How to Make a Fire Ring Using Rocks

Evenings around a warm campfire are a right of summer, but if you camp in unimproved sites or the backcountry you may need to build your own fire ring. Careless campers accidentally set forest fires every year when they fail to build a safe fire at camp. Learn how to select a good site for your fire, then ring it with rocks to keep you safe and ensure that the forest is still there for your enjoyment next summer.

Instructions

    • 1

      Select a site for your campfire ring of rocks. Stay at least 10 feet away from any tree trunks, tents or other structures. The ideal spot is out in the open, with no branches above you, but in a forest you need about 10 feet above the fire, the height of a basketball hoop. If you can jump and touch a branch, it is probably too low.

    • 2

      Scrape all pine needles, dead leaves and other debris off the ground to create a 10-foot perimeter around the fire. One stray spark is enough to ignite tinder on the forest floor.

    • 3

      Dig a shallow hole in the ground to contain your fire. Four or 5 inches is plenty deep. You are not digging a grave, but protecting the base of the fire from the wind.

    • 4

      Circle the fire pit with a ring of rocks several inches high. The height of the ring depends on the size of your fire, the logs you burn in it, and the weather. You want a ring that is heavy enough to contain the logs that fall and shift as the fire collapses, and high enough to shield and contain the coals and embers at the bottom of the fire.