Fall season in the midwest usually means cooler temperatures, apple orchards, and sometimes the last outdoor adventures. My usual camping trips wrap up around September, but with some planning a fall camp trip can be a great way to extend your season.

With Fall weather being so variable, planning where you want to camp may be slightly more important than in other seasons. It’s one thing to set up a tent in the dark, another to do so when its dark AND cold… looking at you camping trips of seasons past! 

Generally, a states DNR (Department of Natural Resources) is a great place to start looking for camping options. Michigans DNR site allows you to filter out options, including what kind of site you want (tent, Yurt, cabin), your activities (fishing, hiking, biking) and options for barrier free facilities. It also includes fees, reservation information, and now includes some pictures of the sites (definitely an upgrade from high school days where it was a pay and see approach to your camp site!).

While you can’t predict every part of your trip, using a camp checklist can help make sure essentials don’t get left at home. I love this free, printable checklist from REI. Since this will be the last trip for the year, I’ll also use it to track all of my current camping supplies, any items that may need to be replaced for next season and where everything is stored. You can pull your list out next season and be ready to go. First on this list, some fire starters! While my DIY kind (toilet paper rolls & lint) work well in the summer, we needed more dealing with the wind that evening. I’m not going to say there was a moment where we were defeated in fire building by the wind, but I’m not going to NOT say that either.

With your home away from home covered, your list packed, your activities narrowed down, the best part is planning your camp meals. This trip we planned campfire nachos, apple crisps and hot chocolate. We brought this local hard cider from a recent apple orchard trip and this fun smores kit.

So how did the first late glamp trip go? Well, here’s the thing about fall camping; it can easily turn into winter camping! While we enjoyed a bike ride and fall weather the first day, we woke up to true winter. If you pack some extra socks, good fire starters and kindling, and an adventurous spirit, you can nail your first fall/winter trip.