This long and daunting par 5 plays all uphill, but the generous fairway gives you plenty of room to navigate your way towards the green. On your approach shot, a well-positioned bunker protects the right side of the green. This downhill par 3 features a heart-shaped green with plenty of trouble on all sides. A flowing ozark trail backpack creek off to the right feeds into a large pond to the left of the green with additional cascading falls and a bunker beyond the hole. This uphill par 4 has a generous fairway with a large natural limestone formation on the right. Aim just right of the middle fairway bunker to hit the widest part of the landing area.
The lid could double as a plate, platter, or even an extra makeshift pan. Since it’s powered by propane, there’s no need to find a campsite with a generator to use it. The great thing about camping is that it’s entertaining, rejuvenating, and adventurous all at once. What’s tough about it is that good equipment can be expensive. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that’s designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space.
If you are looking for a true 8-person tent, this one is getting awfully close—my estimate is that you could comfortably fit seven adults on single pads in this one. Its combination of interior space and head height is what makes it a no-brainer for families of six. Getting settled inside a tent doesn’t just mean unrolling a sleeping bag where you plan to catch some Zzzs. It also means keeping essential items like flashlights, water, eyeglasses, and other things within easy reach.
To reach the green on your tee shot, aim over the left edge of the right fairway bunker and watch your ball feed down towards the putting surface, or target a safe layup spot away from the fairway bunkers. Keep your tee shot on the right side of the fairway for the best opportunity to get home in two on this risk-reward par 5. This relatively small green is heavily protected by a creek and lake in front of the green with bunkers on the short and left side.
The trail breaks out of the woods at the Dripping Springs waterfall. Although this Jefferson County park is still fairly new to most of us, its rock formations are centuries old. Start on a paved trail leading to a picnic shelter before the path gets interesting, running along the ridge of a sandstone canyon above LaBarque Creek. It continues past caves, cliffs, and glades and through dry woodlands with twisted oaks. Spring scatters wildflowers, and its rain creates waterfalls (and mud, so make sure to wear boots with good traction).
Pack rain gear to stay warm and dry, and consider bringing one set of clothes to change into at camp as well as one or two sets of clothes for hiking. Enjoy the game’s pristine water features, large fairways and greens, and spectacular 19th hole—the Big Rock at Payne’s Valley™. Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, ozark trail chair fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products.
Out back, take the stone stairs down to a grotto and follow the path to the Mississippi Trail, which leads to the Chubb Shelter Overlook. Walk along the bluff on the Mississippi Trail, then take the Crow’s Roost Trail through a confetti of dogwood and redbud blossoms to the lake. Circle the water on Fisherman’s Trail, listening to the frogs’ spring chorus, and cross the footbridge. Check out the latest construction projects and admire the great blue herons. At the lake’s north end, branch off to enjoy more wildflowers, then come back to the lake and walk east to Paw Paw Trail, which leads back to Chubb Pavilion. As our list proves, you don’t have to spend a fortune to have wonderful camping trips.
We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t. While most tent stuff sacks open at the end, the MSR Habitude stuff sack opens along the side. It wasn’t pretty, but it was now ready for transport with a minimum of hassle.