For years I was musing about a camping trip to Shenandoah National Park which is only a couple hours away from me. However due to family, busy work, and laziness I would start planning too late and saw most spots booked on rec.gov. I would usually blame myself for lack of organization
This year I decided to just pack my car with equipment and drive to SNP one very early morning. At worst I would spend hours in the car for a day hike. However it turns out that many camping spots are available on first-come-first-serve basis, and not online. Another group without reservations joined my camping spot bordering the forest and it was a fun hanging out and chatting with strangers. You can also find plenty of camping space near hiking shelters, or with a permit in the back-country provided you're aware of the regulations and bear safety.
After that first trip, I was kicking myself for forming a mental model of camping as severely constrained by space and crowds. I think that false model formed by relying on only rec.gov and some online articles about how crowded the Appalachian Trail has become. I hear the hiking crowds visit SNP in May-June, so we'll see how it goes.
This year I decided to just pack my car with equipment and drive to SNP one very early morning. At worst I would spend hours in the car for a day hike. However it turns out that many camping spots are available on first-come-first-serve basis, and not online. Another group without reservations joined my camping spot bordering the forest and it was a fun hanging out and chatting with strangers. You can also find plenty of camping space near hiking shelters, or with a permit in the back-country provided you're aware of the regulations and bear safety.
After that first trip, I was kicking myself for forming a mental model of camping as severely constrained by space and crowds. I think that false model formed by relying on only rec.gov and some online articles about how crowded the Appalachian Trail has become. I hear the hiking crowds visit SNP in May-June, so we'll see how it goes.