Family Car Camping 101

Looking for variety? Here are a few spectacular spots across the nation:

All-time family favorite: Nothing beats the all-American backyard, where legions of young campers have begun their careers. Buy a tent, pitch it, and you're set. You don't even have to pack. Be sure to venture farther afield at some point or other, of course, but this is a super starting place.

For wilderness lovers: Baxter State Park, Maine (207-723-5140) is a wilderness playground of over 200,000 acres, 46 peaks and ridges, myriad moose, and 10 campgrounds. Here you'll found the magnificent Mount Katahdin, the northernmost peak of the Appalachian Trail, the final stop for northern-bound thru-hikers.

For bike lovers: Acadia National Park boasts over 46,000 acres containing 50 miles of car-free gravel carriage roads. The park's two campgrounds offer wooded sites within a ten-minute walk of the Atlantic.

For beach bums: Nickerson State Park, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, is one of Massachusetts's most popular campgrounds. Here you'll find 420 sites on 1,900 acres. Bring your copy of Thoreau and pitch a tent (www.reserveamerica.com/usa/ma/nick).

For island lovers: Head 70 miles west of Key West, where you'll find seven islands known as the Dry Tortugas National Park. Here you'll find coral reefs, super marine and bird life, pirate legends, and Ft. Jefferson. Some primitive campsites are available on only one island, Garden Key.

For rain forest lovers: Experience Olympic National Park in Washington State, with a rain forest as well as 60 miles of Pacific coast.

Fantastic scenery favorite: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Here erosion has worked magic on limestone, mudstone, and sandstone, creating a whimsical fairyland of natural wonders called "hoodoos." Camp at either of Bryce's two campgrounds, which offer 218 sites.

For mountain lovers: If you want to see some snow-capped peaks, try one of the five campgrounds (577 sites) at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

For resort lovers: Anyone who's squeamish about camping can head to California's Costanoa, an oceanside retreat featuring 160 "tent bungalows," about an hour south of San Francisco. Here you'll find bungalows from $60 per night for economy units to $95 or more for deluxe models with daily maid service. Not for the backcountry-minded, this place features saunas and mud baths (www.costanoa.com).

Here are three Web sites to help you find and reserve a campsite:

National Park Service Home Page: www.nps.gov.

ReserveAmerica: www.reserveamerica.com.

Woodalls Campground Directories: www.woodalls.com.