Fifty Places to Camp Before You Die

by Chris Santella

  Best Time to Visit: There are campgrounds open in Jasper from early May through mid-October. Most trails are clear of snow by early June.

  Campgrounds: There are eleven campgrounds in Jasper. Columbia Icefield Campground is classified as primitive, with pit toilets and potable water. Sites in Jasper without hookups range from $15.70 to $27.40 (CAD).

  Activities: Hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, river rafting, horseback riding, rock climbing, and fishing.

  Hikers look out over the canyon from Cedar Ridge, on the South Kaibab Trail.

  Arizona

  GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

  RECOMMENDED BY Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski

  Neither the deepest nor the widest gorge in the world, the Grand Canyon is nonetheless recognized as one of the planet’s most awe-inspiring erosion events—a 277-mile-long chasm that yawns from 4 to 18 miles and reaches depths of more than a mile, and a seemingly endless series of gentle slopes and abrupt cliffs. “The majority of our visitors have their breath taken away when they see the expanse of Grand Canyon for the first time,” Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski began. “The dramatic colors, the immense size, the natural quiet (depending on where they see the canyon for the first time), and a sense of how large the world is. I think people leave impressed with the human history of the Grand Canyon, starting with the Native Americans who lived here, working forward in history. It’s impressive to view this place and begin to understand the adaptations that people have made in order to live here.”

  Suffice it to say, the Grand Canyon has been around a very long time. Some rocks at the bottom of the canyon date back more than 1.84 billion years, to a time before there were continents. Archaeologists have uncovered artifacts that suggest humans have used the canyon for 12,000 years. Though early Spanish explorers recorded visiting the Grand Canyon area as early as the 1540s, it was not until after Major John Wesley Powell’s epic 1869 expedition that the American public came to recognize this treasure of the southwest. Powell—who’d lost his right arm during the Civil War at the Battle of Shiloh—traveled some 900 miles with a small, makeshift crew, launching on the Green River in Wyoming and leaving the canyon about three months later, physically and mentally spent. The 1,904-square-mile area was championed as a potential national park by Theodore Roosevelt, though it did not achieve park status until Woodrow Wilson wrote it into law in 1919.

  Staring over the edge of the canyon at Mather Point—the most popular canyon-viewing point, easily accessible from the visitor center—may be the culmination of a Grand Canyon adventure for many visitors. (Considering that the average visitor only spends a day in the park, it may be one of the few things they experience.) Kirby-Lynn recommended, if at all possible, spending at least two days in the park, and she highlighted a few popular activities. “We have a Junior Ranger program at the park. Kids can pick up a workbook at any visitor center (there are different books available for different ages). Once they’ve completed a certain number of learning activities, they can turn the book back in and earn a junior ranger badge. I always suggest that people experience Hermits Rest. During peak months, it’s only accessible by shuttle bus, bike, or foot. It’s seven miles each way, and the shuttle stops at nine overlooks. There are spectacular views of the Colorado River along the way. Traveling to Hermits Rest—or some other route—by bike is a great way for people of all ages to tour the park; if you didn’t bring yours, you can rent a bike from Bright Angel Bicycles. Visits to the Tusayan Museum (which gives a glimpse into Pueblo Indian life) and the nearby Desert View Watchtower (a seventy-foot-tall structure based on ancestral Puebloan watchtowers) are also worthwhile. At the end of the day, I recommend attending an evening ranger program, where topics can include both the natural and cultural history of the canyon.”

  Those who enjoy a good walk will want to drop below the rim of the canyon on a day hike. One popular route takes you down to Indian Garden via the Bright Angel Trail. There are wonderful views the whole route, which will take you to a copse of cottonwoods, nurtured by a passing creek. The hike is just under five miles each way, and hikers must be careful to bring enough water, and to allow double the amount of time to head up as it took to head down.

