Gifford Pinchot State Park: 7 Camping Hacks

The story of our first camping trip and our tips for new couples going camping! Let’s have a great weekend camping in Gifford Pinchot State Park.

My husband Brian and I started dating in the beginning of 2019 and we quickly realized we both loved to camp and hike and to be outdoors as much as possible.  But considering it was January, and we live in Pennsylvania, we had to wait for warmer days to go camping.

As the weather got warmer, we decided to go on our first camping trip.  Gifford Pinchot State Park was only about an hour and a half away so we left right after work on Friday, met at his apartment, packed up my truck and we started driving.  (Fun fact, I have always had a truck and my first vehicle was a 1994 Dodge Dakota!) 

As you read this story, please be gracious to our ridiculous selves!  We made many mistakes and I want to help you before you make the same ones.  Take a look at my tips below so you don’t learn the hard way, like we did.  

The Trip

Anyway, we drove out to Gifford Pinchot State Park (Central-ish Pennsylvania) and just as we were within a few miles of the site, it started raining.  We set up camp in the pouring rain (Tip #1 helped us through this!) and couldn’t even make a fire. It was so wet.  Thank God for Brian’s little Coleman grill so we could make dinner.  

We spent the rest of the evening and night in the tent just talking and swapping camping stories (mostly stories about when we had camped in the rain before…I wonder what got us on that topic haha) and making a plan for tomorrow.

The next day we woke up and hung everything up on the line.  Our clothes were soaked from setting up in the rain.  Brian made us his famous Breakfast Burritos and we discussed which hike we wanted to do.  

Saturday Hiking

We decided to tackle the Lakeside Trail.  It was the longest hike the park had and it took us all the way around the lake.  It was a 9 mile loop and was relatively flat, great for a warm up hike since it had been a while but long enough to get us ready for a summer full of hiking.  Plus we could start right at our tent, and end right at our tent.

We got our supplies together and started hiking.  We were laughing and having a great time until the trail seemed to turn into a swamp.  But this had to be the trail…so we trekked on.  Brian’s feet got soaked (Tip #6) and it wasn’t long until the trail was nearly non-existent.  We decided to turn back.

We went back to solid ground and despite the map, still had a hard time locating where the trail should have been.  After walking around for a bit longer, we found it.  Here you had to walk across this field where the boat rental was located (not on the map) to find the connection to the Lakeside Trail.

My husband is a bit of a joker so he just laughed off the fact that we had walked through a swamp by kidding that we met Shrek that trip.  We still joke about that part of the hike!

Despite the extra mile, the Lakeside trail was quite enjoyable! The lake made for some great views and we could only imagine how pretty it would have been had there been leaves on the trees.

Mistakes Were Made

Half-way through the hike, we were nearly out of water (tip #7).  April in Pennsylvania can be a very tricky month and this was the warmest day so far that year.  We were sucking down our water in the beginning because it was hotter than we were used to.  This resulted in us having to seriously conserve water until we reached the end of the hike and we still ended up running out of water!

We got back to the campsite and showered before starting a fire to make dinner.  As it was getting darker, we were blessed with this beautiful sunset over the lake that we had just circled.  I will always remember that trip, our first camping trip.

Despite the rain, the swamp visit, wet feet, and running out of water, we still had a great first camping trip.  The next day we ate breakfast, packed up and headed home.  It was a successful trip, just had a few bumps along the way!

But here’s where I come to help you!

Don’t make our mistakes and use these 7 tips to help you prepare for your first camping trip!

Tip #1 – Practice, Practice, Practice!

This is one tip that Brian and I actually listened to!  The tent I had was a little on the older side and I knew I didn’t have the directions any more (my brother and I had bought this tent 6 years previous when we went on our camping/hiking trip to Maine and New Hampshire.)  

