12 Camping Books to Add to Your TBR List
Whether you’re an avid bookworm or an occasional reader, books are a great place to start daydreaming, learning, and planning for your next camping adventure! These 12 books have been hand-picked as some of the best camping books that you don’t want to miss. Find them at your local library or on Campspot’s Bookshop.
Guides
1. The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals–And Other Forgotten Skills
No matter where your next trip takes you, this camping book is an excellent guide to interpreting nature and seeing what it reveals to us. You’ll learn about telling time with the Big Dipper, noting the scent of cinnamon to estimate altitude, parsing weather hints from passing butterflies, and much more.
2. RV Hacks: 400+ Ways to Make Life on the Road Easier, Safer, and More Fun!
Always finding something to worry about on your RV trips? This camping book is for you. It’s full of organizational hacks, safety tips, and ideas for repurposing household items for other uses. Whether you’re new to RVing or an experienced RVer, there’s something to learn in this useful guide.
3. 50 States, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do
The experts at National Geographic have compiled a fascinating volume full of travel gems for your treks across the United States. This camping book highlights everything from must-see dinosaur trails to sea otter habitats, from massive yard sales to swamps. As a bonus, there are Canadian provinces and territories highlighted too.
Memoirs and Nonfiction
4. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
Cheryl Strayed’s memoir makes for riveting reading: a 1,100-mile solo hike with no training or experience? You’ll be hooked, I promise.
5. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek
This Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative allows you to experience nature, up close and personal, through every season. Annie Dillard explores on foot through the region of Virginia where Tinker Creek runs, gaining an impressive and moving intimacy with the natural world around her.
6. Into the Wild
Jon Krakauer’s book about Chris McCandless’s journey into the Alaskan wilderness is well-known and beloved for a reason. Anyone who has felt called to immerse themselves in the wild may find parts of this story more resonant than they expected.
Cookbooks
7. Feast by Firelight: Simple Recipes for Camping, Cabins, and the Great Outdoors
Written by the co-founder of Firelight Camps in Ithaca, New York, Feast by Firelight is a camping book jam-packed with clever tips and delicious recipes. One of its most helpful features is the detailed menus and shopping lists, as well as guidance on what to prep before you leave. Plus, the photography is lovely and there are handy illustrations too!
8. Camp Cocktails: Easy, Fun, and Delicious Drinks for the Great Outdoors
Planning and packing are key to being able to craft great cocktails while camping! This book will guide you through simple and tasty drink recipes, including warm beverages for winter camping and ice-cold ones for hot summer days.
9. The Camp Dutch Oven Cookbook: Easy 5-Ingredient Recipes to Eat Well in the Great Outdoors
This camping cookbook is approachable for both new campers and more seasoned ones. There are over 80 recipes for amazing meals that require only five ingredients! You’ll find everything from lemon buttermilk biscuits to chicken braised in coconut milk with basil. This camping book also includes guidance on mastering a camp-style dutch oven.
For the Little Ones
10. Bluey: Camping
Are you and your little ones big fans of Bluey? If so, you may already be familiar with the sweet “Camping” episode where she befriends a dog named Jean Luc despite the fact they don’t speak the same language. Enjoy the story in book form and get your kiddos excited to make lifelong friends on their next camping trip!
11. Let’s Go Outside!
This indestructible book is perfect for babies and toddlers! It can withstand any ripping and chewing they might engage in during storytime. This cute little book is a great introduction to nature and has beautiful illustrations.
12. Love You S’more
Raccoons and camping? What’s not to love! This adorable children’s book is full of puns and fireside banter that will entertain parents and little ones alike.
For more camping book recommendations to add to your TBR, browse our selections on Bookshop. Once these books have inspired you, head to Campspot.com to book your next camping site!
Emily Hessney Lynch is a small business owner, reader, and writer. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and their three rescue dogs. They love getting outside year-round and enjoy paddle boarding, hiking, and snowshoeing. You can follow her on Instagram at @servemethesky.