Top Reasons to Go Camping in the Spring

Try spring camping for a great family outing

This is a guest post by Kaitlyn at CampTrip.com. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the guest posting page for more information.

We all know the main season for camping is the summer-time. Summer offers the best weather – sunny days, clear skies; it’s when everyone takes their vacation time. Well, in this article I want to promote why it is a great idea to go camping in the spring!

Fewer Crowds

Campsites are easier to come by during the off-season

Campsites are easier to come by during the off-season

By going camping in what is still considered camping’s slow season you avoid the crowded, noisy, busy campgrounds. This is not to say that the campground will be completely empty. There will likely be enough campers there to keep you social and happy. I have had some less enjoyable camping experiences in the summer when I felt like I was a sardine in a too-snug tin (i.e. a crowded campsite). Being smashed together next to other campers in a long cramped row is not really my idea of getting close to nature.

For me, the fewer crowds are one of my top reasons why I love camping in the spring.

Fresh and Beautiful Scenery

April and May is the high-season for spring flowers, like these bluebells

April and May is the high-season for spring flowers, like these bluebells

Spring is a beautiful and exciting time to go camping! Nature is waking up from its long, cold winter sleep. Everything outdoors is new and bright: the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining – it is surprisingly warm. The air is clean and crisp and the woodsy scent of trees and sweet smelling grass is some of nature’s best perfumes. The rivers and lakes are gorgeous. Their cool and clear waters are so pure that it makes you want to just jump in and cleanse your mind, body, spirit and soul.

Butterflies know the benefits of spring!

Butterflies know the benefits of spring!

Being outdoors in the spring is exactly like those laundry detergent ads on TV when they take their clean laundry out of the washer and it smells like a spring morning. That smell is camping in spring. Imagine waking up in the morning with the sun shining through your tent and peeking your head out to smell the sweetest fresh breeze. To breathe in that breeze is like a boost of energy and a calming relaxant all at the same time. The only things you can hear are birds chirping, the river and the soothing breeze whistling through the trees.

Try camping in spring for yourself. It is heaps better than my poor poetic description – I hope it didn’t put you off.

Cheaper Fees

Camping is supposed to be a cheaper alternative to a more expensive getaway, correct? Well, it all depends. If you go to the most popular camping locations and campgrounds in the dead of summer, you can expect to fork out quite a bit of cash. Camping should not be expensive. Yes, it will cost some money as it is a vacation, but if you are smart you can have a great time without depleting your bank account. One of the added bonuses of camping in spring is that, because it is still considered low camping season, some campsites will offer lower prices. Essentially you get the same camping spot, a less crowed campsite – all at a discounted price. How can you possibly go wrong?

Fewer Insects

The mosquitoes will be worse in July!

The mosquitoes will be worse in July!

Who likes being eaten by bugs? Not me! Insects are a part a nature and, unfortunately, I don’t believe you can ever completely avoid them. The good news is that there is a solution! Apart from applying bug spray, wearing long sleeves and lighting citronella candles, you can try to lessen the number of bugs finding an opportunity to land and feast on your skin. By camping in spring you dodge about 70% of the bug population which will be arriving in summer when the temperature rises and living conditions become ideal.

The bug season doesn’t really start until the much warmer months which are usually summer for most places. Like I mentioned earlier, camping in the spring will not rid you of these pests, but it will lessen the number of blood-suckers circling your head. It is always a good idea when camping in any season that you do not camp near still water (water that is not moving/flowing) as this is where many bugs, like the mosquito, breed.

Not too Hot

It’s not too hot, it’s not too cold, it’s juuust right. Camping in the spring offers the perfect temperature. In the day it is sunny and warm with a light breeze; at night you can cozy up around the campfire for some S’mores before crawling into your warm sleeping bag and waking up feeling fresh the next day.

One of the most unpleasant feelings when camping in the summer is when you come out of your steam bath of a tent in the morning and you feel all sweaty and sticky. Sometimes the warm weather in the summer makes camping more difficult. In summer it gets really hot, there are more bugs, you need to be careful not to get a sun burn, food does not last as long in the heat, etc.

