Camping with a Side of History: A Short List of Campsites with History linked to them

Do you want to give your kids a quick history lesson before they return to school? Or are you a history buff who'd love to rough it out near some historical sites? Near Zero gear has made its way around the U.S. and the world, making it easy for people to visit beautiful places and possibly some historic areas.

If you need ideas for immersing yourself and your family in history, here's a short list of historic places where you can tent camp and feel close to the past. 

Trail of Tears State Park - Missouri

• During the winter of 1838, thousands of Cherokee Native Americans were forced to cross the Mississippi River to relocate to Oklahoma. Trail of Tears State Park serves as a memorial to those Native Americans who made the crossing. 
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Rock Creek Station - Nebraska

• This campsite sits along deep ruts carved by the many wagons that traveled on the Oregon and California trails. The visitor center features reconstructed buildings and a living history exhibit. 
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Spacious Skies Minuteman Campground

• This campsite is in the middle of Revolutionary War history. It's close to Minute Man National Historic Park, where the first battle of the Revolutionary War happened on April 19, 1775. The events of that day are known as the "shot heard round the world" and are often known as the "Battles of Lexington and Concord." 1,700 British soldiers and 4,000 Colonial militia fought, and 122 men died during the battle. 
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Fort McAllister State Park

• This site is the location of a historic Civil War battle. In 1861, Fort McAllister was constructed to protect Savannah, Georgia, from the Union army. Equipped with ten large-caliber guns and facilities for making and heating "red-hot shot"—a type of weapon designed to set wooden ships ablaze—the fort withstood seven Union naval assaults. Today, you can still see the impressive earthwork fortifications.
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Donner Memorial State Park

• This campsite is located at the site of the infamous Donner Party tragedy. In 1846, a group en route to California became stranded in heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada. As the party was facing starvation, some members of the party reportedly resorted to cannibalism. If you're prepared for the somber history of this area, the campsite is conveniently situated near a visitor center that provides more information about the Donner Party, as well as close to Donner Lake and Donner Creek.
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Golden Spike National Historic Site

• Camp near the crossroads of the West in the Utah Desert, where two steam trains met to complete the transcontinental railroad. This was a momentous occasion as it connected the eastern states to the western states, making travel simpler and quicker. Wellsville or Willard Bay State Park are two great locations to camp near the site as well as a handful of other local campsites you can book year-round. 
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Chickahominy Riverfront Park - Williamsburg

• Located in the triangle region of Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, this area is surrounded by the earliest history of the United States. In 1607, Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in the United States. Yorktown was the site of the final battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered his British Army. Williamsburg was one of the first planned cities in America and became one of the largest and most populous British colonies in America. The campsite sits right along a waterfront, and you can rent canoes and kayaks and even take some time to fish!
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There are many more campsites in each state where you can sleep close to your state or country's history. So before you send the kids back into the classroom, grab their Little DEANs, study your history, and let them feel and see history for themselves.