Tots In Tents

Families (of all make ups!) with kids age 0-12 are welcome to join us for these group camping trips. (And yes we really do mean 0 - our youngest camper to date was 4 months old!)

Whether this is your first or fiftieth camping trip, you are welcome in our camping community!

Camping trips are typically held in State Parks within 2-3 hours of central North Carolina. We try to host roughly 3 camping trips in the spring/summer and 3 in the fall/winter.

Campsite reservations begin 6 months prior to the trip dates. Each family is responsible for booking their own individual campsite during the appropriate date(s), so plan ahead!

Make sure to check each trip’s description carefully for exact details, but generally speaking trips are either 1 night or 2 nights.

A typical 1-night schedule begins Saturday mid-morning with a group activity (hike, swim, visitor center) followed by campsite check in at 3pm, and another small pre-dinner group activity. We host an evening campfire with marshmallow roasting transitioning to an adults-only campfire after the kids are in bed. Sunday morning we welcome everyone to join for coffee, tea, and hot chocolate before they pack up for campsite check out at 12pm. There may sometimes be a short group activity after checkout time.

A 2-night trip follows a similar pattern with an extra evening campfire on Friday night plus Saturday morning hot beverages.

And because you will be on your own campsite, you can always come earlier or stay later (with appropriate reservations with the park).

Firstly, you will need to reserve and pay for your own campsite via the state park, which typically costs approximately $30/night. Other costs associated with camping (gear, food, etc) are also the responsibility of each family.

Because we want to keep our trips accessible to everyone, participation in our group activities is now on a “pay what you can” model. We welcome contributions of any amount to help offset both the tangible costs (gathering campsite, firewood, marshmallows, coffee/tea/hot chocolate) and the abstract costs (planning and communication time, activity guidance, and general overhead costs). We hope that with this model we can allow each family to contribute an amount accessible to them while also sustainably covering the costs of the trips.

Yes please! First book your campsite, then register with us. This way we know who is part of our weekend community!

We will use the email address(es) you provide in your registration to communicate with you in advance of the trip. The cell phone number you provide will be used to text any schedule changes or alerts during the trip weekend itself.

Yes and no. We primarily have tent campers and we always pick tent-only or non-electric sites to have our central gathering place/most of our campsites booked. However, many of the campsites we are at also have RV/electric sites and some even have camper cabins. You are more than welcome to book any site that fits your family’s needs - just keeping in mind that the closer you are to our central site the more neighbors you will have from our group.

North Carolina State Parks are popular. Booking right at the 6 month mark in advance of a trip gives you the best chance of being close by your fellow Tots in Tents campers. But if a site isn’t available nearby, you can always book any site in the campground that works for your family! (In some campgrounds that also includes RV sites and camper cabins.)

Firstly, you will need to cancel your campsite directly via the North Carolina State Park reservation system (by phone or online). Depending on when you cancel you may be eligible for a refund minus transaction fees.

If you made a contribution to Parenting Off The Beaten Path you may email us to request a refund. Otherwise we will accept your contribution as a donation to sustain our many programs and events.