-in camping opportunities. Each campsite includes a level parking pad, picnic table and fire ring.
Reservations, which can be made up to six months in advance, are required to book your campsite. Check availability and make a reservation at reserveohio.com or call 866-OHIOPARKS.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park no longer offers camping of any kind (staying overnight in parking lots is also prohibited). However, CVNP does recommend a list of state park and private campgrounds within various driving distances. The four closest options (within 10 miles of CVNP) include Heritage Farms and Valley Overlook in Peninsula, Silver Springs Park in Stow, and Streetsboro/Cleveland KOA in Streetsboro. See nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/camping.htm or call 440-717-3890.
Hipcamp – If you want to try Airbnb-style camping at campsites on private properties, try hipcamp.com, billed as “the most comprehensive resource for discovering and booking unique outdoor stays including tent camping, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping” since 2013. Options abound throughout Northeast Ohio. Explore at hipcamp.com/en-US/d/united-states/ohio/cleveland/camping/all.
Harvest Hosts – This sounds too good to be true: “Overnight RV camping at 5,156+ farms, wineries, breweries, attractions, and more, nationwide. Enjoy unlimited stays at unique camping locations with no camping fees.” But for one annual membership fee, this is the promise. Once you’ve graduated from newbie camper to the full-time RV lifestyle, check it out at harvesthosts.com
Remember, one of the biggest appeals to camping is simply getting out of your home-centered routine, where things are predictably constant. We tend to take the comfortable aspects of daily life for granted; we notice and appreciate them less; we can get bored and cranky. So bust out of your rut with a close-to-home camping adventure.
One Couple’s Story
It’s no secret that people 55 and older gravitate toward comfortable routines. Camping shakes all that up. So what’s the appeal of essentially becoming a turtle with your home on your back?
Doug and Lisa Baker of Mantua have an answer for you. Doug is a recent retiree and Lisa is easing into part-time work-from-home after both have spent the previous 30 years establishing a lovely home, working hard and raising a family. Over the past couple of years, with Doug’s retirement on the horizon, they started camping with friends to test if that’s a lifestyle they’d like to embrace once they had more time to spare.
“I like camping because it forces me to stop the hundred different things I’m doing at home,” Lisa says. “Once I’m at the campsite, I can just turn myself off, finally sit down, look out at the lake, take time to talk to people, and truly enjoy myself. Getting there is hectic. But once I’m there, I can relax, have fun and just chill. Have you ever kayaked at midnight? It’s so gorgeous. I can’t do that from home.”
The Bakers tent-camped when their kids were young. But after one night sleeping on the ground, Lisa decided a small camper was the best way forward during this phase of life. They recently traded it in for a slightly bigger camper with a bump-out to accommodate guests.
So far, the Bakers have enjoyed camping at nearby state parks, including Guilford Lake, Pymatuning, West Branch and Mosquito Lake. They prioritize peaceful lakeside campsites with sunset views and the ability to enjoy eagle and other wildlife sightings, where they can chitchat by the fire at night and gaze up at the stars.
They made reservations six months ago for a campsite at Pymatuning to observe the April 8 solar eclipse. By next year, they plan to venture farther, perhaps taking a month to visit state parks out West.
For the Bakers—especially now that they’re past the nerve-wracking newbie phase and have acclimated to camp culture—camping offers them “forced relaxation” because they can’t unwind at home.
“We finally get quiet, take in nature, reconnect with each other and meet new people,” Lisa says. Doug adds, “It’s real, honest-to-goodness downtime. And for us as a couple, we get each other’s undivided attention. That’s the biggest plus for us.”
Camping Gear Checklist for Beginners
This list is not comprehensive since everyone has their particular priorities and camping styles but it’s a good start:
- plastic Bags (for trash, wet clothes, dirty clothes, etc.)
- Batteries
- Blankets
- Bottle opener
- Bug spray
- Camp chairs
- Camp stove & fuel
- Camp table (foldable)
- Cooler/food/drinks
- Clothing (extra sets & layers)
- Cutlery
- Disposable or washable plastic plates, cups, bowls
- Duct tape
- Firewood
- Hammock
- Hat
- Hiking boots
- Lantern/flashlights
- Matches
- Medical supplies/first aid kit
- Mosquito netting
- Paper towels/wet wipes
- Pillow
- Pocket knife
- Pots, pans & pot holders
- Rain gear
- Socks
- Sleeping bag w/pad
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Tent, tarp
- Toiletries (towels, toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, comb, brush, travel-size shampoo, soap, chapstick)
- Water (bottled)
