First you arrive at the park office on the first day of the scheduled campout. If you arrive a day or more early you will be claiming your own reservation. Make sure the scout is aware of your campsite so they can try to claim campsites near where you are if possible.

At the park office mention the name of the organizer of the trip.Also mention the name of the group and the name of the scout. One of these will probably get recognized and they will then know which group of campsites to put you in. Most of the time they will want to assign you a campsite from the ones the scout has claimed. If they want to let them. It really messes them up if you try to force them to do anything that is not part of their standard procedure. Don't be surprised if someone is already in the spot they assign you. Also you will have to pay your daily park entrance fee if you do not have a conservation pass. The campsites should have been claimed by the scout and there should be no campsite fees to pay. Refunds are difficult.

Once you leave the park office, follow the map and directions they will give you to the area where our site are. Drive around the area until you find the scout or his representative. Usually someone will be around handling arrivals most of the day or the campsites will be marked. This person will know which sites have been taken and which have not. If you cannot find anyone then pick from the sites the park told you were ours. But make an effort to find the scout so he can know where you are and which site you took and more importantly that you have arrived so he will know when everyone has arrived.

The first night there are usually several campfires in the various campsites weather and burn bans permitting. This will usually occur shortly after dark. Most families welcome members of the group to join them. Bring you drink of choice and your chair and enjoy the fire. Wood donations are appreciated!

The second night (usually Saturday) there is usually a pot luck dinner. If possible a pavillion or rec center will be rented and you will know because you will have paid fees to you paid the organizer. If there is not one available, then it is usually held in the campsite most suitable (large) for a group gathering. Again wood donations are appreciated! The time of the pot luck is usually between 5:00 and 6:30PM. The scout and organizer will try to make the specific time known to all during the day of the pot luck.

Bring your pot luck contribution, your choice of drink, and your chair to the pot luck. If the pot luck is not at a pavillion or rec center, do not count on power for crock pots. Almost anything is acceptable for the pot luck. people have brought everything from frozen prepared food from Sam's to carefully prepared original recipes made in camp. From meat to vegatables to salad to desert. If it is supposed to be hot bring it hot enough to last at least a half hour or more.

The dinner is usually 30 minutes late in starting and over with in an hour and a half. After the dinner the group will usually remain for a campfire and occasionally smores. These have lasted till midnight some nights and broken up by 8:00 PM on others.

On a typical 2 night trip, the next day is Sunday and everyone just packs up at their leisure and heads home. There are not usually any organized activities on this day. If it is a 3 night or longer trip, then there is usually a campfire at night like on the first night.

Notes:

This group is very much about children and families. It will amaze you at first how the group at a campout will become one collective parent. Don't be surprised if another parent is pulling your child out of the road or telling them to stop something dangerous. Make an effort to know who is with our group and watch out for everybody. This has been a real
strength of our group. We can almost turn the kids loose and not worry (almost). The kids have a blast!

Please be as responsive to your organizer and scout as you can. They are just uncompensated members working to make a campout happen for all of us. It is much more involved than it appears and we should try to make it as easy for them as possible. Please understand that special circumstances cannot always be accomidated.