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It’s that time of year when the air is crisp, the sky is clear and s’mores have a warm and inviting appeal. It’s also, however, considered the most stressful time of year. Now more than ever, it’s crucial to get away before the holidays start and there’s no better way to unwind than to enjoy mother nature’s vacation. But before you pack your snowsuit and camp gear, take a look at what The Camping Guy suggests when deciding on a campsite vacation.

There are two types of winter camping to choose from. 1) Snow Camping which is for those who love winter sports in plains and mountainous areas or 2) Desert Camping which is for campers who prefer a more dry setting for sight seeing and water activities. This year, The Camping Guy would like to give you some vacationing suggestions for each type of camping trip based on excellence in reputation and available outdoor activities.

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The Scouts and I just got back from Anza Borrego. We do this annually, in the spring when the wild flowers are in bloom. Sometimes we catch them in bloom and other times we miss them. This year we were lucky and made it in time!

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California’s largest state park with 600,000 acres of very diverse terrain. You can hike, camp in developed campsites or primitive “backcountry” campsites or even horseback ride on their many trails. We love it for the hike to the Oasis and the Slot Canyon hike. More on that later. Here’s a picture of the sun setting on the hills, from our campsite.

The facilities in this campground are excellent. They have clean, new toilet facilities, with showers, sinks for cleaning your cookware and lots of campsites. But, you must book ahead, because it is a popular spot! Best time to tent camp is spring and fall. It was unseasonable hot when we went it got up to 100°F by noon on Saturday. So, we were pounding down lots of water to stay hydrated. We did the slot canyon hike in the morning and waited until almost 4 in the afternoon to do the Oasis hike.

When you’re there, you need to check out the Visitors Center! This is where you can get information on Ranger-led nature walks, guided hikes, Junior Ranger programs, etc. They have the remains of some prehistoric fossils, a large sea turtle and a Mammoth. I can’t image this whole area being underwater!

This Visitors Center is built into the side of dirt hill to keep it cool! There is also a nature hike that starts here and goes out into the desert showing all the plants that inhabit the area.

Here’s a picture of the prehistoric turtle shell they dug up in the desert!

Lastly, I had to show you this! This long tusk, over 6ft. long.

Here’s the link to the CA State Park site with more information on this wonderful park, maps and how to make reservations. Anza-Borrego

Put it on your “Top 10″ list of campsites to visit. Slot Canyon and Oasis Hike in next post.