I’m just going to put this out there at the beginning — I am not the most outdoorsy human. In Elementary school, I spent most of my recess time in the school library rather than outside, because my asthma prevented me from being able to play among the smog-filled air. (Thanks, Ozone Alert days). I made my parents pick me up early from week long summer camps not once, but twice. Alex and I went hiking earlier in quarantine and I managed to sprain both of my ankles within minutes of each other.
I’ve slept in tents at music festivals before, and survived, but it was never my favorite part of the festival experience. So, needless to say, sleeping in a tent in the woods was never at the top of my “bucket list” of things to do–that is, until this year.
With everything going on in the world, when I started thinking about my birthday, I knew I wanted to do two things. 1) Something I had never done before, and 2) See my friends that I hadn’t been reunited with in months.
Low and behold, Camping suddenly seemed like the best idea ever. Everyone can sleep separately! We’re outdoors and can be distanced! Hiking! SMORES! I was in. I didn’t consider the spiders (more on this later), but, everything else seems adorable and safe and fun.
So I booked two camp sites at French Creek State Park. Only an hour outside of Philly, they have public bathrooms that are cleaned 2x daily, access to running water, and you can park at your campsite. And at only $25 a night (per campsite), it’s a BARGAIN. Plus, you’re 15 minutes from a grocery store or CVS if necessary.
French Creek is open 365 days a year, and has over 35 miles of trails. You can stay on site by camping in a tent, or renting one of their modern cabins, cottages, or even a yurt! We went the classic tent route–each campsite can accommodate up to 5 people, and has a picnic table and fire stove in addition to their two car parking!
I took advantage of my Eagle Scout husband’s camping prowess, and placed him in charge of gathering our supplies, and our meal planning. He came up with the best camping menu:
Friday: BYO Hoagies and Chips
Saturday Breakfast: Sausage, Tomato, and Spinach Frittata, fresh fruit, and Zucchini bread
Saturday Lunch: Walking Tacos (my fave!)
Saturday Dinner: Burgers and Sausages, Chips galore, and Peach Cobbler + Chocolate Cake (c/o of my brother’s sweet girlfriend) for dessert
Sunday Breakfast: Bagels and any leftover fruit
All in all, the food was delicious throughout the whole weekend. Our Yeti Cooler helped ensure all of the food stayed cool and fresh throughout the days and nights.
On Saturday, we decided to go on a “twenty minute walk” to the lake, which ended up being a 4 mile hike through the woods. But honestly, it was absolutely worth it to get in some “easy” exercise and enjoy the sounds and sights of nature!
As for my packing list… well Saturday I changed outfits four times, so I’m probably not the best guide for that. 😉 BUT I will say that the following are absolute musts for late summer camping:
- Hiking Boots + Wool socks
- Hats
- Fanny packs
- Lake/water shoes (for both possible rain showers, and also for bathrooms)
- Light jacket for cool evenings
- Bug Spray, bug spray, bug spray
- Bluetooth Speaker
- Peach Cobbler supplies + Dutch Oven
- Local Firewood
- Compostable
- Refillable water bottles
- Portable chargers
- Cards
- Friendship bracelet supplies
Other than that, I mainly stuck to the REI Camping Checklist. But I truly can’t recommend French Creek State Park enough if you’re looking to get out of the city even for an afternoon hike!
Do you have any favorite hiking spots in the area?! Let me know — I’d love to find more places to adventure!
Great write-up! Glad you had fun. Another place to checkout for camping nearby is Hibernia Park near Coatesville. https://www.chesco.org/1743/Hibernia-Park
Love you!