Wren Holloway
Naturalist + history writer
Based in Asheville, NC
Wren writes about campgrounds the way her grandmother wrote about gardens — slowly, with footnotes (the footnotes are her favourite part). She is professionally bothered by phrases like "hidden gem" and personally bothered by anyone who leaves microtrash. Carries a copy of Peterson's in the side pocket of her pack. Has thoughts about geology.
40 published articles · most recent October 20, 2026
Articles by Wren Holloway
Michigan State Parks for Camping: The Ones Worth the DriveMichigan has more than a hundred state parks , and the conversation, online at least, tends to orbit five of them. That is partly fair (some really are that…
Camping Near the Biggest City in Minnesota — Under 90 MinutesTen honest campgrounds within 90 minutes of Minneapolis, from Afton and William O'Brien to Lake Maria and Nerstrand Big Woods — with the history and geology.- Winter Camping in Maine: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Maine, with real talk on which sites are open, what the weather actually does, and where a first trip should and shouldn't start.
- Winter Camping in Kentucky: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Kentucky, honestly told: which campgrounds stay open, why wet cold matters more than snow, and where to actually sleep in January.
- Winter Camping in Kansas: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Kansas state parks and grasslands — what's open, what the wind actually does, and where to go without pretending it's easy.
Winter Camping in Illinois: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Illinois is possible, often quiet, and harder than it looks — honest notes on where to go, what works, and when to bail.- Winter Camping in Florida: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Florida isn't about the cold — it's about humidity, cold fronts, and open sites. Honest guidance on where to go and when.
- Winter Camping in Delaware: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Delaware is a damp, windy, coastal-plain exercise — not a mountain one. What's open, what fails, and where to actually pitch.
Winter Camping in Colorado: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkWinter camping in Colorado, honestly assessed: which campgrounds actually stay open, what the weather really does, and where to start if you're new.
Winter Camping in Arizona: Open Sites, Bad Weather, Real TalkArizona winter camping, honestly: which sites stay open, where the weather will bite you, and how cold the desert actually gets at night.
When Is Camping Season in Missouri? Month-by-Month RealityA month-by-month, honest look at Missouri camping season — why fall wins, why summer on the float rivers is a party, and what winter actually asks of you.
Mountain Camping in Minnesota: Elevation Picks for Cool NightsA grounded roundup of Minnesota's highest-elevation campgrounds, from the Sawtooth state parks to the Misquah Hills, with honest notes on cool nights and timing.
Michigan Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkMichigan camping runs on two reservation systems, not one — here's how the DNR portal, recreation.gov, and the Recreation Passport actually fit together.
Lake Camping in Minnesota: 10 Sites With Real Water AccessMinnesota advertises itself with a number — 11,842 lakes over ten acres, per the DNR's long-running inventory — and the tourism copy has been recycling that…
Best Months to Camp in Maryland (And the Ones to Skip)Maryland is narrow but it is not short — from the barrier beach at Assateague to the spruce-fringed bogs of Garrett County is a drive of nearly six hours and…
Best Months to Camp in Massachusetts (And the Ones to Skip)A straight answer on the best month to camp in Massachusetts, which weeks to skip entirely, and why late September is the honest pick.
Best Months to Camp in Indiana (And the Ones to Skip)Indiana gets dismissed in a lot of camping writing — I've seen it called "flyover for tents" more than once, which tells me the writer never spent a damp…
Best Months to Camp in Hawaii (And the Ones to Skip)When to camp in Hawaii, which months to skip, and why elevation and trade winds matter more than the calendar — a shoulder-season case from a former ranger.
Best Months to Camp in Georgia (And the Ones to Skip)A month-by-month honest take on when to camp in Georgia, from the Blue Ridge to the Okefenokee — including the stretches worth skipping.
Best Months to Camp in Connecticut (And the Ones to Skip)A Connecticut camping calendar from a former ranger: why September wins, which weeks to skip, and specific state-park picks month by month.
Beach Camping in Missouri: What You Actually GetMissouri does not have an ocean. I say this the way one has to say it, flatly, up front, because half the "beach camping" write-ups you'll find for this state…
Backcountry Camping in Missouri: Permits, Routes, Bear NotesA historian's guide to Missouri backcountry camping — wilderness routes, permit realities, bear notes, and why shoulder season is the right call.
Free Dispersed Camping in Michigan: Where We Actually Pull InWhere to actually pull in for free dispersed camping in Michigan — national forest and state forest picks across the Lower Peninsula and the UP, with the rules straight.
Louisiana Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow Louisiana camping reservations actually work across state parks, Kisatchie National Forest, and WMAs — plus the Wild Louisiana Stamp nobody mentions.
Idaho Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow Idaho's camping reservations, permits, and river lotteries actually fit together — federal, state, and the gray zones in between.
Iowa Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow Iowa camping reservations really work: DNR state parks, Recreation.gov for Corps lakes, county systems, and where the permits actually apply.
California Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow California camping reservations actually work across Recreation.gov, ReserveCalifornia, wilderness permits, and the FCFS sites blogs pretend don't exist.
Washington D.C. Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkAn honest look at D.C. camping: why there isn't any inside the District, and how reservations actually work at Greenbelt, Prince William, and Catoctin.
Arkansas Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow Arkansas camping reservations actually work across state parks, Corps of Engineers lakes, national forests, and the Buffalo — three systems, no shared rules.
Alabama Camping Permits & Reservations: How They Actually WorkHow Alabama's three parallel camping systems — state parks, federal lands, and WMAs — actually work, from a former ranger who's used all of them.
When Is Camping Season in Michigan? Month-by-Month RealityMichigan's camping season runs longer than the brochures suggest — a month-by-month reality check on bugs, water temps, and when to actually go.
When Is Camping Season in Louisiana? Month-by-Month RealityLouisiana's real camping season runs backwards from most of the country — November through March is the sweet spot. A month-by-month field read.
When Is Camping Season in Idaho? Month-by-Month RealityIdaho camping season, month by month — from the panhandle lakes to the Sawtooths — with honest advice on when to actually go.
When Is Camping Season in Iowa? Month-by-Month RealityAn Iowa camping season breakdown, month by month, from mud in March to the actual best weeks in October — with specific parks worth the drive.
When Is Camping Season in Washington D.C.? Month-by-Month RealityA month-by-month look at camping season around Washington D.C., from Greenbelt Park to Prince William Forest, with honest picks for the best times to go.
When Is Camping Season in California? Month-by-Month RealityCalifornia's camping season isn't one season — it's a vertical stack. A month-by-month look at when to go where, from Joshua Tree to Tuolumne.
When Is Camping Season in Arkansas? Month-by-Month RealityArkansas has a twelve-month camping season with two clear peaks — here's the honest month-by-month, by watershed and elevation, not by the calendar.
When Is Camping Season in Alabama? Month-by-Month RealityAn Alabama camping season guide with real month-by-month expectations — humidity, bugs, fall color timing, and the shoulder weeks worth planning around.
Pet-Friendly Camping in Maine: Where Dogs Are Genuinely WelcomeAn Asheville essayist's honest roundup of Maine campgrounds where dogs are actually welcome — Acadia, the state parks, and where not to bother trying.
Beach Camping in Michigan: What You Actually GetThe phrase "oceanfront campsite" gets used, in listicles about Michigan, more often than any inland-lake state should tolerate. I have seen it in three…