Camping is one of the best ways to take in the beauty of nature and enjoy some time with friends. And the classics of camping, like marshmallow roasts, swimming and hiking, never go out of style.
But perhaps you want something a little bit out of the ordinary from your camping trip. Maybe you want something with a little more thrill, a little more punch. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck. These six adventurous grown-up camping ideas might just light a fire under your marshmallows.
- ATV Trail Riding
Want something a little bit more powerful than just your legs to take you through the wilderness? Gear up for an ATV group trail ride with friends and find out just how much fun it is to explore the American backcountry on a four-wheeled machine.
Many popular wilderness camping areas offer rental options for ATVs (and their two-seater cousins, UTVs) as well as group tours. Unless everyone in your group is an experienced ATV rider, it’s recommended to take a tour with a guide who can arrange ATV transportation and trip planning as well as help handle emergencies.
ATV trail riding demands a few basic precautions, including learning ATV hand signals and using an ATV helmet communication device to keep in touch with other riders in your group. It’s also important to stay on marked trails and, as always, to respect the natural environment. When in doubt, ask your tour coordinator or group leader for advice.
- Geocaching
Take a little bit of old-fashioned outdoorsmanship and add a dash of treasure hunting and puzzle-solving and you’ve got the fascinating game of geocaching. Enthusiasts of this unique and fascinating hobby solve clues posted online by other players directing them to hidden caches which they find using their phone or GPS. Hunting for geocaches can be an awesome activity for a group camping trip.
Each cache contains a logbook to sign as a fun, little way to record your achievement. Many caches also feature trackable items which cachers move from one cache to another and then track them through websites. Others are full of trinkets that are used in an informal leave-one-take-one trading system.
Nowadays, it’s even easier to go hunting for geocaches on a camping trip thanks to the free geocaching app which directs players to nearby caches. You might find a geocache in a tree, underneath a rock or even behind a waterfall! For more information about the rules of geocaching, see the Geocaching community website.
- Kayaking
The waterways of North America are beautiful and can take you to all kinds of interesting places. Kayaking offers an awesome way to get in the water and start exploring. Kayaks are more maneuverable and less easy to swamp than canoes, making them great for beginners and fun to paddle.
In addition to being fun, kayaking offers a great workout for your upper body. It’s also a family-friendly activity that gives kids an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, bond with the family and make some awesome memories.
Day rentals of kayaks are easy to find near almost any camping site which has suitable bodies of water. For those down for the journey, overnight kayaking trips with camping are widely available through adventure tour companies. Seeking a wilder thrill? Whitewater kayaking amps up the adrenaline level by pitting you against the rapids.
- Motorcycle Camping
If your friends live for the road, motorcycle camping could be your new favorite thing. Motorcycle camping is exactly what it sounds like — heading into the country with your motorcycle and your camping gear to get close to the heart of life.
The motorcycle ride itself is, of course, part of the fun of motorcycle camping. You’ll love the liberating feeling of heading into the beauty of nature on the back of a beautiful machine, and the experience gets even better when you spend a night (or a few nights) sleeping under the stars as well.
More than anything else, motorcycle camping demands good preparation and planning. You and your friends need to work as a team in all aspects to make sure everyone is safe and covered because you don’t have the easy retreat option of sleeping in a car. Pro tip: For better group communication during the ride, use motorcycle helmet intercoms.
- Stand-Up Paddleboarding
If you’re camping near a beach or a lake, stand-up paddleboarding is a fun and relaxing way to get out and explore the area. A stand-up paddleboard is just what it sounds like—a steady and maneuverable board that you stand on top of and move by paddling.
SUP (as sport enthusiasts call it) is a relatively gentle and easy activity which is also an entertaining adventure. The basics are quite easy to pick up and just about anyone can do it, so it’s a good activity for families with kids. Yoga enthusiasts will love the fact that they can practice their poses on a SUP’s flat, comfortable surface.
Many camping areas close to lakes and beaches offer SUPs for day rental. Renting a SUP also eliminates the need to haul one around which is probably the most difficult part of this otherwise-breezy activity.
- Through-Hiking
The big daddy of camping trips, through-hiking isn’t for the faint of heart or those who have a hard time getting time off work. This style of hiking, made popular by extended trail systems such as the Appalachian Trail, involves extended backcountry hikes ranging in length from a week to several months.
Through-hiking is great for those who want an intense and even emotional experience in the wilderness. It will remind you that every day is a learning experience and to never take any small comfort for granted! Remember to always have a back-up plan in case the unexpected happens (because it will), and—we can’t stress this enough—bring good rain gear.
Whatever choice of camping activities you decide on, obey all safety regulations and treat the natural world with the utmost respect. After all, it’s doing you a solid by giving you such an amazing and gorgeous playground to explore.