COLUMN: Driftwood Outdoors: Top picks for summer camping
Camping is a foundation of outdoor adventure, often tying other outdoor activities together. It doesn’t matter if you’re going on a fishing or hunting trip, a relaxing weekend getaway to hike and bike, or into the backcountry in search of solitude; the adventure of camping out is central to the experience. The Midwest is home to some of the best camping opportunities in the country. We have the Great Lakes, Ozark Mountains, vast grasslands, Black Hills, Badlands and backcountry. The diversity of camping options in the Midwest is endless.
There are many different styles of camping. A lady in the backcountry with a backpack and the guy hauling a 40-foot travel trailer to a state park are both campers. Some of my earliest memories are of camping with my mother and father at Potato Creek State Park in northern Indiana. The 3,840-acre amenity-rich park was a wilderness in my young mind. Now I have camped in actual remote wilderness settings on multiple continents. Being outdoors, whether it be on a solo adventure, or a shared experience, enjoying nature at the level you are comfortable is all that matters.
The following list offers suggestions on camping at special destinations across the Midwest Region. These are only a small sample of the amazing camping opportunities available here in the middle of America.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park is the gateway to the world’s longest known cave system, Mammoth Cave. This wonder of the world located in the Midwest offers numerous options of guided caves to tours catering to different physical abilities and interests. The Historic Tour is the classic Mammoth Cave experience, taking visitors through the Historic Entrance to the famed Rotunda and through many more mind-blowing geological features.
Campers visiting Mammoth Cave National Park have options. Three campgrounds offer common amenities and close proximity to the cave tours. Maple Springs Group Campground allows horses, which many riders bring to explore the 70 miles of backcountry trails. Mammoth Cave and Maple Springs are open March 1 through Nov. 30. Houchin Ferry is open year-round. Backcountry sites are available and accessible year-round. All camping in the park requires a permit. Reservations are highly recommended in peak season.
Lighthouse Point at Cedar Point
Sandusky, Ohio
If location is key, then Lighthouse Point is the place for you when visiting the Sandusky area. This private campground is a family destination that covers all the bases. Situated right on the shore of Lake Erie, you have some of the finest fishing in the Great Lakes right outside your camper door. Cedar Point Amusement Park is a childhood favorite of many Midwestern kids. Being on-site allows for easy access to the rides and waterpark. A short ferry ride delivers you to the Bass Islands. You’ll find island life culture in Put-In-Bay, often referred to as the “Key West of the North.”
Lighthouse Point has cottages, cabins and 145 RV campsites with modern amenities. The lakefront cottages offer scenic views of Lake Erie. Luxury RV sites feature patio sites with lake views. There is a private swimming pool and convenience store.
Echo Bluff State Park
Eminence, Missouri
Located in the heart of the Ozark Scenic Riverways Region is a crown jewel of Missouri camping. Echo Bluff State Park is surrounded by public land teeming with wildlife. Hundreds-of-thousands of acres of MDC conservation areas, Mark Twain National Forest and the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) are open to hunting, fishing, hiking and camping. This is the premiere destination for float camping. The Current River and Jacks Fork River both offer the freedom of pitching a tent riverside anywhere in the OSNR. Echo Bluff is a modern property with all the amenities one could ask for. The park serves as the perfect homebase for exploring the area’s attractions like the elk herd at Peck Ranch, Rocky Falls, Devil’s Well and the area’s many giant cold water springs.
The campground offers a mix of full hookup sites and walk-in tent sites. The impressive Betty Lea Lodge offers 20 state-of-the-art rooms. There are also 13 units in nine modern cabins. There is a general store inside the lodge, along with a first-class restaurant. Reservations are a must in the summer months at this popular state park.
See you down the trail…
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