All the more reason to go camping in spring!

Stop Hibernating! Set a Date!

There is no better time to get out of the house than after a long cold winter hibernating indoors. Spring is like a fresh new start, everything becomes clearer, brighter and cleaner. Just as you give your house a good spring cleaning, give yourself a good spring cleanse! Get outdoors and enjoy yourself and enjoy beautiful nature. After a few days of camping and relaxing in the spring sun it will feel as though a huge weight has been lifted from your shoulders and the stress has melted away. Believe it or not, there are actually many opportunities to go camping in spring.

Easter Egg hunt!

Easter Egg hunt!

Spring break is a great time as the kids are off school for at least a week, so you can take a few days to go camping with the family. Also, there is Easter weekend when you could take off and go camping. Who says the Easter bunny can’t find you in the wilderness! Pack a bunch of hard boiled eggs or boil them at the campsite and colour the eggs outside with the egg dying kits.

On Easter you can hide the colourful eggs all around the campsite in a grand Easter egg hunt and have the kids collect them all. Think of the fun that could be had!

Well, those are some of my top reason to camp in spring. I hope you gained some insightful information as to why camping in spring is an appealing idea. Maybe I did too well a job of selling you the idea and now spring will become the most desired time to camp….What have I done!?!

Kaitlyn is a world traveler/camper who is the co-founder of CampTrip along with her husband, Jeremy. Checkout their writing contest, where you can share you experience and win great cash prizes.

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18 thoughts on “Top Reasons to Go Camping in the Spring

  1. I prefer camping in spring than summer too. And I often find that the weather is actually better, and it rains less than in August.

  2. I couldn’t agree more. It is rare to get the perfect camping conditions in England but once we do there is nothing more satisfying than getting out into the open

  3. Another thing that you did not mention was spring showers! Rain ponchos are the easiest thing to wear when camping because they don’t restrict an arm like an umbrella does.

    A suggestion for a place to find ponchos is http://www.rainponchosonline.com as far as online purchasing goes no one does it better. If you have large superstores nearby then they are probably the easiest option however.

  4. One suggestion to beat the crowds or even avoid them is to find a park which offers a pioneer camping site. Some only have a few which provide isolated venues. I hate the crowds as well. One reason why I go camping is to get away from people and enjoy the solitude.

  5. I guess I would have agreed with you about camping in the spring in the early 90’s because we had a great spring but now adays we usually don’t have much of a spring with snow still on the ground in april and still some nights below freezing.

  6. I actually prefer going camping in the Autumn, there are still people around, the Summer is still hanging on and I can actually get on with doing stuff while people are looking to squeeze an extra few quid out of their sites.

    Some of the best camping I have ever done in France, Spain and England has been around September and October 🙂

    • I’m from England and I have to say that there is not a better place to camp that that of the Lake District in the later months like September and October.//Paul

  7. I guess I can agree with you if I substitute “spring” for June. There is still snow on the ground here in Montana, in places. And nighttime temps below freezing, so we are holding off a bit for our first camping trip 😉

  8. I could not agree more as the sun is now shinning here in England the daffodils are spring flowers are flowering and everyone is in happier mood. What better time of year to just pack up and get outdoors? Everyone has their own particular place to go visit and mine is Camping Lake District with some of the most beautiful English scenery to enjoy while walking the hills and fells.

  9. I totally agree with you. Camping during the spring is the best. My favorite part is all the newly awakened bears hungry for anything to eat. Spring is a great chance to get an up and close bear encounter.

  10. Hi Everyone!

    Thank you for your positive comments! I am glad you all enjoy camping in spring as much as I do. Happy Spring Camping!

  11. Hi Kaitlyn,
    You are right in deciding on spring as your camping time. Here in the Philippines, I would prefer camping during on January or February because summer time here is around March and April. It is really uncomfortable hiking and camping if it is drizzling hot that you get really sticky.
    Loved your post, bookmarked it! 😀

  12. Camping in the spring is awesome – it really makes the winter almost bearable to think that something fun is just around the corner!

  13. But I live in Florida so winter is the season! It is already in the 80s here so time is now running out to go camping.