51 Inspiring Camping Quotes & Captions

Whether you’re an experienced camper or just starting out, there’s no denying the beauty and tranquility of spending quality time in the great outdoors.

I’ve compiled 51 inspiring quotes about camping that capture this long-lived activity’s essence (and sometimes humor).

These quotes will have you packing your bags, grabbing your gear, and heading out into the wilderness for your next camping adventure.

So whether you’re tent camping, car camping, van living, or RVing – let these camping quotes motivate and inspire you to explore the beauty of nature and the outdoors.

Camping Inspirational Quotes

Camping allows individuals to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and create unforgettable memories.

This list of inspirational camping quotes explores the thoughts and musings of renowned individuals and everyday adventurers who have found solace, inspiration, and wonderment through camping and the outdoors.

1. “I just want to live in a world of mountains, coffee, campfires, cabins, and golden trees, and run around with a camera and notebook, learning the inner workings of everything real.” — Victoria Erickson, American Author & Poet

2. “The wilderness holds answers to questions we have not yet learned to ask.” — Nancy Wynne Newhall, American Photography Critic

3. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” — Henry David Thoreau, American Poet & Philosopher

4. “To be whole. To be complete. Wildness reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.” — Terry Tempest Williams, American Writer

5. “My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature.” — Claude Monet, French Impressionist Painter

6. “A great many people, and more all the time, live their entire lives without ever once sleeping out under the stars.” — Alan S. Kesselheim, Canoeist & American Journalist

7. “In a cool solitude of trees, where leaves and birds a music spin, mind that was weary is at ease, new rhythms in the soul begin.” — William Kean Seymour, British Writer

8. “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” — Bill Watterson, American Cartoonist (Author of Calvin and Hobbes)

Nature Camping Quotes

Whether you’re pitching a tent in a secluded forest, setting up camp by a babbling brook, or gazing at the stars from a mountaintop, there’s nothing quite like the sense of peace and serenity that comes with spending time camping in nature.

It’s no wonder that so many writers, philosophers, and adventurers have found inspiration in the great outdoors, and their words continue to inspire and motivate nature lovers of all kinds.

Some of the most thought-provoking nature-inspired camping quotes are from classic literary works and modern-day adventurers and explorers.

9. “Cooking and eating food outdoors makes it taste infinitely better than the same meal prepared and consumed indoors.” — Fennel Hudson, Angling & Countryside Author

10. “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” — Laura Ingalls Wilder, American Writer

11. “Whatever form it takes, camping is earthy, soul enriching and character building, and there can be few such satisfying moments as having your tent pitched and the smoke rising from your campfire as the golden sun sets on the horizon, even if it’s just for a fleeting moment before the rain spoils everything.” — Pippa Middleton, English Socialite & Author

12. “Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion.” — Lorraine Anderson, American Writer

13. “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” — John Muir, Scottish-American Naturalist

14. “Without the intense touch of nature, you can never fully freshen yourself! Go for a camping and there both your weary mind and your exhausted body will rise like a morning sun!” — Mehmet Murat Ildan, Turkish Playwright & Novelist

15. “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach of us more than we can ever learn from books.” — John Lubbock, British Archaeologist

16. “In nature, nothing is perfect, and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.” — Alice Walker, American Author & Activist

17. “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my sense put in order.” — John Burroughs, American Naturalist & Nature Essayist

18. “The more civilized man becomes, the more he needs and craves a great background of forest wildness, to which he may return like a contrite prodigal from the husks of an artificial life.” — Ellen Burns Sherman, American Author

Funny Camping Quotes

Camping is an adventure that can be both exhilarating and challenging. From setting up tents to building a fire, there are plenty of opportunities for mishaps and misadventures. But sometimes, it’s these very mishaps that make for the best camping memories.

This list of funny camping quotes, we’ll explore the humorous side of camping with witty and amusing quips from well-known writers, outdoors enthusiasts, and others that are unknown. So, whether you’re a seasoned camper or a newbie, get ready to chuckle and relate to these hilarious musings on the joys and perils of camping.

