Camping with Kids: Unplugging in the DC Area

Before the pandemic, if you asked me if I wanted to go camping I probably would have laughed at the suggestion. My response may have been something along the lines of “uh, why would I do that?” or “Is there a hotel near the campground where I can stay?” But then, the world changed. We were home with a 3 and 6 year old, desperate to socialize and get out of the house. Since 2020, we have gone camping at least a dozen times. This post will hopefully shed some light on why we love these experiences. Maybe it will even convince others who ask “uh …why?” to give it a try.

The Practical Takeaways

Our lives are so busy – running from one activity to the next while constantly on our tiny screens. Camping with friends has proven to be the best way to completely unplug and form long-lasting memories.
If you’re in the DMV area, you don’t have to go far to find this escape. Just reserve your site a few weeks in advance, pack up the car, and head outdoors.

Campsites in the DMV

All of our camping trips have included other families and have ranged in groups from 8 kids + adults to 42 kids + adults. (We take the “more the merrier approach” to camping). All of the sites below are within 90 minutes of Northern Virginia and have accommodated the size of our camping crew. Also, there are some requirements we have when choosing sites. 1) We only go car camping, so the sites must have tent pads near our parking spaces. 2) With the exception of some naughty boys, we don’t pee in the woods. We look for sites with bathrooms nearby, and preferably with showers too. 3) We try to find spots that provide at least one kid-friendly activity during the day, such as a playground, short hiking trail, or a beach. Here is where we have been and what our experiences were like:

Prince William Forest Park: This was the site of our first camping experience. There were five families, with a total of ten kids ranging from ages 2-7. It started thunder storming in the middle of the night, so no one slept and we were wet. Yet, when we sipped coffee together at the campfire in the morning, bundled up in our wearable blankets (more on that later), we said “we should do this again!”

We have stayed twice in Oak Ridge Campground. Restrooms are very easily accessible from all the campsites and the National Park Service does a nice job of labeling which sites are good for families and groups when booking. There is an easy hike within walking distance from the campsites that even the littlest kids can handle. Overall, this is a good place to give camping a try. Pohick Bay Park is slightly closer to where we live, otherwise we would likely go here more often.

Pohick Bay Park: This is one of our favorite sites for our large group. It’s only thirty minutes away, which makes it easy to pack up and bail if the weather isn’t cooperating. We almost always book sites 120, 121, and 123 because they are near the big open field and close to the restrooms. When we are here the kids go wild in the field and the parents relax by the campfire (with the occasional interruption of “MOM!!!”). We also like that there are multiple easy trails that lead to a lake and playground. There is a water park within the park grounds, though we have not been. This is our favorite of the parks to just relax and check out from the rest of the world.

Greenbrier State Park: This park is 90 minutes north from Northern Virginia. It has a beautiful lakeside beach within easy walking distance of the camp sites. There are also great trails and car camping amenities. The trade-off is that campsites here are very close to one another, with little privacy between them.

Cunningham Falls: While the furthest site from Northern Virginia, this park is pretty unique for two reasons. It has a really nice lakeside beach that is a five minute drive away (it does get quite crowded though so go early to get a parking space). It also has a beautiful hiking trail from the campsite to Cunningham Falls. The kids had a memorable time scrambling the rocks around the falls. The campsites are sizable and private, with restrooms nearby.

Lake Fairfax: This is the closest of the camp sites, though perhaps too close. The site is surrounded by a suburban neighborhood and at night I could hear cars driving by. We had a group site in a forested area, which was very large with the tent pads well connected to each other. Individual sites nearby seemed to have no privacy. The restrooms and showers were amongst the nicest we’ve seen at campgrounds. The main draw to this campground is the giant water park, Water Mine Swimming Hole. It was quite crowded when we visited and required some advance planning to make sure we could all get in. The kids had a blast, though to me it didn’t provide the relaxing environment I’m seeking from a camping experience.

Little Bennett Park: This campground is the most family-friendly and charming of them all. Roughly an hour from Northern Virginia, Little Bennett is in Clarksburg, MD. Once you pass the Clarksburg Outlet Mall you put suburbia behind you and enter, what feels like, summer camp. The camp sites are spread out, providing privacy, but connected through narrow wooded trails. We have only camped at Loop A because it is the only section for car camping that has easily accessible restrooms. Also located near Loop A is a jumping pillow, gaga pit, and pedal kart track.

What really makes Little Bennett special are the daily activities that provided at a central clubhouse, accessible from the campsite by nature trail. Activities include gem mining, arts and crafts, water games, and guided nature walks. All the activities are low-key, old fashioned outdoor fun for kids and adults. I expect that as our kids get older this site may not be as appealing, but for now it’s really the perfect blend of fun and games in nature.

Food

Breakfast

One of my favorite things about camping is waking up and having coffee around a firepit. There is something very peaceful about campfire mornings and these pour over coffee filters by Kuju Coffee are amazing. I bring boxes of them with me – they are so good that they make me forget if I slept terribly.

One of the families in our camping crew always brings a cooler full of breakfast burritos they’ve premade at home. They have variations of meat (chorizo, ground pork, or chicken) and cheese (goat or cheddar) and veggies, all wrapped up in foil and labeled. Each morning they throw a bunch on the grill. I’ve never had to think about breakfast when camping – I just grab one of these and I’m so grateful for it. (Thanks, friends!)

The kids also enjoy putting pillsbury cinnamon rolls in a skillet over a fire for breakfast. We typically set out fruit and have packets of oatmeal for anyone who wants it.

