June Is National Camping Month: 10 Ways to Make This Summer Unforgettable -

There is something about June that makes it feel like summer has finally arrived. School is out, campgrounds begin filling with families, daylight stretches well into the evening, and the excitement of another camping season is impossible to ignore. That is exactly why June is recognized as National Camping Month—a celebration of spending time outdoors, reconnecting with family, and creating memories that will last long after the tents are packed away or the RV is parked for the winter.

For Vicky and me, camping has never been just another vacation. After more than 50 years of camping, we’ve learned that the best memories rarely come from expensive attractions. Instead, they come from simple moments: laughing around a campfire, watching a child catch their first fish, discovering a hidden waterfall, or sitting quietly beneath a sky filled with stars.

If you’re wondering how to celebrate National Camping Month, here are a few ideas that have become favorites on our own camping adventures.

Cook a Meal Over a Campfire

Nothing tastes quite like food prepared over glowing coals.

Sure, everyone loves s’mores—and rightly so—but don’t stop there. A Dutch oven, cast-iron skillet, pie iron, or campfire grill opens the door to incredible meals that somehow taste better outdoors than they ever do at home.

Imagine waking to the aroma of biscuits baking in a Dutch oven or ending the day with fresh-caught fish sizzling over hardwood coals. Even a simple pot of chili seems to take on extra flavor when cooked beside a crackling fire.

Whether you’re camping in a tent or relaxing beside your RV, gathering around the fire naturally slows life down. Conversations last longer. Laughter comes easier. Nobody seems to be in a hurry.

Some of our family’s favorite camping memories began with someone saying, “Who’s hungry?”

Chase a Waterfall

June is one of the best months to explore waterfalls.

Spring runoff often keeps the water flowing strong, while warmer temperatures make hiking comfortable for almost everyone.

Michigan alone offers dozens worth visiting, including:

Tahquamenon Falls
Bond Falls
Hungarian Falls
Cascade Falls
Ocqueoc Falls
Iargo Springs

Many require only a short walk from the parking area, making them perfect stops during a camping trip.

Standing beside a roaring waterfall reminds you just how powerful—and peaceful—nature can be.

Visit a Covered Bridge

Covered bridges seem to transport us back to a slower, simpler time.

Originally built to protect wooden bridge structures from rain and snow, they now serve as reminders of America’s early engineering and craftsmanship.

Michigan’s most popular covered bridges include:

Fallsburg Covered Bridge
Augusta Covered Bridge
Whites Bridge
White Pine Trail Covered Bridge
Pierce Stocking Covered Bridge

Walking across one isn’t just sightseeing.

It’s stepping into a piece of history.

Paddle a Michigan River

The Great Lakes may receive most of the attention, but Michigan’s rivers are equally impressive.

Whether you choose a canoe, kayak, or even an inner tube, spending a lazy afternoon floating downstream is one of summer’s greatest pleasures.

Some excellent rivers include:

Au Sable River
Platte River
Huron River
Turnip Rock area paddling routes
Lansing area waterways

Most communities have outfitters that provide equipment, transportation, and everything you’ll need—even if it’s your first trip.

Don’t be surprised if you see bald eagles, turtles, deer, or great blue herons quietly going about their day.

Watch a Sunset Without Looking Through Your Phone

This one may sound unusual.

Leave the camera in your pocket.

Find a quiet beach along one of the Great Lakes—or even a peaceful inland lake—and simply watch.

No photographs.

No social media.

Just enjoy the changing colors reflected across the water.

Some experiences become more meaningful precisely because they were never photographed.

Years later, you’ll still remember how it felt.

Spend a Day Fishing

Fishing has never been only about catching fish.

Some of our family’s happiest camping memories came from days when the cooler stayed nearly empty.

Children don’t measure success by the size of the catch.

They remember who baited the hook.

Who helped untangle the line.

Who celebrated every little bluegill as though it were a trophy.

Those are the moments that stay with them for life.

Sleep Under the Stars

One of the greatest gifts camping gives us is perspective.

Far from city lights, the night sky comes alive.

The Milky Way stretches overhead.

Satellites quietly drift across the darkness.

Occasionally, you’re fortunate enough to witness the Aurora Borealis dancing across the northern sky.

I still remember seeing the Northern Lights for the very first time.

No photograph I’ve ever seen truly captures that moment.

Sometimes God’s greatest masterpieces arrive without warning.

Take the Scenic Route

One lesson we’ve learned over decades of travel is that the destination is only part of the adventure.

Some of our favorite discoveries happened because we took the back roads instead of the interstate.

A roadside farm market.

An old lighthouse.

A forgotten country church.

A tiny ice cream stand with homemade waffle cones.

Those unexpected stops often become the stories you tell years later.

Unplug and Reconnect

Camping gives families something modern life often steals—uninterrupted time together.

Without constant notifications, everyone begins talking again.

Card games replace scrolling.

Campfires replace television.

Morning coffee becomes a conversation instead of another meeting.

You don’t have to plan every minute.

Sometimes the best camping days are the ones with no schedule at all.

Build Memories That Last Generations

Looking back over five decades of camping, one truth stands above everything else.

We have never wished we’d worked one extra weekend instead of taking our children camping.

We watched them learn to swim.

To fish.

To paddle a canoe.

To roast marshmallows without burning them too badly.

Today, many of those same experiences are being shared with our grandchildren.

Grandma Cooper understood something that took me years to fully appreciate.

She believed life’s greatest wealth wasn’t measured in dollars.

It was measured in moments.

She often reminded us:

“You only live once, so make the most of it by helping people along the way.”

Those words have never meant more than they do today.

Final Thoughts

National Camping Month isn’t really about June.

It’s about choosing experiences over possessions.

It’s about trading busy schedules for campfires, sunsets, fishing poles, hiking boots, and conversations that continue long after the fire burns down to glowing embers.

Whether you’re traveling across the country in a luxury fifth-wheel, pitching a tent beside a quiet lake, or simply spending a weekend at your favorite campground, take time to slow down.

One day, today’s camping trip will become tomorrow’s favorite family story.