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8 Doable Boondocking Meals

Delicious Boondocking Meals to Try

Off-grid RV camping has grown popular in recent years. Commonly known as boondocking, off-grid camping refers to a truly unplugged trip – though solar power is sometimes used. While off-grid camping can be particularly refreshing for many campers, it presents additional challenges to be tackled. One of these obstacles is figuring out how to cook without a full-hookup RV site. These delicious boondocking meals provide tasty solutions to boondockers who don’t want to sacrifice a fresh meal.

Dutch Oven Roast Lamb

A Dutch oven is a must-have for RVers and tent campers. They’re especially useful when it comes to boondocking meals. This Dutch oven roast lamb recipe from Bush Cooking is a warm, flavorful one-pot lamb dinner cooked over the campfire. This recipe includes a leg of lamb, of course, with garlic, rosemary, potatoes, carrots, onions and pumpkin. The ingredients are mixed together and seasoned before being roasted over a campfire for a deliciously hearty dinner.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Chicken grilled over a campfire is a common base for boondocking meals. In this chicken fajita recipe, you’ll also need a cast iron pan for simmering your chicken and veggies in sauce. After your chicken is browned, chop it up with bell peppers and onion. Mix the ingredients together in your family’s preferred simmer sauce and seasoning mix. Scoop your ingredients into a warm tortilla and top it off with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Seafood Combo Foil Pack

Fans of fish, shrimp, mussels and clams will love this seafood combo foil pack recipe. Foil pack recipes are a campground classic and a popular type of boondocking meals. This foil pack recipe calls for halibut, but you can replace with your fish of choice – or your camp catch of the day! The seafood is seasoned, wrapped with a clove of garlic and cooked over the fire. This is an especially easy recipe if you prefer to remove or replace certain types of seafood that you don’t like, so simply adjust it to fit your tastes!

Cilantro Chicken Avocado Dip

Though not specifically written for boondocking meals, this chicken and avocado dip is perfect for off-grid eating. The only cooked ingredient is chicken, which can be grilled or sauteed over a campfire. Chop up the cooked chicken and mix with avocado, cilantro and lime. These ingredients make for a filling dip that can replace a meal or serve as an afternoon snack. Tortilla chips and carrots are both recommended dipping options for this recipe. But feel free to get creative!

Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Take your boondocking meals to the next level with this vacuum-sealed chicken and dumplings recipe. The stew itself includes many traditional chicken and dumpling ingredients: biscuit mix, chicken, vegetables, onion, chicken bouillon and potatoes. This recipe in particular calls for mostly freeze-dried ingredients that can be stored without electricity. Pour your ingredients into a simmering pot of water, with the exception of the biscuit mix, which is added in pieces to create the dumplings. Before you know it, your freeze-dried ingredients are a warm winter stew!

Hawaiian Chicken Foil Packs

This sweet Hawaiian chicken foil pack recipe is an easy meal that can be cooked on the campfire. It combines classic flavors like barbecue sauce and soy sauce with tastes of the tropics via juicy pineapple chunks. Combine these with sliced scallions, chicken, red bell pepper, red onion, a bit of lemon juice and seasonings for a sweet-yet-savory foil pack dinner. When it comes to creative campground cooking, this foil pack is simple and sure to please.

Southwest Camp Salad

The only dish easier than campfire boondocking meals is a no-cook recipe! This southwest camp salad is packed with protein so you’ll be energized to take on the rest of the day. Mix together corn, chopped red onion, black beans, cheese and cilantro to make the salad. For the dressing, you’ll need a lime, olive oil, honey, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Once tossed together, you’re ready to dig into this super salad with a southwest flair.

Butter Garlic Herb Steak Foil Packs

Chicken and seafood are great for boondocking meals, but there’s nothing quite like a tender steak dinner. This foil pack recipe makes a steak-and-potatoes supper easy to serve up with just a campfire. The garlic herb butter topping is made with butter, parsley, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to give your meat and veggies a savory flavor. The heart of this dish is the steak pieces, along with potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and onion. After being cooked in a foil pack by a campfire, this butter garlic herb steak foil pack is ready to chow down!

