What's the difference between wilderness and primitive camping?

What's the difference between a wilderness campsite and a primitive campsite?



My boyfriend and I are going camping for the first time and I just had a few questions...



Are reservations really that necessary?What's the difference between wilderness and primitive camping?
As you can see from the variety of answers, the two terms are used in various ways, with some overlap between the two.



I just got back from a camping trip at a location that lists it as "primitive" because there are no hookups for water, power and sewage for RVs. However, you would never call it wilderness. It's a campground on a small public preserve, with numbered campsites packed elbow-to-elbow with each other. Each site has a steel fire pit and a concrete picnic table, and enough space for an RV or a tent. Then there's the next number, with the next fire pit and picnic table. There is one water spigot shared by 75 campsites, and roughly one pit toilet (latrine) for every 15 sites.



While there, I chatted with another camper about our experiences in a wilderness area in Canada where campsites are not designated, and no facilities have been provided. No tables, no constructed fire pits, no latrines. Just paddle your canoe until you see a likely-looking spot to pitch your tent. Pull the water out of the lake and purify with whatever chemicals or equipment you brought. Bury your own toilet paper, or pack it out with you. That's real wilderness camping.



And of course, there are places that are somewhere in between.



Try to find out as much as you can about the property where you will be camping, so you will know what to expect. If reservations are recommended, take that recommendation seriously. (Some campgrounds do not even accept reservations, while others insist on them.)



Have a good time!
It depends where you're hiking

If you're hiking the backcountry of Grand Canyon National Park for instance Wilderness and Primitive have very specific meanings

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"A permit is required to camp in a location other than a developed campground on the North and South Rims. Visit the Backcountry Permit page to learn how to obtain a permit. Also, read the Backcountry Food Storage and Safe Drinking Water guidelines when planning a backcountry trip.

Use Areas

The backcountry is divided into use areas. Each use areas has an overnight capacity based upon the size of the area, the number of suitable and available campsites, its ecological sensitivity, its management zoning, and its use history. Use areas range in size from several hundred acres to several thousand acres

Corridor Zone Recommended for hikers without previous experience at Grand Canyon. Maintained trails. Purified water stations. Paved roads to trailheads. Toilets, signs, emergency phones, and ranger stations. Use of private livestock (horses and mules only) allowed only when specified on permit.



Threshold Zone Recommended for experienced Grand Canyon hikers. Non-maintained trails. Scarce water sources. Dirt roads to trailheads. Pit toilets. Use of private livestock (horses and mules only) allowed with permit only on Whitmore Trail and on designated roads and trails on the rim.



Primitive Zone** Recommended for highly experienced Grand Canyon hikers with proven route-finding ability. Non-maintained trails and routes. 4-wheel-drive roads to trailheads. Occasional signs. No other developments. Use of private livestock (horses and mules only) allowed with permit only on the Ken Patrick Trail to Uncle Jim Trail to Uncle Jim Point and on designated roads on the rim.



Wild Zone** Recommended for highly experienced Grand Canyon hikers with extensive route finding ability. Indistinct to non-existent routes require advanced route finding ability. Water sources scarce to non-existent. No other development. Use of private livestock is not allowed.



** Primitive and Wild Zones are not recommended for use during summer months due to extreme high temperatures and the lack of reliable water sources.

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What's the difference between wilderness and primitive camping?
same thing..and to the guy that said it doesnt qualify as wilderness if you need resrervations, he is dead wrong...all national and state parks accept/require reservations...i've camped at 10,000 feet in colorado looking up at bighorn sheep from my campsite--and yes i needed a reservation for that campsite...



..but to answer, primitive/wilderness simply means there are no amenities usually--no showers, no tennis courts, no hook-ups for RV's....some places may have showers though and possibly a small store for supplies....



..overall, it means the campground is trying to keep a "wilderness feel" to it---well spaced, wooded sites, no RV humming away all night, etc...





..reservations depend on when you're going, i went to a wilderness campground over columbus day weekend and only one site was left due to a cancellation--all the others were taken



other times of the year it is much slower..

..i only reserve if there is a specific site i want or if i only it'll be packed
A Wilderness campsite is one that you select and set up yourself, away from any facilities, usually while BackPacking in a Wilderness.

Primitive camping is usually done at a pre-determined site where there already is a tent site and fire pit, but no toilets or water available. There may , or may not, be bear-proof lockers there. We have both kinds of camping at Whiskeytown NRA which has a Wilderness only 20 minutes from my home. I work there as a VIP (Volunteer in Parks) for the National park Service.

True Wilderness camping can be had at any of the 8 Wildernesses in my area and the best is at Yellowstone National Park's Back Country where you can go for weeks and never see another human being. Once you leave the roaded area of Yellowstone, you will probably never see anyone at all while you are there, but the quantity of animal life is spectacular. The wilderness fishing is better than you ever imagined.
"Primitive" usually refers to campsites at commercial campgrounds that do not have water/sewer/tv/power hook-ups. They can be "Tent Only" or they can be for RV or Trailer Use as well. In most cases, you can drive to a primitive site. Many times, showers and toilets are close by.



"Wilderness" usually means you cannot drive to the site. There will be no power, etc. There may be a latrine or pit toilet, but no showers. In designated "Wilderness" camping areas there may be a fire-ring and a place to store food, such as a bear box.



Primitive sites, especially those in US National Parks and USFS camping areas, fill up quickly. If you are going to a major Park during a high tourist season, you will want to make reservations. If you are planning to use a backcountry wilderness camping area you will most likely need to get a permit.
In general, primative camping means you won't be seeing any RV's at your camp site, just tents.



Wilderness camping means you won't likely see tents either. Wilderness camping is often not within sight of where you will park your car and often means there is no designated camp site.



Camping without a tent or in a primative shelter would also be considered wilderness camping.
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Primitive camping is usually in a designated campsite. Wilderness camping is usually "backcountry camping" where you hike in and set up camp in the location of your choice.
Wilderness/primitive camping is the same thing in Canada, FYI.
if you have the option to make reservations, i dont think that it qualifies for either of the two