This summer our intern, Meagan, visited her hometown campsite Black Bear Campground and we asked her to write a blog on her experience.
“With months of preparation in advance, if there was anything I learned this weekend is that mother nature’s plans will always conquer mine, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t make the most of it. The whole drive down to the campsite it was raining, torrential downpour kind of rain. I was mentally prepared to get out of the van we had rented and set up camp in record time. That didn’t really work out and we all ended up getting soaked. A few hours and 8 pairs of soaked socks later camp was finally set up. This is where the fun started. As a group, we decided not to let the rain dictate our fun, so we grabbed our fishing rods and headed out to the water where we were sure we would hook a fish in the rain. We didn’t, but we did laugh. We ordered some pizza, ate some smores, and enjoyed the time we had together because the last two years apart in a pandemic was easy on none of us.”
Although rain may make a special appearance on your well-planned trip here are some tips and tricks you can do to avoid letting the rain get the best of you!
Advice and Tips for camping in the rain:
- Check the weather app! This app is your best friend for camping, and although not always accurate can really help you plan for worst case weather scenarios
- Make the most of it; Sour attitudes will not soak up the rain, but a positive attitude can create the best memories in the worst situations.
- Be prepared and bring a tarp! There is nothing worse than getting to the campsite and not having a dry place to sit.
- Games, Games, and more Games! The beach probably isn’t appealing when the rain is pouring down, so bringing cards and board games to help pass the time.
- Lastly, packing an extra pair or two of socks and a rain jacket because it never hurt anybody! It’s always better to be overprepared then under prepared.
Activities to do with children in the rain:
- Camping Scavenger Hunt
- Read
- Rock Painting
- Make Fairy houses
- Build a Nature Fort
- Color
- Fishing in the rain
- Bead necklaces or other Jewelry
- Last, but certainly not least S’MORES
Looking for a place to camp this summer in British Columbia Check out:
Vancouver Island
Arrowvale Campground (located in Port Alberni)
- Super family friendly
- Park
- They have farms on the property which visitors can visit (chickens, cows, gardens)
- Horses! Feed and pet some horses
- Lastly, my favorite amenity is the Somass river the campsite is beside. This is a great swimming river, and awesome for tubbing!
BC Mainland
Goldstream Provincial Park Campground (16km from downtown Victoria)
- Massive Cedar Trees, Waterfalls, river that connects to the sea, and other wildlife fills this area!
- Adventure playground for youth and children
- Pump track and skills trail for young biking enthusiasts (toddlers to teens)
- Super family friendly; meant to support families in getting outside in nature
- RV and Tent camping available!