A confession must be made by me that could potentially get my travel vlogger credentials revoked: until recently, true outdoor camping had never actually been experienced by me. While pitching a tent in my backyard during childhood may have occurred, staying at a legitimate campsite had simply never been done by me. Luckily, my friend (who has been seen in many of my videos) had plenty of camping experience under their belt already, so I was in good hands!
To resolve this gap in my travel experience, a last-minute overnight 24-hour camping trip was planned by my friend and me. In fact, this spontaneous getaway was only planned by us on the Thursday right before leaving on Saturday! The location chosen by us for my very first tenting experience was Mara Cottage Campground, tucked away in the scenic North Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada.
Below, an overview of the facilities, local conveniences, dark tourism spots, and practical tips gathered during my brief, spontaneously organized inaugural stay is shared by us.overview of the facilities, local conveniences, dark tourism spots, and practical tips gathered during our brief inaugural stay is shared by us.
When a last-minute, first-time camping trip is being pulled together by us on just two days' notice, selecting the right basecamp is considered essential. Mara Cottage Campground was picked by my friend and me because of its small, intimate size and manageable atmosphere.
A combination of RV/trailer sites and tenting sites is offered at the property, along with an Air B&B cottage located on site. However, that area was not walked toward by us since our stay was restricted to the campsite area.
It should be noted by readers that this campground is NOT located directly on Mara Lake. However, Mara Lake Provincial Park can easily be reached by us with a quick four-minute drive down the road.
A very clean central washroom facility with home-style showers was easily accessed by us at Mara Cottage Campground—a huge relief for my first time tenting!
Unpacking the car and pitching a tent for the first time was fully experienced by me during our spontaneous weekend trip to Mara, BC!
Highway Noise vs. Nature Sounds
Because the property is located close to the highway, vehicle noise can be heard at times during the day. However, in the evenings, traffic was noticed to quiet down quite a bit by us.
The campsites are spaced wide enough apart that nobody else was heard by us in the evening at all! A bird that would not stop making noise was experienced by us throughout the night, but nature sounds like that are much preferred by my friend and me over traffic noise.
Washrooms and ShowersSanitation facilities were found to be very accessible by us due to the small size of the campground:
One distinct advantage discovered by us at Mara Cottage Campground—especially for a trip planned last-minute on Thursday—was its immediate proximity to local shops and historic spots.
The Mara FoodlinerThe Mara Foodliner is located right beside the campsite. Any food needed by us on short notice was easily gotten right there, along with gas to top up our tank. Surprisingly, feeling like we were right near a gas station was not experienced by us at all, even though it is right there!
Respectful Dark Tourism at Mara CemeteryFor those who like dark tourism (which is loved by my friend and me!), the Mara Cemetery is also situated right beside the campground. Walking through and reading the cemetery markers was thoroughly enjoyed by us, but out of respect, no photos or videos were taken by us while walking through an active cemetery.
Evening Excursion: The Starlight Drive-In ExperienceDuring our spontaneous 24-hour trip, a visit was made by us to the Starlight Drive-In Theatre, which is located a 24-minute drive away in Enderby, BC. Because returning late after quiet hours was required due to the movie schedule, the property owner had to be contacted by us in advance.
Navigating Late Returns with Management
Another view of the quiet, forest-covered driveway at Mara Cottage Campground was captured by us as our 24-hour Okanagan stay came to an end!
A refreshing swim in the clear waters of Mara Lake was enjoyed by us, located just a quick four-minute drive down the road from our campground!
For vloggers or first-time campers embarking on a quick, spontaneous trip like ours, the following checklist was compiled by us:
BC Cam]nadaAdmitting that tent camping had never been done by me before was a bit scary as a travel vlogger—especially on a last-minute trip planned just two days before leaving! Having a friend along who had been camping before made my very first experience so much easier, and a fantastic time was had by my friend and me at Mara Cottage Campground.
With easy access to Mara Lake Provincial Park down the road, convenience stores right next door, and fun local spots like the Starlight Drive-In nearby, a stay here is definitely recommended by us for anyone wanting a quick, spontaneous Okanagan getaway.
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Comments 3
Samantha Sewell - Welcome to the camping club!!! I'm so glad to read that your first tenting experience was positive. Do you think you'll undertake more tenting in the future?
I relate so hard to camping in your own backyard. Spice girls was my summer tent jam! I feel like I'm the key demographic in your post. Also your tent looked pretty spacious!
Yay camping! Mara Lake Campground looks very nice and your trip looks like so much fun. Are you hooked? Will you go camping again?