Campsites are often situated in or near forests.

A campsite (or campground) is a place used for camping. The term 'campsite' usually means an area where an individual or family might camp, either: This article is about forests as a massing of trees. ... Camping is an outdoor recreational activity involving the spending of one or more nights in a tent, primitive structure, a travel trailer or recreational vehicle at a campsite with the purpose of getting away from civilization and enjoying nature. ...

• an impromptu area (as one might decided to stop while backpacking or hiking, or
• a dedicated area with improvements and various facilities (see below).

The term 'campground' usually implies a dedicated area set aside for camping and which typically charges a fee for use. Campgrounds consisting of dedicated campsites typically feature a few (but sometimes no) improvements, and many just consist of open pieces of ground where a camper can pitch a tent or park a camper. Backpacking (also tramping or trekking in some countries) is the complete combination of hiking and camping. ... Many beautiful natural scenes are only accessible if one is willing to hike to get to them. ... A tent is a temporary or semipermanent shelter, consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles. ... A camper can be one of several things: an automobile used for camping, see recreational vehicle a trailer used for camping, see travel trailer a person who engages in camping a reference to the alternative rock band named Camper Van Beethoven in online games, a player who stays in one...

Dedicated campsites usually have some amenities for campers. Common amenities include, listed roughly in order from most to least common:

• Fireplaces or fire pits in which to build campfires (this can be a circle of rocks, a metal enclosure, a metal grate, a concrete spot, or even just a hole).
• Pit toilets (outhouses)
• Road access for vehicles
• Picnic tables
• Piped potable water
• sinks and mirrors in the bathrooms;
• Flush toilets and showers
• Utility hookups, such as gas, propane, water, electricity and sewer, primarily for the use of RVs
• A small convenience store
• Raised platforms on which to set up tents
• Shower facilities (with or without hot water);
• Marked spaces indicating a boundary for one camper or a group of campers;
• Reservations to ensure there will be available space to camp;
• Wood for free or for sale for use in cooking or for a campfire;
• A gravel or concrete pad on which to park a camper or car so as not to get stuck in the mud;
• a gravel, paved, and/or marked road so one knows how to get a vehicle to and from the campsite;
• garbage cans or large rubbish bins in which to place refuse;
• a set of rules governing how loud noise is handled, what hours one may enter and leave the campground, rules governing nudity, the use of local wood, how to dispose of garbage, etc.

Camping outside a designated campsite is often forbidden. A fire ring is a device used to contain campfires and prevent them from spreading and turning into wildfires. ... A campfire. ... Outhouse near Crabapple Lake, USA, with chipboard walls, and a fiberglass ceiling The term outhouse, originally referring to any small structure away from a main building, now means, in North American English, a small enclosure around a pit that is used as a toilet. ... A road is a strip of land, smoothed or otherwise prepared to allow easier travel, connecting two or more destinations. ... Vehicles are non-living means of transport. ... In contemporary usage, picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors, ideally, taking place in a beautiful landscape. ... Plumbing, from the Latin for lead (plumbum), is the trade of working with pipes for water, drainage and natural gas. ... Drinking water This article focuses on water as we experience it every day. ... Flush toilet A flush toilet or water closet is a toilet that disposes of the waste products by using water to sweep them away down a drainpipe. ... A shower is any of three things: a brief period or small area of precipitation, usually rain or snow a plumbing fixture for bathing, or a safety shower for washing off chemicals; also, the act of bathing under such a fixture a party, such as a baby shower or bridal... A three-carbon alkane, propane is sometimes derived from other petroleum products during oil or natural gas processing. ... A falling water droplet Water (from the Anglo-Saxon and Low German wæter) is a colourless, tasteless, and odourless substance that is essential to all known forms of life and is the most universal solvent. ... The article on electrical energy is located elsewhere. ... Sewers transport wastewater from buildings to treatment facilities. ... Recreational Vehicle (RV) is a term used to describe a large enclosed piece of equipment with wheels designed to be moved from place to place for people to temporarily live in and be protected from the elements while away from their permanent domicile. ... A convenience store is a small store or shop, generally accessible or local. ... A tent is a temporary or semipermanent shelter, consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles. ... A campfire. ...

In the US, many national and state parks have dedicated campsites and sometimes also allow impromptu camping by visitors. U.S. national forests often have established campsites but generally allow camping anywhere, except within a certain distance of water sources. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... This article is about national parks. ... State park is a term used in the United States and in Mexico for an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or other reason, and under the administration of the government of a U.S. state or one of the states of Mexico. ...

There are many private, commercial campgrounds as well as those on public lands. The Kampgrounds of America (KOA) is a large chain of commercial campgrounds located throughout the US and Canada. Many travellers prefer to use KOA, or similar campsites, as an alternative to hotels or motels, independent campsites, or parks. The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging, usually on a short-term basis. ... The word motel originates from the Motel Inn of San Luis Obispo, first built in 1925 by Arthur Heinman. ...

Both commercial and governmental campgrounds typically charge a nominal fee for the privilege of camping there, to cover expenses, and in the case of an independent campground, to make a profit.

External links

• KOA Campgrounds (http://www.koakampgrounds.com/)
• National Park Service
• Mountain Lake Campground & RV resort, Lancaster, NH (http://www.allroutes.to/mountainlake/)