Lunch

Lunch is the meal we rarely plan when camping. It may consist of leftovers from dinner or ramen noodles. There seems to always be food around and we graze. We also typically put out boxes of Smuckers Uncrustables and hand them out to any kid that says they are hungry – there’s no shame in Uncrustables.

Dinner

I love campfire dinners. I love the challenge of finding recipes to feed a crowd and the challenge of figuring out how to cook over fire with whatever resources we remember to bring. It does require a lot more time than cooking at home…but what’s the rush when you’re just sitting by a campfire with friends? Below are a few of our favorite camping meals. Of course, grilling burgers and hot dogs is a perfectly delicious and easy way to make dinner when camping too.

Baked Potato Bar: This required wrapping potatoes in foil, putting them on the grill and then setting up a table for toppings. The only thing challenging about this one is the patience it takes to grill potatoes.

Fajita bar: Similar to the potato bar, Fajitas are great as a “make your own” bar. Grill some chicken and veggies and set it up for everyone to help themselves.
Campfire Mac and Cheese: This one was gooey on top and crispy (almost burnt) on the bottom, with a smoky flavor.

Campfire Beer Cheese Dip with Sausage, Veggies, and Pretzels: This was a fun group meal. I made the beer cheese dip in the dutch oven, someone else grilled the sausages and cut veggies, and then we heated up soft pretzels.
Hawaiian roll sandwiches: These are great if you are coming to the campsite in the afternoon and don’t have a lot of time to cook. I prepare these at home, wrap them in foil, and then throw them on the grill for the cheese to melt while we set up our tents.
Yellow Split Pea Daal: I did not cook this one myself and I don’t have the recipe, but it was delicious. A quick google search shows many Indian dishes that can be made over a campfire.

BBQ Ribs: This was an all day campfire cooking extravaganza for my husband – I simply watched on the sidelines and then consumed as many as I could. These were some of the best ribs I’ve ever had. If you have the patience to stay by the campfire watching the flames all day, It’s quite a treat.

Dessert

After dinner treats almost always involve marshmallows and chocolate, of course. But, we’ve taken this combination to different levels, including: 1) traditional s’mores, 2) s’mores pie in a dutch oven, and 3) s’mores melted into a waffle cone.

What to Bring

Figuring out the right camping gear can become an obsession, with continuous, and often unnecessary, trips to REI. Here are a few of the tricks we’ve learned on what to bring:

Tent: For four people, bring a tent for six. Always go bigger on the tent. Also, once you’ve upgraded to a tent you can stand up in, you can never go back to a smaller size. We love our REI Tent!

Cooler: There is a lot of discussion in our group about the best cooler, with a preference for Yeti’s. Personally, I like our large Coleman and think it works fine for keeping milk and other food items cool for a 2-night trip.
Cast Iron Pan: I love this cast iron cook-it-all . I can really make just about anything in it when camping!
Tea Kettle: A camping kettle is necessary for coffee, ramen, and so many other things.
Burner & butane: This is the quickest and easiest way to cook and boil water. We have a one-burner Coleman and have found it sufficient.
Sleeping bags and camping pillows: Ours aren’t anything special – they pack up easily and keep us warm. You can also throw in some extra blankets.
Sleeping mats/cots/air mattress: This is probably the hardest thing to figure out when camping in order to stay comfortable. We have tried it all, but have found that Coleman air mattresses allow us to sleep as best we can in a tent.
Water jug: You can pick up a big water jug from the store to bring. We now use this reusable water jug, which we fill up in advance and it lasts a two-night trip.
Games: Camping is a time to put away screens and bring along classic games. We like bringing along Spot It, Whatchmadrawit, and Mancala.

Headlamps & Lanterns: We bring along all sorts and sizes.
A big plastic bin full of: cooking utensils, foil, oven mitts, cutting board & knife, garbage bags, dish towels, tablecloth, salt, pepper, oil, plates/bowls/utensils, etc

Nice to Have

Solar powered charger: This is just generally a great item to have for travel. We bring ours to theme parks and any outdoor all-day activity.
Wearable blanket: Remember the slanket and snuggie craze? This is the camping version. They may look ridiculous, but who cares what you look like when camping? All the moms in our camping crew have them… and they make great gifts 😉

Folding chairs: Camp sites almost always include picnic tables. We like to also bring folding chairs that we can set up around the campfire.

Dustpan: We bring a dustpan for cleaning up the tent before packing up.
Portable grill: Grilling on the campfire is a lot of fun, but if you need to speed things up, bringing a portable grill can be really useful (if it fits in the trunk of your car along with everything else!).

Don’t forget your clothes and toiletries too…and bug spray!

A Few Extra Tips

When you arrive at any of these campgrounds you can buy firewood and ice at the camp store. The camp stores typically also have anything else you may have forgotten.
Be sure to put any open food in your car at night and have your garbage bags hanging from a sturdy tree limb or food pole. Raccoons are thieves at campsites in the night.
If you’re still unsure about this, try pitching a tent in the backyard for a night and see how it goes.
If anyone in your group has an extra tent, it’s always nice to have a “play” tent set up for kids. This is especially useful if there is a passing rain and the kids need somewhere to go hang out together.
If all this sounds overwhelming and you just want to spend a day outside in nature, check out my post on river tubing in Berryville, Va. If you’re interested in dipping your toe in camping, but without bringing your own equipment, you can read about our glamping experience in Great Sand Dunes National Park.
For other practical packing tips, visit my post on travel products.