Want to go camping this weekend, but haven’t made reservations? Don’t despair.

There are campsites to be had, but you’ll have to pack your patience and sense of adventure: Available sites at public campgrounds are first-come, first-served and you may have to try a few before you find a spot. Or, you can forge into a national forest and camp in a “dispersed,” or informal, spot.

The weather looks perfect for pitching a tent (highs in the mid-70s, lows about 50 degrees in the high country) and most of the state’s fire bans have been lifted. So pack the car and get out for one last hurrah before chilly nights, garden chores, football games and school events take over your schedule.

Read about 5 easy-hike camp site within an hour or two of the Pikes Peak region.

At Cheyenne Mountain and Mueller state parks, many of the campsites were occupied Thursday and all are reserved for the long weekend. But there are plenty of activities planned for day-use visitors, including guided hikes and nature programs, rangers said.

Setting up camp outside a designated campground isn’t difficult, but you should follow basic guidelines to help preserve the forest, including packing out your trash and taking care to cook, sleep and find a “toilet” far from water sources. It’s also a good idea to take biodegradable soap (or hand sanitizer) and use it often to help prevent illness.

You can camp just about anywhere in national forests, unless otherwise posted. Popular campsites within a few hours’ drive of the Pikes Peak region include: off Forest Road 383 near the Crags; in the Texas Creek area off U.S. Highway 50 west of Cañon City (high-clearance, four-wheel-drive vehicle required); off Forest Service Road 363 north of Divide (a popular off-roading area); and off Forest Service Roads 386, 387 and 369 in the Wet Mountains west of Pueblo.

A few reminders before you head out, particularly for a dispersed campsite:

• Leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.

• Set up camp at least 200 feet from a water source.

• Either pack out your waste (WAGbags, available at many camping stores, are a sanitary way) or dig a hole 4 to 6 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep as your toilet — at least 200 feet from camp and from any water source.

• Pack out all trash.

• Never use soap in a creek, river or lake.

• Consider purchasing or renting bear-resistant food containers and using them to store all food and scented products. Or, lock all such items in a vehicle. (Store the clothes you wear while cooking the same way.)

• Consider using a camp stove instead of a fire.

• If possible, use an existing campsite and fire ring.

• Smother fires with water and dirt until ashes are cool. (Leaving a campfire unattended can result in a fine.)

• Make sure any off-road vehicle has an approved spark arrester and current state registration.