Going camping? We’ve got important firewood tips for you.
Camping is the perfect vacation getaway. Pulling up to a beautiful campsite, enjoying nature, the woods or forest, in a state or national park. And you might be thinking about bringing firewood along from home. But please- don’t do that! Instead, do the right thing for forest health- buy firewood near where you’ll burn it, buy certified heat-treated firewood, or gather firewood at the campground if allowed.
When you bring firewood from your backyard along with you, you risk carrying tree killing insects or diseases right into your campground.
The bugs can crawl out, infest the surrounding trees, and begin to destroy those trees and forests. That means less fun for future campers…and less trees for everyone. We’re careful to extinguish campfires, pick up after ourselves in campgrounds, state parks and national parks – so we should be conscientious campers when it comes to firewood as well!
What can YOU do to stop the spread of damaging forest pests in or on firewood?
- Don’t bring firewood from home OR from another forest to your next campsite. Instead, you can buy it where you burn it, buy certified heat-treated firewood, or gather on site when permitted.
- Make sure your local firewood comes from within 50 miles (ideally within 10 miles) of where you plan to burn it.
- Leave any remaining firewood that you gathered on site at the campsite or with the camp host. Don’t take it home with you.
- Learn more about firewood rules and regulations in your area by visiting our USA and Canada Firewood Map.