So Brian came over to my place and we practiced in the front yard.  We figured out the pieces and set it up.  We took our time and figured it out, but I was SO glad we had done that ahead of time!  It would have been super frustrating trying to set it up in the rain!

This step saved us from fighting over setting up a stupid tent in the rain and it may have saved our weekend.

Tip #2 – Make a List and Lay Out Your Gear!

Brian and I each had different pieces of gear for camping and hiking.  I had the tent, but he had the better/lighter hiking backpacks.  So we sat down a few days before and made a list of all that we had and what we would need.  (Check out my Camping Checklist Freebie on my homepage!).  

Odds are, if you’ve both  been camping before, there may be some duplicate equipment, so make sure to communicate with who is bringing what from this list.  We both didn’t need to bring our Coleman Stoves, and Brian’s was better than mine, so he brought his.  My tent was much larger, so I brought that.

Communication is key when it comes to gear and gear lists, so talk about what you have and what you want to bring at least a week before the trip.

Tip #3 – Make a Meal Plan!

Meal plans on trips are great, and I highly recommend making one together!  A food list will work too, but I have found it easier to shop from a list of meals instead of just cheese, bread, etc. from a food list. Thinking as a whole meal helps me put it all together when I head out to the store before our trips.

Creating a meal plan allows you to list your main course, and a side or two. This way you don’t end up eating hotdogs every night!  We typically have grilled chicken sandwiches for one meal, hotdogs for one meal, we make sandwiches for our hikes, and either have burritos/pancakes for breakfast.  

Tip #4 – Do Your Research!

Brian and I made sure to look at the State Park online ahead of time to have an idea of what we would be doing when we got there.  We knew we would only have a full day on Saturday and wanted to make the most of our day out on the trails.  Gifford Pinchot has many small trails but they aren’t necessarily near each other.  We would have been walking to different areas of the park just to do some of these smaller trails.

We made the final decision on the trail once the weather forecast was made available.  If it was going to storm that afternoon, we would have probably done a smaller hike.  But the weather was going to be beautiful all day, so we chose the longest trail we could.  

In short, 

• check the weather
• look online for park information 
• be sure to grab a park map when you check in

Tip #5 – Take a Picture of the Map!

At most trailheads, there is a billboard with the map and usually some other information around said map.  I always take a picture of the map on my phone.  This may seem like an unnecessary step, but trust me, I have lost my fair share of paper maps on the trail.  Or the map could become wet and rip.  This e-version of the map allows me to have it with me no matter the circumstance.

Tip #6 – Have the Proper Footwear!

I suggest you make sure to have a good pair of hiking boots if you plan to hike at all on your camping trip!  There are a lot of great brands out there for you to check out such as Merrell and Keen.  Be sure you break them in before you take them on a long hike and I recommend ankle support! 

I absolutely LOVE my Merrell Hiking boots.  They lasted me several years before I decided to get a new pair of the same model.  They are waterproof and they offer me excellent ankle support.  Brian did not have hiking boots on and his feet and poor sneakers were soaked!

Tip #7 – Pack Enough Water and Snacks!

Part of the beauty of hiking is it’s not a race.  You don’t have to finish in a certain time and you don’t have to be in the best shape of your life to enjoy it.  So depending on the hike and how long you are going to be on the trails, be sure to pack enough water and some snacks.  

In my opinion, it’s better to have too much water than not enough, learn from my poor choices!  Because whether you feel it or not, you need to drink water.  And snacks are great to keep your energy up too. 

Looking Back on our First Trip

This was just a short (and rainy) weekend trip to Gifford Pinchot State Park. But it was great to get outside and to test the waters with what we could handle together.  It was also a great warm up trip before we planned a long road trip anywhere.  

Follow my tips and I’m sure you’ll have a great time!  Just remember to communicate and enjoy your time in nature and all it’s beauty, and the time with your significant other of course!

Looking for a camping packing list? Check out my Freebies page or you can download it right here! That’s right, a camping checklist totally free!