Death Valley- 2010- Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Texas Spring

Back from a quick trip to Death Valley. Camped one night at Furnace Creek, (which I still like as the best option for family tent camping in the park). The kids love playing "fort" in those large trees near the visitors center. We then had to move to Texas Spring, which offers only a very few sites with shade (although if you get one of those 4 or 5 with good shade, it would be great). Next night was Stovepipe Wells, which I had previously listed as a parking lot for RV's, but it does have tent sites along the back side which are not too bad, though they offer very little shade. However, those sites do offer plenty of room to roam, as you are at the back of the campground, they have a view of the mountains, and you can set up your tent a nice distance from the parking area. You do have to trek across the parking lot to utilize the bathroom facilities.

One note about Death Valley: This year we endured some serious wind- gusts to 50 mph! If you leave your campsite during the day, prepare it for high winds! Stake your tent and leave some heavy items in there; fold up the chairs; secure all loose items! We saw many things, including tents and shade canopies, fly away across the desert.

Also: We hiked up Mosaic Canyon this year, which is near the Stovepipe Wells area. Not to be missed!

Norris Campground - Yellowstone National Park

The Norris Campground is somewhat centrally located on the western side of Yellowstone, very close to the Norris Geyser Basin, and next to the Museum of the National Park Ranger. It seemed to be a pretty typical large national park campground, with most sites lacking in vegetation and privacy, although there were a few gems that I spied while walking the loops. There is a trailhead right in the campground and evening campfire programs in the summer. All sites are first-come, first served and fill quickly. Get more info here.

Lewis Lake Campground - Yellowstone National Park

A fine campground near the southern entrance to Yellowstone, but nothing to write home about. It was the only campground with space available in the park when we arrived late in the afternoon in July, which is often the case, I am sure. The lake is lovely, and our site was within easy walking distance to the shore. There were some walk-in sites here that looked to be prime real estate, and if you are a boater, this would be a convenient campground.

One bonus was that the mosquitos were a bit numerous in the early evening, so we packed up the crew and headed out to Old Faithful, where things seemed to be a lot less crowded than is typical during the day. So we spent the evening looking at the geyser, the Old Faithful Inn (with some requisite bison hanging out right behind the building), and enjoying some ice cream.

Fremont Lake Campground - Bridger-Teton National Forest

Fremont Lake campground was one of our favorite stops on our Yellowstone adventure. Our campsite did not have a view of this natural lake, but was very close, tucked in among the aspens and lovely wildflowers that were abundant there in July. We had a great site with good privacy, and plenty of space for the kids to explore our immediate area. Some sites closer to the lake were more crowded. We spotted a pronghorn up close just as we were leaving. The campground is very close to the town of Pinedale, WY- close enough that you can run into town for morning coffee when your camping stove breaks down! The fine folks at The Great Outdoor Shop in Pinedale were able to make a timely repair to our Coleman stove, saving us much trouble as we headed into the Tetons. In addition, my 8 year old son thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Museum of the Mountain Man. The Wind River range is breathtaking, and the drive from Pinedale north to Jackson is just incredible.

Relevant links: www.museumofthemountainman.com/;www.fs.fed.us/r4/btnf/offices/pinedale_info/camp/Fremontlakeinfo.pdf

Bob Scott Campground- Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Stopped here at Bob Scott, just outside of Austin, NV on our way to Yellowstone in July to dry out and have lunch. It was dry and windy- the perfect place to lay out the wet tent before mildew set in. The campground is set very close to Hwy. 50, but could be a good stop if you are on a road trip. It is pinyon-juniper country, and there are campsites with good shade.

East Creek Campground - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

This place was a nice surprise. After driving Hwy. 50 across Nevada (beautiful!), we stopped in Ely for gas and decided to check out East Creek. This little campground stretches along the creek (still running strong in July), and is a lovely patch of green among the sagebrush in the mountains NE of Ely. The kids spent most of their time playing in the creek, and there is a trail leading from the campground, although we did not hike it this time.

Hampshire Rocks Campground- Tahoe National Forest

We stopped here on our drive out to Yellowstone with a thunderstorm looming on the horizon, not to mention two hungry kids and a fussy toddler in the backseat (in other words, we did not have a lot of time to look for a better spot!). While Hampshire Rocks is in a lovely area, right along the river, with some great climbing boulders for the kids, the intense traffic noise from I-80 and a nearby train track pretty much cancels out the positives. One bonus: We weathered an early morning thunderstorm, packed everything up post haste, and headed into Truckee for a delicious breakfast at the Squeeze In.