Raising Cubs in a Campground

The life of a former park caretaker….

Wait? You mean you have a whole website dedicated to raising kids in a campground, but you don’t LIVE there anymore? That’s correct. Spoiler alert! We moved to town.We went from a 200 acre backyard to a one acre lot. We went from trails, a disc golf course, tennis courts, a lake & a 3,000 square foot former farmhouse to sidewalks, and a swing set. Our biggest body of water is a birdbath that sits outside our 1,400 square feet home. The six years we spent in the campground shaped our who our family is in so many ways. It made us appreciate family time, simple living, and the freedom to travel. Our lives are richer for the experience. Read more about our story here.

I documented our campground days from 2008-2014 on my blog including this 2011 hike on one of our favorite trails behind the campground. Below are some highlights of what it was like to raise our kids in a campground through the different seasons starting with story behind the BearCountry name.

The Story Behind BearCountry

The name is a carryover from my blogging days. We were raising our kids in a public campground. It was an every day occurrence to have strangers wandering through our yard or ringing the doorbell. Giving our kids monikers kept their names off the internet and gave our family some privacy while we lived a very public life from 2008-2014. SisterBear, BrotherBear, MamaBear, & PapaBear were a natural fit after I came up with the name “Raising Cubs in a Campground” for my blog. BabyBear joined our family in 2011.

EMBRACING BEARCOUNTRY IN ALL SEASONS Our ‘hibernation’ season was mid-October until there was enough snow to rent cross country skis. — EMBRACING BEARCOUNTRY IN ALL SEASONS
Our ‘hibernation’ season was mid-October until there was enough snow to rent cross country skis.

WINTER IN BEARCOUNTRY was all about snow mountains, cross-country skiing, snowball fights & a quiet campground. — WINTER IN BEARCOUNTRY was all about snow mountains, cross-country skiing, snowball fights & a quiet campground.

FALL IN BEARCOUNTRYOnce the campground closes for the season the park really feels like a 200 acre backyard. We only had to rake leaves for the fun of it. The trees are at peak color and the trails are finally bug free. It was our favorite time of y… — FALL IN BEARCOUNTRY
Once the campground closes for the season the park really feels like a 200 acre backyard. We only had to rake leaves for the fun of it. The trees are at peak color and the trails are finally bug free. It was our favorite time of year!

BrotherBear & SisterBear circa 2009

SPRING IN BEARCOUNTRYThe highlight of spring in bearcountry is all the FROGS there are to catch. — SPRING IN BEARCOUNTRY
The highlight of spring in bearcountry is all the FROGS there are to catch.

WINTER IN BEARCOUNTRYWe didn’t get out on the trails as much as we would have liked. We rented skis on Saturdays and Sundays so it was usually only one parent available to head out on the trails with the kids. — WINTER IN BEARCOUNTRY
We didn’t get out on the trails as much as we would have liked. We rented skis on Saturdays and Sundays so it was usually only one parent available to head out on the trails with the kids.

SUMMER BABY IN BEARCOUNTRYOur little BabyBear arrived 4th of July weekend in 2011. — SUMMER BABY IN BEARCOUNTRY
Our little BabyBear arrived 4th of July weekend in 2011.

SUMMER IN BEARCOUNTRY meant walks on the boardwalk. — SUMMER IN BEARCOUNTRY meant walks on the boardwalk.

One of the perks of living in the park was not having to shovel our driveway. We had some pretty epic storms over the years including this one that weighed down the pine trees in our yard.

HOME SWEET HOME — HOME SWEET HOME

OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOMEThe park used to be a farmstead. We lived in the big five bedroom house shown in the background and this barn was where the park office was. It wasn’t unusual to be called to the office five times every day during the camping … — OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The park used to be a farmstead. We lived in the big five bedroom house shown in the background and this barn was where the park office was. It wasn’t unusual to be called to the office five times every day during the camping season.

SUMMER IN BEARCOUNTRYSummer was BUSY! The campground was full every weekend. There was an observatory on the property that was open to the public. People brought out their own telescopes too (like this one) The Star Gazing events were very popular -… — SUMMER IN BEARCOUNTRY
Summer was BUSY! The campground was full every weekend. There was an observatory on the property that was open to the public. People brought out their own telescopes too (like this one) The Star Gazing events were very popular - especially on the Camping with the Stars weekend.