How to Design an Outdoor Campfire Pit

Campfires are part of the evening while camping.

Camping and enjoying the outdoors is a great family activity. One part of this is building a camp fire. You need a fire pit to be able to do this. You can build them as temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent. All of them function as a place to build a fire outdoors to enjoy. Family and friends can gather around to roast hot dogs and marshmallows or just sit and enjoy the evening.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• 20 round rocks, 6 to 8 inches
• Newspaper
• Wood kindling
• Firewood

Instructions

1. Choose a spot that is away from structures in the open. Try to get away from trees also. A grassy open area is ideal.

2. Gather about 20 rocks from the area. They need to be large enough to make a good border around the fire pit, 6 or 8 inches.

3. Shovel the spot out to make a shallow pit in the ground about about 2 1/2 feet across. Make the pit about 4 inches deep in the shape of a bowl, shallow at the sides, deep in the middle.

4. Place your rocks all around the outside edge of the fire pit. Fit the rocks tightly together to make a border.

5. Place small kindling on the bottom in crisscross fashion. Put newspaper all through the kindling. Then place larger wood on top of the kindling. Make sure your wood is all dry. Use the crisscross fashion of laying the wood to leave air holes for the fire to draw air.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the fire pit larger if you wish. Just gather more rocks to circle it.

• Keep children away from the fire.

• Adults must always be around to supervise.

• Put out the fire with water if you are going to leave it.

References

• Firepit and Grilling Guru: Build a Fire Pit
• HGTV: Fire Pit