Around the Campfire
Honest stories, community notes, and the slower, less practical side of camping — the stuff worth talking about once the tent is up.
Why Some Skiers Never Leave the Mountain: Camping and Skiing Combined
Skiing and camping seem like opposite seasons of the same hobby, but a real overlap of people do both at once — not despite winter, but because of it. Sleeping in the Parking Lot for First Tracks Car and van camping is the most common version of this. Skiers set up in modified vans, cars, […]
Mark Your Calendar: The Next Free National Park Day Is Coming Up
Mark your calendar: September 17, 2026 is a fee-free entrance day at national parks across the country — the next one after August’s, and it’s just over a week away. What’s Actually Free September 17 lands on Constitution Day, one of the National Park Service’s designated fee-free entrance days for 2026. On this specific day, […]
E-Scooters Are Being Banned in National Parks Starting September 11
E-scooters, hoverboards, and similar devices are effectively being banned in national parks starting September 11, 2026 — prohibited by default in every park unless that specific park chooses to allow them. What’s Actually Changing The National Park Service is reclassifying e-scooters, hoverboards, Segways, electric skateboards, and similar devices into a brand-new category: “powered micromobility devices.” […]
Why America’s Biggest Hotel Chains Are Suddenly Betting on Glamping
If you’ve booked a hotel room in the last year, you may have noticed something strange creeping into the loyalty program perks: cabins in the woods and canvas tents near national parks. This isn’t a marketing gimmick — Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton have all made real moves into glamping over the past two years, and […]
Flock Cameras, a Land Deal, and Wildfire Season: Yosemite in the Headlines
Yosemite has had an eventful few weeks in the news — a privacy debate over surveillance cameras, a controversial land deal, and an active wildfire nearby. Here’s what’s actually going on. The Flock Camera Debate A crowdsourced surveillance-tracking site called DeFlock recently flagged what it identified as Flock Safety cameras — a brand of AI-powered […]
The Rise of Women Solo Camping
A few years ago, a woman pitching a tent alone was treated as either fearless or reckless — there wasn’t much room in between. That’s shifted. Solo camping trips led by women have gone from a rare sight at most campgrounds to a genuinely common one, and the shift shows up everywhere from gear design […]
The Rise of the “Radius Run”: Skipping the Big Vacation for Camping Close to Home
Campspot data shows travelers mapping a 4-hour radius from home and building trips around gear they already own. Here is how to plan one.
Why September Might Be the Best Month to Camp This Year
KOA and Campspot data both point the same direction: September camping means fewer crowds, easier bookings, and better weather than the peak of summer.
Why We Support the National Park Foundation
Every trip we write about here depends on something a lot of campers never think about: the parks actually being there, maintained, and open. That does not happen…