Choosing a Campsite: Seven Things to Look For
A good campsite means a warm, dry, quiet night — and minimal impact on the land. Here's what to look for before you pitch.
The difference between a great night and a miserable one often comes down to where you pitch. Here’s the checklist I run through, usually without thinking about it, at the end of every day.
1. Is it legal and low-impact?
Check local regulations first. Where camping is allowed, use established sites in popular areas, or durable surfaces — rock, gravel, dry grass — in more remote ones. Camp at least 60 m (200 ft) from water and trails where possible.
2. Is it flat?
Lie down on the spot before you pitch. A slight slope is fine if your head is uphill; a sideways tilt means you’ll slide off your mat all night.
3. Will water pool here?
Avoid hollows and dips, which collect cold air and rainwater. Slightly raised ground drains better and is often warmer.
4. What’s overhead?
Look up. Dead branches — the aptly named “widow-makers” — can fall in wind. Avoid pitching under them, or under lone trees in a storm.
5. Where’s the wind coming from?
A little breeze helps with condensation and bugs, but an exposed ridge in a gale is miserable. Use natural windbreaks like boulders, bushes or a fold in the land, and pitch with the narrow end of your shelter into the wind.
6. Is water nearby — but not too near?
Being close to water is convenient, but camping right beside it increases condensation, damages fragile banks and can put you in danger if levels rise.
7. Morning sun?
An east-facing site catches the first sun, drying your tent and warming you up. It’s a small luxury that makes a big difference on cold mornings.
Leave it better
When you leave, sweep the site with your eyes. Pick up micro-trash, scatter any flattened grass, and leave no sign you were there. More on that in Leave No Trace in practice.