19. “It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent.” — Dave Barry, American Author

20. “How is it that one match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches to start a campfire?” — Christy Whitehead, American Actress

21. “Camping – because therapy is expensive.” — Unknown

22. “My tent doesn’t look like much but, as an estate agent might say, it is air-conditioned and has exceptional location.” — Fennel Hudson, Angling & Countryside Author

23. “Camping is not a date; it’s an endurance test. If you can survive camping with someone, you should marry them on the way home.” — Yvonne Prinz, Canadian Author

24. “Camping: Where you spend a small fortune to live like a homeless person.” — Unknown

25. “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a camper, which is kind of the same thing.” — Unknown

26. “The stars were better company anyway. They were very beautiful, and they almost never snored.” — David Eddings, American Novelist

27. “Camping: the art of getting closer to nature while getting farther away from the nearest cold beverage, hot shower, and flush toilet.” — Unknown

28. “Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business.” — Dave Barry, American Author

Short Camping Quotes for Instagram

Sharing your camping experience on social media has become an increasingly popular way to document your adventures. These short camping quotes capture the spirit of camping and the beauty of nature, and they’re perfect for writing inspiring Instagram captions.

For you’re next camping trip Instagram post, these quotes will express your love for the great outdoors and inspire others to get outside and explore.

29. “In the woods, we return to reason and faith.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Philosopher

30. “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” — John Muir, Scottish-American Naturalist

31. “Not all who wander are lost.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, English Writer (from The Fellowship of the Ring)

32. “The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom.” — Theodore Roosevelt, 26th U.S. President

33. “Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization.” — Charles Lindbergh, American Aviator

34. “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” — John Muir, Scottish-American Naturalist

35. “Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit.” — Edward Abbey, American Author & Essayist

36. “A walk in nature walks the soul back home.” — Mary Davis, American Author

37. “The mountains are calling and I must go.” — John Muir, Scottish-American Naturalist

38. “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” — Albert Einstein, German Physicist

39. “Camping is not a hobby. It’s a way of life.” — Unknown

40. “I am at home among trees.” — J.R.R. Tolkien, English Writer

41. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep…” — Robert Frost, American Poet

42. “Leave the road, take the trails.” — Pythagoras, Ancient Greek Philosopher

43. “The wilderness isn’t quite what I expected. It’s wild!” — Russell, from the Pixar film Up

44. “Home is where you park it.” — Unknown

Campfire Quotes

Campfires have been a staple of camping for as long as people have been venturing out into the great outdoors. The flickering flames, the warmth, and the crackling of wood are all part of the experience. But a campfire is more than just a source of heat and light – it’s a place for gathering, storytelling, and creating memories.

In this list of quotes about campfires, we’ll explore the significance and allure of this age-old tradition. From the words of well-known writers, poets, and philosophers to those of everyday campers, these quotes capture the magic of gathering around a campfire and the nostalgia it brings.

45. “The glories of a mountain campfire are far greater than may be guessed.” — John Muir, Scottish-American Naturalist

46. “Wherever you camp in the world, the campfire will be one of the things that sticks in your memory the most!” — Mehmet Murat ildan, Turkish Playwright & Novelist

47. “Gather wood, build a fire, stay up all night with the fire and stars. Have a little blackberry brandy as you telescope to bring the stars closer in. The sound of the fire, the smell of the fire, the light and heat of the fire will help you, heal you. A campfire’s Paleolithic experience we can all still have.” — Antler, American Poet

48. “The echoes of beauty you’ve seen transpire, resound through dying coals of a campfire.” — Ernest Hemingway, American Writer

49. “The fire is the main comfort of the camp, whether in summer or winter.” — Henry David Thoreau, American Poet & Philosopher

50. “Sometimes the embers are better than the campfire.” — Stephen King, American Author

51. “Light a campfire and everyone’s a storyteller.” — John Geddes, American Journalist

Share Your Favorite Camping Quotes

Hopefully, this list has inspired you to get outdoors or resonated with your thoughts on being out in nature.

If I missed a popular camping quote, feel free to leave your favorite camping sayings or quotes about camping life in the comments below.

Want more camping and RVing inspiration?

Check out our posts on how to prepare for RV living, the pros and cons of the lifestyle, and more.

Like this post? Save it on Pinterest for later.