Firepit Question??

[MegaWoman]

Hi there

We're planning our first Fort Wilderness trip later on this year, and I have a quesion about the firepits.

Obvioulsy open-fires are banned, but what are the firepits like? Are they the half-can buried or the half-can raised? Or something else? Are there ever fire bans where NO fires are permited?

Any other fire tips?

Stephanie (on hold with Disney to book our next vacation!)

 

[schmitty]

Ill answer the only question I know, fires have been banned completely but they usually only get banned during the dry season, around late Feb to May. Unless there is a drought going on they wont ban fires completely.

 

[Cousin Ed C]

There are no fire pits. They only allow fires in a portable fireplace. There is no wood available. Every site has a state park type grill but they only want charcoal in them...no campfires.

But at the Meadows TP there is a campfire program every night, with marshmellow roast, a movie and sing along.

 

[Colson39]

As long as there isn't a fire ban in place (fire bans normally are in place during the summer), as long as you have a covered portable firepit/fireplace, you're allowed to use it. It has to be covered on all 4 sides and the top, can't be open at all.

Lots of people use them during the winter months where there normally isn't a fire ban, you can pick them up at your local Walmart/Target/Sears or online. There are tons of models versions, from cheap to expensive.

The last few years we've always had a fire going during the winter months, so it depends on when you're going. There almost always is a fire ban in place during the summer, but there normally is always a fire ban for the whole state of Florida normally during the summer...lol.

You can't use the grill they have there for fires, only for cooking.

 

[MegaWoman]

I guess that helps! My kids just LOVE s'mores, and it isn't a camping trip without them. We plan on going in December, so there shouldn't be a fire ban then right?

Do most sites have their own fire? Or do most campers go to the group campfire?

And I've found the BEST chocolate bars for s'mores - Cadbury Thins! I think they are only sold in Canada, they are 100 calorie bars, they're thin (duh!) and melt perfectly . . . There are milk chocoate, dark chocolate, toffee bits and mint varieties. Mmmmm!

Stephanie

 

[Colson39]

I guess that helps! My kids just LOVE s'mores, and it isn't a camping trip without them. We plan on going in December, so there shouldn't be a fire ban then right?

Do most sites have their own fire? Or do most campers go to the group campfire?

And I've found the BEST chocolate bars for s'mores - Cadbury Thins! I think they are only sold in Canada, they are 100 calorie bars, they're thin (duh!) and melt perfectly . . . There are milk chocoate, dark chocolate, toffee bits and mint varieties. Mmmmm!

Stephanie

Normally there isn't a fire ban in December. The past few years there hasn't been one when we were there in late November, so I doubt there was one in December.

Sites having fires depends on the weather. If it's cold out, you'll obviously see more fires. Since people can't do them in the grills anymore, you don't see as many fires, but since firepits are much cheaper and more readily available now, you can easily see quite a few fires going.

The group campfire is a great thing, especially if you have kids. You can get food, sing-a-longs-, movies are shown, it really is a lot of fun. We'll go to it if we have kids along with us (or when our little one finally comes along!!!!), but if it's just us and our friends or parents, we'll normally just do the campfire at our site.

You can always see at least a few fires going throughout the loops at night, it really makes the Fort a special place during the winter. One night I stayed up till midnight with a fire and few "drinks" and listened to Coast to Coast on the radio. That's a night I will never forget, the Fort, the cold, the warmth of the fire, watching as people straggled back to their campsites from the parks, gotta love the Fort!!!