When it comes to doable campground cooking, these are just a few of the best boondocking meals. There are hundreds more to try, test and experiment with! If you’re ready for a new RV built to take you off the beaten path, check out RVs for sale from Juniata Valley RV. We have everything from luxury fifth wheels to off-grid ready popup and teardrop campers for sale at our Pennsylvania RV dealership. Visit us here in Mifflintown or browse our inventory online from anywhere! Contact us when you’re ready to get started.

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Campgrounds for Winter RV Camping

Top Winter Campgrounds in Pennsylvania

Spring and summer are the prime seasons for campers here in Pennsylvania, but some RVers prefer to enjoy the great outdoors year-round. As a blanket of snow coats the campground, campers enjoy the peace and quiet cuddled together around the RV’s electric fireplace. With all the winter activities in PA, it’s not surprising that winter RV camping is a popular choice. We gathered this list of the best winter campgrounds in Pennsylvania so, this season, you can try your hand at camping in the cold.

French Creek State Park

This state park and campground is open year-round. French Creek State Park spans almost 8,000 acres through the Schuylkill Highlands. They have cottages and cabins to rent, and full-hookup sites for winter RV camping. The forests, lakes and wetlands that make up the state park are ideal for visitors to hike, fish, camp and bike. In winter months, the hiking trails and open areas of the park are perfect for skiing with proper snow cover.

Riverside Campground

In Montgomery, PA, Riverside Campground is a great destination for winter RV camping. This campground offers cabin rentals April through October and full-hookup RV sites year-round. There are 135 RV and tent camping sites available, some on the riverfront and others that border Montgomery Park. As long as you’ve got your RV ready for winter camping, Riverside Campground has a site for you year-round.

The Loose Caboose Campground

Winter in Amish country is as peaceful as it gets! The Loose Caboose Campground in Lancaster County is known for its large, wooded areas and secluded sites. Of course, you’re not far from nearby tourist attractions, but you’d never know it from the quiet of this campground. Loose Caboose also participates in Tents for Troops, which helps veterans find complementary campsites where they can relax and enjoy time spent in the great outdoors!

Shady Rest Campground

While winter campgrounds are perfect for relaxation, the enjoyment of winter outdoor activities can’t be overlooked! Shady Rest Campground in Union Dale, PA, is open year-round. While the wooded campground offers plenty of serene nights, it’s popular in winter because it’s just a few minutes down the road from Elk Mountain Ski Resort. It’s easy to enjoy winter activities before tucking into the RV at night at Shady Rest Campground.

Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA

Enjoy the on-site and surrounding local activities at this year-round KOA. The Delaware Water Gap/Pocono Mountain KOA is conveniently close to big city winter vacation destinations like Philadelphia, New York and even Hershey, PA. And, at the end of the day, there are plenty of activities at the campground itself to keep your family busy.

StonyBrook RV Resort

Looking for a luxury RV park to visit this winter? StonyBrook RV Resort is the place to go! This park has everything from pristine landscaping to fire rings and spa bathhouses. Their standard RV sites include a stone pad and seating area while their patio sites include a paved seating area where you can enjoy the outdoors. Or, if preferred, you can rent their premium sites complete with pavers, easy hookups, patio furniture and smokeless firepits so you can stay warm and comfortable. This luxury resort is open all year for winter RV camping with all camp events included!

Kid on a ski trail during a winter RV camping trip.

Tall Oaks Campground

Spend the winter protected by the towering trees at Tall Oaks Campground. Located in the Laurel Highlands, you’ll find nearby state parks, state game lands and private nature reserves. Even better, the campground is just an hour drive from all the attractions available in Pittsburgh. On days you’d rather stay at camp, you can find everything from firewood at the camp store to free books and games at the lending library.

WaterSide Campground and RV Park

After you’ve hitched up to a new camper at Juniata Valley RV, head on over to WaterSide Campground along the Juniata River itself. This year-round campground is less than an hour away from Whipple Dam State Park. This park is known for cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling and more. If outdoor sports and activities are a favorite of your family, WaterSide Campground is perfect for your winter RV camping trip.

Whether you need a new tiny camper for winter boondocking or you’re searching travel trailers for sale with a cozy electric fireplace, you’ll find tons of new RVs for sale at Juniata Valley RV. If winter RV camping isn’t your thing, you can always schedule a winterization appointment at our service department. Whatever your RV needs, our Pennsylvania dealership is here to help!

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