Campground Rating System

While we were sitting around the campfire this weekend, Chad and I came up with a Campground Rating System (CRS). Why would we do such a thing? Well, when you're away from television, DVD players, the Internet and cell phones, this is the sort of thing you talk about. As for the acronym, we're both government employees from way back. Enough said.

We categorized the various components that make or break a camping trip into five distinct divisions - Accessibility, Campground, Amenities, Activities, and Child Friendliness.

Accessibility:
This boils down to two questions: How long did it take us to reach our destination? How was the drive?

Campground:
Perhaps the most important of all categories, "Campground" refers to size, the sort of ground cover (dirt, sand, grass), the fire pits, remoteness, views, and proximity to other campers.

Amenities:
While we're fine with little more than vault toilets, I have to admit showers, hot water and nearby stores add to the enjoyment of the trip.

Activities:
You can only make so many s'mores and play so many games of Scrabble. This category includes hiking trails, biking, beaches, local attractions (such as waterfalls or rock slides), fishing and swimming.

Child Friendliness:
We once had the opportunity to camp on a tiny, remote patch of ground on the edge of a step grade overlooking the Pacific Ocean. As we stood there, the wind buffeting our bodies, staring in awe at the panoramic view of rocky cliffs and sea, we realized that a two-year-old could very easily come to bodily harm. Since we camp with a child, we want to be sure that there are safe activities, safe sites and as few bears and cliffs possible.

So that's it. The CRS. We'll use a 1 - 5 rating system for each category and then use the average to rate the overall campground experience.

This is what happens when two logically-minded earth signs (and firstborns) go camping alone.