  One dilemma campers face at Grand Canyon is: North Rim or South Rim? “I think that both rims offer a wonderful experience,” Kirby-Lynn opined. “It depends a bit on when you plan to visit. The South Rim is open year-round with most amenities; the North Rim, which is more than one thousand feet higher in elevation, is fully open from mid-May through October, and generally closed to all visitors through the winter beginning December first. The South Rim has more activities, overall, but also more people.” The North Rim gets roughly one-tenth the amount of visitors as the South Rim. The Mather Campground on the South Rim has three hundred sites and can accommodate RVs (no hookups) and tents, with restrooms and potable water available; hot showers are available nearby (for a fee). Desert View Campground (also on the South Rim) has fifty sites but a shorter season. North Rim Campground has ninety sites and can also accommodate both RVs and tents. The terrain is more alpine in nature here, given the elevation.

  “One of my favorite things to do in the Grand Canyon is to find a quiet spot and enjoy the sunrise or sunset,” Kirby-Lynn shared. “The light of the canyon walls is different every time; you never see the same sunrise or sunset twice. It’s an experience that can’t be forgotten.”

  * * *

  KIRBY-LYNN SHEDLOWSKI is the acting public affairs officer at Grand Canyon National Park. She has worked for the National Park Service for almost fourteen years, starting her career in interpretation at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, then moving to Baltimore to work at Hampton National Historic Site and Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine, and rounding out her East Coast time at the National Park Service headquarters. Grand Canyon is Kirby-Lynn’s first western park.

  If You Go

  Getting There: To reach the North Rim, the nearest airports are Las Vegas and Flagstaff. Flagstaff is served by several carriers, including Alaska Airlines (800-252-7522; www.alaskaair.com) and U.S. Airways (800-428-4322; www.usairways.com). To reach the South Rim, fly to Flagstaff or Phoenix.

  Best Time to Visit: During the summer, the interior of the Grand Canyon can reach temperatures of 110 degrees and more . . . but still, many visitors come. Spring and early fall are wonderful times to visit. (Snow can fly in during late fall and winter on the North Rim.)

  Campgrounds: Mather Campground (in the Village on the South Rim) is open year-round and accepts reservations in the peak season. Desert View Campground is at the east entrance of the South Rim, twenty-five miles from the village, and operates on a first-come, first-served basis through mid-October. North Rim Campground is open May 15 through October. Site prices range from $12 to $25. Reservations can be made through National Recreation Reservation System at www.reserveamerica.com (877-444-6777).

  Activities: Sightseeing, hiking, interpretive activities, rafting.

  Boaters relax along the Buffalo River on a lazy summer day.

  Arkansas

  BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER

  RECOMMENDED BY Jill Rohrbach

  Many of us have a place that brings us a special sense of inner peace, a sanctum from the stresses of everyday life. For Jill Rohrbach, that place is the Buffalo National River.

  “When I drive into the Buffalo National River Valley and get that first glimpse of the river, I take a deeper-than-normal breath, exhale, and relax,” Jill began. “A sense of peacefulness and connectedness sweeps over me. It’s not just the visual splendor of the place. There’s something about it that you feel inside. It grabs you all the way to your bones. I never get tired of visiting the Buffalo; it always gives you a different experience. I used to go backpacking there with my husband before we had children; now we take the kids and camp in campgrounds. Either way, it’s a place that lets you unplug.”

  The Buffalo River flows some 150 miles across northern Arkansas, beginning in the Ozark Mounta
ins and flowing in an eastward direction until it joins the White River. The last 132 miles and their surroundings are managed by the National Park Service as one of only five rivers with the “national river” designation; the Buffalo was in fact the first river to be so recognized. The act of Congress sanctioning the national river concept came about as a response to numerous attempts to dam the river to stem flooding in the surrounding valleys. Opposition to damming the Buffalo gained momentum through the 1950s and garnered national attention after U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas canoed the river in 1962 and declared, “You cannot let this river die. The Buffalo River is a national treasure worth fighting to the death to preserve.”

