Camping and Campground Sites
Pre-Listening
Do you enjoy camping? What are some ideas for making camping a fun and safe experience (location, supplies, etc.)?
Listen and Read
Listen to the recording on camping tips, answer the questions, and then read along with the audio recording.
Listening Quiz
Select the best answer for each question, then press Check Answers.
Use arrow keys to choose between options within each question.
1. What time of year does the man go camping?
2. He looks for a campsite that is ________.
3. What does the family usually do after dinner?
During the summer, I spend a lot of time camping in the mountains near my house. It’s a great way to spend time with family. I usually reserve a campsite at a campground in the canyon, but you can try your luck without a campsite reservation and hope you can find a non-reservable site that is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In most cases, we look for a campsite that has a lot of shade from the sun, is near a water source, has a good fire pit, and has a good spot to pitch a tent. Once we select a site, we unload our gear from the car, set up our tent, and start a fire to prepare for dinner.
Building a fire isn’t difficult if you have the right tinder and wood to get it going. After dinner, we sometimes sit around the fire and tell stories or sing songs. Before we go to bed, we make sure to put out the fire and put away any food and garbage left out. Otherwise, animals including bear might stop and visit our campsite during the night.
Vocabulary and Expressions From the Audio
- camping (noun): the activity of staying outdoors overnight, usually in a tent or other temporary shelter
- They went camping in the mountains for a long weekend.
- spend time (expression): to pass time doing a particular activity or in a particular place
- She loves to spend time outdoors hiking and exploring nature.
- reserve (verb): to book or set aside something in advance, such as a campsite
- He called ahead to reserve a campsite for the holiday weekend.
- campsite (noun): a specific spot within a campground where a person or group sets up their camp
- They chose a campsite near the river so they could hear the water at night.
- campground (noun): an area with multiple campsites where people can set up tents or park campers, often with shared facilities such as restrooms and fire pits
- The campground was nearly full by the time they arrived on Friday evening.
- canyon (noun): a deep, narrow valley with steep sides, often carved by a river
- They hiked down into the canyon and set up camp near the bottom.
- try your luck (expression): to attempt something without knowing if it will succeed, often hoping for a favorable outcome
- Since they hadn’t made a reservation, they decided to try their luck and see if any campsites were available.
- first-come, first-served (expression): a system where people are helped or given access in the order they arrive, with no reservations
- The campsites along the lake were first-come, first-served, so they arrived early to get a good spot.
- shade (noun): an area that is sheltered from direct sunlight, often by trees or other objects
- They picked a campsite under some tall trees so they would have shade during the hottest part of the day.
- fire pit (noun): a designated area, usually a hole or ring of stones, where a campfire can be safely built
- They gathered around the fire pit in the evening to roast marshmallows and tell stories.
- pitch a tent (expression): to set up and assemble a tent at a campsite
- It took them about 20 minutes to pitch the tent after they arrived at the campground.
- tent (noun): a portable shelter made of fabric supported by poles, used for sleeping outdoors
- She packed a lightweight tent that was easy to carry on the hiking trail.
- unload (verb): to remove items from a vehicle or container
- As soon as they parked, the kids jumped out to help unload the camping gear from the car.
- gear (noun): the equipment and supplies needed for a specific activity
- They packed all of their camping gear the night before so they could leave early in the morning.
- tinder (noun): small, dry materials such as leaves, twigs, or paper used to help start a fire
- He gathered dry leaves and small sticks to use as tinder for the campfire.
- put out (phrasal verb): in the context of fire, to extinguish or stop a fire from burning
- Before going to sleep, they made sure to completely put out the campfire with water.
- put away (phrasal verb): to return something to its proper place after using it
- After breakfast, they put away all the food so it wouldn’t attract animals to the campsite.
Discussion
What camping opportunities are available in and around your hometown? How do you go about making campsite reservations? What are some common sense rules for keeping safe while camping?
Role Play
You and your friends are trying to plan a vacation to the Grand Canyon or Arches National Park (see an example of one hike HERE) in the United States. Some of your friends want to stay in a motel nearby, but you would rather stay in a campground. Discuss with a partner the advantages and disadvantages of staying at these different places in terms of cost, convenience, and excitement.
Online Investigation
Imagine that you are making plans to visit Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. You are traveling with a group of three people, and you need to find out options for camping in the area near and in the park. Use the internet to locate information on reservations, cost, campsite amenities, and other useful information.
Online Listening Practice (from www.esl-lab.com):
- Camping Under the Stars: Listening Conversation
- Budget Hotel Rooms: Vocabulary Building