Summer holidays are popular times for family camping, but what about Thanksgiving? Cooking outdoors in the autumnal air using minimalist cooking techniques will make for a fun Thanksgiving memory! For those of you considering a Thanksgiving camping trip, we’ve got five essential tips below to make your Thanksgiving camping experience a winner.
1. Choosing a Site that Accommodates Your Party
Finding the right campsite for your party is a priority for any camping trip, and this is especially true when Thanksgiving camping. Consider a site that offers covered picnic tables, at the very least, and possibly a recreation room, grills, and cabins to make cooking that Thanksgiving meal a little easier.
Remember, in addition to your ingredients, you’ll need sufficient counter space, water, and heating surfaces. If you’re short on any of these items, plan on bringing tables, plenty of water and a grill or stove, or simplify your menu. Also, if you are camping with kids, be sure to have plenty of distractions for them while you’re cooking. A campsite with a playground, for example, may be essential for a party with little ones.
Check Out These Campsites with Great Amenities for Thanksgiving Camping:
- Fort Yargo State Park, GA – This 1,800 acre park along a 260 acre lake, boasts three cottages, 13 camper cabins, six yurts, 5 sheltered picnic areas, and two group shelters that seat up to 100 people. If that’s not enough, there is also a playground, lake, and beach pavillions.
- Barren River Lake State Resort Park, KY – Nestled on the banks of a 10,000 acre lake, this campground has it all for your Thanksgiving camping trip: cottages, cabins, sheltered picnic areas, and fire rings.
- Abilene State Park, TX – Abilene State Park encompasses 530 acres of land, including a lake and well-maintained grounds with plenty of recreational activities, including picnic areas. There are 103 campsites, including electric camping, full RV hookups, two group halls, five screened shelters, and seven yurts.
- Cove Palisades State Park, OR – Located in Central Oregon, this spacious park covers Deschutes and Crooked River Canyons, with ample camping opportunities, including standard camping, deluxe cabins, barbeques, picnic shelters, and group tents.
Also Recommended: Warm Weather Winter Camping Getaways
2. Prep as Much as Possible at Home
We recommend prepping as much of the meal at home as possible. This means measuring out ingredients and combining them in advance. You can also dice or cut up produce before you hit the road. A great way to organize your prepared ingredients, while also reducing waste, is by using resealable containers instead of plastic bags. Some containers are collapsable for camping convenience. Resealable reusable silicone bags and biodegradable bags are also becoming more readily available for the environmentally conscientious.
Another at-home prep tip is completely pre-making dishes and heating them up at your campsite. Casseroles and pies are perfect for this short cut since they taste as good, if not better, when reheated. In short, shave down on Thanksgiving campsite cooking time wherever possible by having your ingredients ready to go beforehand.
3. Go for Potluck-Style
Modern kitchens complete with appliances and lots of counter space ease the burdens of Thanksgiving cooking. But cooking up a Thanksgiving meal at a campsite can be easier than you think with the right planning. Our big word of advice: don’t try to do the whole Thanksgiving feast by yourself. Ask everyone in your party to bring a dish. Be sure to account for everything you will eat and drink, including appetizers, sides, deserts and adult and kid-friendly beverages. This is one time you’ll really appreciate the adage “many hands make light work.”
4. What About That Turkey?
The turkey takes the longest amount of time to cook, and is often the most challenging and most likely to get wrong in any Thanksgiving situation. Count on this being doubly true when preparing a turkey on your Thanksgiving camping trip. We’ve heard many campers’ creative solutions when cooking a turkey, like hauling a smoker along or using an RV stove. But the two most popular methods to cook a turkey while camping are in a dutch oven or on a spit over the fire.
With the dutch oven method, you’ll want to place a meat rack at the bottom of the oven and generously oil it and the oven. For a turkey on a spit, be sure to tie the wings and legs together and thoroughly season and oil it in advance. Plan on grilling it over medium heat until the skin begins to brown and blister. Whatever method you use, be sure to bring a meat thermometer along. It doesn’t take up much room and is the only way to know if you’ve safely cooked your meat.
5. Count on it Taking a While
Cooking while camping always takes longer than you think. The air is cooler than your temperature-controlled kitchen, making it harder for food to stay warm. If you’re at elevation, then low air pressure will mean additional cooking times as well. Also consider that campsite cooking is an unfamiliar setting, so items you need won’t be a certain “spot” and might take away from your usual efficiency. We also recommend having a tub of water on hand, both drinking water and dish-washing water. In other words, be sure to get an early start on your Thanksgiving dinner, and keep in mind when the sun will be setting over your campsite.