Wilderness Camping

Wilderness camping is probably the most exciting and fun way of spending a holiday or vacation.

The freedom of just being on the road at your own pace, no traffic, no schedules, no rush, just looking forward to a destination of the most amazing sites of nature you choose, and being one with it for a while, is definitely something worth doing.

Wilderness camping is a favorite of people who enjoy the adrenalin rush of being in harmony with nature, exploring its beauty and simply taking pleasure in the freedom of time, away from all the noisy, hectic and busy streets of the city.

Wilderness camping is not only a thrilling way of spending your vacation but is a learning experience as well. Here are some great wilderness camping sites that you may want to explore and experience as they have gained popularity among those wilderness camping lovers: (RV Parks)

Andrew Molera State Park

This wilderness camping site has 24 identified sites. RV camping is allowed only at these sites with a maximum of four people per site. Registration will continue to be on a first-come, first-served basis.

In the spectacular Big Sur area, this park is still relatively undeveloped and offers visitors great hiking, fishing and beachcombing. Miles of trails wind through meadows, beaches and hilltops. A primitive walk-in trail camp, popular with hikers and bikers, is located approximately one third mile from the parking area.

Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park

“Where the waters come together" is a translation of the word Ahjumawi, which is also the self describing word used by the band of Pit River Native Americans who inhabit the area. The waters which come together are Big Lake, Tule River, Ja-She Creek, Lava Creek, and Fall River.

Together they form one of the largest systems of fresh water springs in the country. This wilderness camping site can only be reached by boat, there are no public roads to it and private motor vehicles are prohibited within. Ahjumawi is a place of exceptional, even primeval, beauty.

Brilliant aqua bays and tree studded islets only a few yards long dot the shoreline of Ja-She Creek, Crystal Springs, and Horr Pond. Over two thirds of the area is covered by recent (three to five thousand years) lava flows including vast areas of jagged black basalt. Visitors may be inspired by magnificent vistas of Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and other nearby peaks.

Theodore Roosevelt Wilderness

This wilderness camping site is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. The wilderness covers an area of 29,920 acres and comprises over a third of the entire acreage of Theodore Roosevelt National Park both of which are managed by the National Park Service.

The wilderness protects from the wildest sections of the National Park. Bison, pronghorn, elk, mule deer and coyote are all found here, along with hundreds of species of birds such as the Bald eagle, falcon and hawk. The wilderness is separated into two sections along with park, a north and south unit, by a distance of seventy miles.

The Little Missouri River is on the south of both side units. Eighty five miles of trails allow access to the most remote sections of the wilderness. Wilderness camping is allowed with a permit; however overnighters are encouraged to bring portable stove as there are little wood for fires.

Wilderness areas do not allow motorized or mechanical equipment, such as bicycles, although camping and fishing are usually allowed with proper permit.

Haleakalā National Park

This wilderness camping site gives a wonderful opportunity to see Hawaiian wildlife, which has its famous Nene (Hawaiian goose) often seen in the campsites. There are two primitive campsites, the Paliku and Holua, which are both accessible only by trail.

Permits are required for overnight wilderness camping at these sites. Camping permits are free and requires a ten-minute orientation, and can be obtained at any visitor center. Campsite space is available on a first-come, first-served basis for the general public. Special accommodation is made for educational groups and boy-scout groups which may reserve space up to six months in advance.

A maximum of three nights per thirty day period in the wilderness campsites with no more than two nights at any one site is limited for each person. Holua and Paliku campsites have a maximum limit of twenty five people each with a twelve-person group limit.

Holua Campsite

This wilderness camping site is reached by the shortest hike, lies at 6,940 feet (2,115 meters) in the shrubland near Koolau Gap. Holua is 3.7 miles (6km) down the Halemauu Trail or 7.4 miles (12km) from the Sliding Sand Trailhead.

Visitors staying at Holua can enjoy day hikes into the central Wilderness Area. The landscape around Holua supports a native shrubland which colonizes the lava flows.

Paliku Campsite

This wilderness camping site is on the east end of the wilderness valley at the base of a rain forest cliff, at 6,380 feet (1,945 meters). The campsite is reached via a strenuous 9.3 mile (15km) hike on the Sliding Sands Trail or 10.4 (17km) on Halemauu Trail.

Clouds and fog often roll over the top of the cliffs behind Paliku, and rain is common. The extra moisture makes this spot exceptionally cool and lush.

These are just some of the wilderness camping sites that you may want to experience, however, if you really just want a simple get away from the hectic life of the city, you can always choose your own “wilderness”, as long as it gives you a touch of nature’s beauty, harmony and simplicity, it’s always as good as any wilderness camping experience you’ll ever have.