  Today, the undammed river continues to be a principal attraction for outdoors enthusiasts visiting the area. Twenty-two put-ins (access points) spread through three districts allow canoeists, kayakers, and inner-tubers to float a morning, an afternoon, all day, or several days. Canoes are available for rent from several concessionaires along the Buffalo. “People will float the entire river,” Jill continued. “You can be dropped off at the top and picked up at the bottom eight or nine days later.” Wilderness-style camping is allowed at most points along the river for multiday sojourners, so long as campers adhere to a “leave-no-trace” ethos. The most popular multiday canoeing adventure is from Ponca to Pruitt, a twenty-six-mile float that takes in some of the Buffalo’s most impressive scenery, including the 209-foot Hemmed-In Hollow waterfall. (To reach the falls from the river, visitors need to hike roughly three-quarters of a mile up a well-marked trail.)

  Whether you’re out for an afternoon or a week, paddlers will pass towering bluffs—including 550-foot-tall Big Bluff—and steep, wooded hillsides. The first fifteen miles of the river, which rest outside of the national river corridor (but are protected under the National Scenic River designation), are popular with white-water enthusiasts. Below this section, the river is more manageable for casual paddlers, especially in later spring and summer, as flows decrease. Floating the Buffalo, you might also come across herds of grazing elk along the meadows that cover the bottomlands; Rocky Mountain elk were introduced into the corridor in the early 1980s in an effort to replace the eastern elk that once called this region home. Today the elk population along the Buffalo is nearly five hundred. (If you’re staying off the water during your visit, the roads through Boxley Valley provide a good opportunity to view these majestic ungulates. “During the rut, it’s exciting to see the bull elk run each other off and hear them bugling,” Jill added.)

  Some of the attractions of the Buffalo rest beneath its surface—fishing is one of the corridor’s most popular pastimes. Smallmouth bass are the primary quarry here; they respond well to both lures and flies and are scrappy fighters that are quick to take to the air in battle. As you make your way downriver, anglers will also encounter largemouth and spotted bass; catfish are present throughout the system.

  There are abundant camping options through the river’s 132-mile course. In addition to the abundant gravel bars that offer canoeists and kayakers a place to pitch a tent, the National Park Service provides nine developed campgrounds and several other primitive campgrounds with limited services. Nearly all the campgrounds are along the river. “Getting a site right by the water is a treat,” Jill said. “Whether you’re planning to fish or just skipping rocks. My favorite place to camp is Steel Creek. There are sites for tent campers and equestrians, and the campground looks out on Roark Bluff. There’s a great swimming spot at a pool that forms at the foot of the bluff. Steel Creek is a good jumping off point for canoe day trips, and there are some fine hikes that begin fairly close by.” A few of these hikes include Hawksbill Crag, which takes you to Arkansas’s most photographed landmark (of the same name) and Glory Hole, a waterfall that plummets through the top of a cave. Another hike that Jill and her family enjoy is the Lost Valley Trail, a roughly two-mile round-trip trail that leads into a box canyon festooned with wildflowers. “There’s a cave at the end,” Jill added, “and we usually take flashlights to do a little exploring.”

  In addition to its water attractions and natural beauty, the Buffalo National River corridor has a rich cultural history. Humans have occupied the corridor’s bluffs and bottomlands for more than ten thousand years. Before European settlers arrived, the region was used by several Native American tribes, including the Osage, Cherokee, and Shawnee peoples. The Buffalo was also the site of several Civil War skirmishes. Though many older structures were destroyed during these skirmishes, a number of historic homes remain, including the James A. Villines Log House and the structures at the mining ghost town of Rush.

  * * *

  JILL ROHRBACH is a staff writer for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, editor of the online travel site OutdoorsyAdventures.com, and a freelance writer and photographer based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her work has been featured in publications such as US Airways, Cloud 9, and Arkansas Good Roads. She loves writing about outdoor adventures but has never turned down an assignment on spas, dining, or shopping either. Married with two young boys, Jill and her husband, Mike, own the Flying Burrito Company restaurants in northwest Arkansas and the bar Kingfish in Fayetteville.

  If You Go

  Getting There: Many visitors will fly into Little Rock, which is roughly two hours from the Buffalo National River corridor.

  Best Time to Visit: Most of the campgrounds here are open from mid-March through mid-November. Early spring is best for white water and waterfalls; summer for swimming and mellower floating; fall colors are spectacular.

  Campgrounds: Camping in Buffalo National River’s developed campgrounds is $12/night; no fees are charged at primitive campgrounds or for riverside camping.

