When building a campfire, ensure you only use the park provided fire pit. Most major parks have designated areas that have been carefully selected for campfires and are strictly enforced for safety reasons. Always keep your tent, food shelter and overhanging tarps at least 6 feet away from the campfire location to avoid sparks from causing damage.

Many parks sell wood and kindling on site, and prefer that you do not gather sticks from your surrounding campsite. These branches and logs are a vital part of the park's ecosystem, so always check with the park office regarding their policies. It is always a great idea to keep a bucket of water near the fire to control the fire if strong winds approach and to completely extinguish the fire before sleeping or leaving the campsite. Do not use sand or dirt, as that will not extinguish the fire, but will actually leave the coals burning for many hours.

Building the fire:

Great campfires incorporate three parts:

• Tinder: Newspaper/ Fire starting candle or wood shavings
• Kindling: Small wood pieces or sticks
• Fuel: Logs.

The most popular building style is the Teepee Campfire. Simply place your tinder (crumpled newspaper or fire starter candle) in the center of the campfire pit, surround with kindling and logs in a teepee shape. The other popular building style is the Crisscross (aka Log Cabin) Campfire. Place your tinder in the center of the campfire pit, and in a crisscross format, build a layer of kindling. Finish with a few small logs on top, and simply add more logs as needed. The crisscross style campfire is easy to maintain for longer periods, whereas the Teepee style is better for cooking as it provides a central and fast burning heat source.

* Always comply with your campground rules regarding campfire safety.