Have a Bonfire at Your Cabin

There’s nothing quite like enjoying the great outdoors with a roaring fire, gooey s’mores and a night sky full of stars.

Yes, every cabin at River Spruce has it’s own private fire pit. You can roast marshmallows and keep warm on the cool mountain nights.  We sell wood right on the property that comes with a starter so no need to haul.  Just relax and keep the s’mores coming.

How to Start a Campfire

Tools and Supplies to Bring

• Shovel
• Pail for water
• Heat-resistant gloves

Materials Needed to Start the Fire

You’ll need three basic materials to start your campfire: tinder, kindling and wood. Tinder is the smallest and easiest burning materials used to get a campfire started. Tinder is dry and fluffy, which can make it a challenge to find in wet weather. It’s best to bring some with you instead of counting on finding it out in the woods. Tinder can take on many forms, including: 

• Wood shavings
• Wadded paper
• Strips of cardboard
• Commercial fire sticks or fire starters
• Dryer lint
• Wax

Once the tinder has caught fire, it can help ignite larger materials. The larger materials are called kindling, which typically consists of twigs or small branches. When collecting kindling, only use wood that snaps and breaks. If it bends, it is too wet to burn. Always collect all of your fire-starting materials before setting a spark, as the fire will go out quickly if you need to gather more fuel.

Now that you have the materials and supplies you need, and you’ve chosen a safe campfire spot, it’s time to build your fire.

1. Using the tinder, start a small fire with matches or a lighter.
2. Once the tinder has caught fire, slowly add in pieces of kindling. Take your time when adding kindling to the tinder, as too much will smother the flames, requiring you to start over.
3. Next, you can add the wood. When picturing the wood used for a campfire, many people envision large logs. However, wood for a campfire doesn’t need to be bigger around than your arm. There’s no need to spend a lot of time searching for dry wood; the heat of the fire will dry damp wood and then combust.
4. One of the most effective ways to place your firewood is in a teepee style. With your kindling and tinder in the center of the fire ring, stand the firewood in a circle around the kindling, all meeting in the center resembling a teepee.