This is my favorite time of the year.  With warmer temperatures teasing us that spring is right around the corner, it can only mean one thing: winter is on its way out (knock on wood).  When this happens, my dreams of a summer full of camping can really start to take shape.

For me, camping is as much a part of summer as baseball (Go A’s  and Twins), hot dogs and steaks or something in the Dutch Oven followed by smores cooked to delicious gooey goodness over the same campfire.

Admittedly, I’m biased, but there’s no better state for camping than South Dakota. With more than a thousand public and private campgrounds statewide, South Dakota offers something for every type of camper – along rivers, lakes, sand dunes and beaches, overlooking the river and lakes and in state parks and national forests.

So how do you gear up for camping in South Dakota? Here are my suggestions:

Wake Up From Winter 

Your tent, RV and gear have been in storage all winter; now’s the time to inspect it, clean it and get it ready for another season of camping.

For tent campers, if you put everything away last fall properly – i.e. not damp – then all you’ll need to do is inspect everything to make sure it’s good to go. For tents, look for tears, rips or holes. Same thing with backpacks and sleeping bags.

For RVers, which I am, de-winterizing the camper is a chore I do with a smile on my face. A weekend spent flushing the antifreeze, inspecting for damage and cleaning the RV inside and out only means camping is next on the To-Do list.

Regardless whether you’re a tent camper or an RVer, if there’s any sign or smell of mildew, you must address it. Find the source, determine the extent and clean or replace as necessary.

Plan your Summer!

With the tent, RV and equipment all set, all that’s left is to plan your trip!

For us, where we go depends on what we want to do. If we’re just looking to get away from it all, South Dakota has no shortage of private and State Park campgrounds more than capable of letting us disconnect from society and reconnect with each other. But if our trip is more about the destination than the campground, again we’re always able to find a campground close to where want to be.

This year will be out first full year in a full time campground. We loved being able to drive down last year and just open the door turn on the air and bam you’re camping. No need to pull the camper or set up as it is already done.

If you’re looking for a new amazing campground that offers full time hookups look at The Meridian Bridge RV Resort.  We could be neighbors!

Hope to see you there!  We will keep the fire going for you!