  Activities: Canoeing/kayaking, swimming, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing.

  Booderee is celebrated for some of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, including Summercloud Bay.

  Australia—Jervis Bay

  BOODEREE NATIONAL PARK

  RECOMMENDED BY John Harvey

  In the Dhurga language, “Booderee” means “Bay of Plenty.” For the Aboriginal people who have long called this place home, the “plenty” alluded to the abundant fish available for harvest. For modern-day campers, it speaks to the abundant offerings of the national park—brilliant white sand beaches, intact bush environments, well-provisioned campgrounds, and opportunities to learn about the lifestyle of the people who’ve been here for thousands of years.

  “Though it’s just three hours south of Sydney [population 4.5 million], Booderee remains a very natural setting,” John Harvey began. “The national park isn’t quite an island, but a narrow neck of land that’s almost entirely surrounded by water. On one side of the isthmus—St. Georges Basin to the west and part of Jervis Bay to the east—the water is very calm. These estuaries are important breeding areas for a variety of fish species, prawns, and other marine life. No commercial fishing is allowed here; it’s fairly easy to go out and catch some fish and barbecue a fresh meal. On the ocean side there are sandstone cliffs climbing to one hundred meters [328 feet], remote beaches and some famous surfing breaks. Where Booderee sticks out into the Pacific, the East Australian Current mixes with cold water from the south. This makes it a hot spot for both marine and land biodiversity. There are thirty miles of bushwalking trails of different lengths, depending on what level of challenge you’re seeking. Many begin at the campgrounds. In the center of the park there’s a botanical garden with freshwater lakes that attract more than two hundred bird species. Lastly, the sites in our campgrounds are very private, with vegetation providing a nice buffer between sites. They are close to the beach and have modern facilities.”

  Booderee National Park rests in the Jervis Bay Territory of New South Wales, equidistant from the cities of Brisbane and Sydney. The twenty-four square miles occupied by the park have historically belonged to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community. It was originally recognized as Jervis Bay National Park in 1992 and ad
ministered by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. In 1995, the park was returned to the Wreck Bay community (which leases the land back to the government) and renamed Booderee. “The Aboriginal culture around Booderee is still strong, and the Wreck Bay community has a powerful connection with the land,” John continued. “There are a number of ways for visitors to experience the culture. Some families have set up tour businesses where you can learn about the area’s geologic origins and the region’s flora and fauna, including medicinal use of plants. You can also attend a weaving workshop or a campfire storytelling session.”

  For most campers traveling to Australia, two experiences are high on the checklist—interacting with some of the continent’s marsupials and visiting its pristine beaches. Booderee National Park delivers on both counts. “We have three species of both kangaroos and wallabies in the park, and they are quite plentiful,” John explained. “It’s not a question of ‘if’ you’ll see them; it’s guaranteed. Though they’re wild animals and are not enclosed in any way, they often show up around the camping areas, especially at Green Patch, as there’s nice grass there for the marsupials to graze on. There’s also a variety of possums, and also echidnas, an anteater with protruding spines. [It’s the only mammal other than the platypus that lays eggs.] Our birdlife is also notable and includes white-bellied sea eagles, kookaburras, and a number of honeyeaters.

  “We are very proud of our beaches here at Booderee. There are ten altogether, and they’ve been declared amongst the whitest sand beaches in the world. The water quality on both the Jervis Bay and the ocean sides is exceptional. There are no river systems coming in, so there’s little runoff, and there’s a constant flush from the ocean currents. Diving and snorkeling are very popular, thanks to water clarity, and there are plenty of grass beds, soft corals, and sponge beds to explore, all populated by a great diversity of fish species. On the ocean side, there are many sea caves, due to the sandstone substrate. Some of the caves have significance for the Aboriginal people. The ocean side is also popular with surfers. One of Australia’s better-known surf breaks, the Aussie Pipe—also known as Black Rock, Wreck Bay, and Summercloud Bay—is adjacent to the Wreck Bay community just outside the park borders. The Aboriginal kids are some of the most amazing surfers.” (Cave Beach is a popular spot for beginners.)