Camp Romance Isn’t Dead: 9 Camping Date Night Ideas

Camping and romancing go hand in hand. At least, they can if you make an effort–and have an ultra-comfortable, supportive mattress that sleeps two campers, too.

All jokes aside, camping date nights are a fantastic way to spend time outside with your significant other. After all, life just doesn’t get better than doing the things you love with the person you love.

However, planning an outdoor date night is easier said than done. To help you knock your next (or first) camping date night out of the park, we’ve pulled together nine of our favorite adventurous date ideas. Feel free to follow this camping date playbook to a T or use these ideas as a jump-off point for your own romantic vision. Either way, we hope your next date night is as fun as can be. Just make sure to Leave No Trace and put out all fires if the sparks are flyin’.

1. Dinner And A Movie

The most classic date night of all time? Dinner and a movie. We do love to unplug and get away from screens when we’re camping, but incorporating a movie night into your camping date is also a sweet, memorable, and unexpected move.Our advice? If you have your phone, download movies on Netflix before you leave the realm of cell service. Inflate your Luno mattress, make your rig as cozy as possible, and throw your phone into the media pocket of our Cargo Hammock. This car camping accessory turns unused ceiling space into nifty storage, plus it features a transparent sleeve so you can enjoy movies hands-free from the comfort of your backseat. Once you’ve got your trunk theater all spruced up, make a delicious camp meal and cozy up!

If you really want to wow your date, though, get your hands on a portable projector, like this one from Xgimi. Hang a white sheet or blanket between two trees (or off of your rig) and set up camp chairs. Better yet, go with a camp loveseat. Whip up a car camping feast, then throw on a movie in your cinema al fresco.  

Pro Tip: Make sure you’ve got a backup battery on hand. You don’t want your phone or projector to die right when the movie’s getting good! We like these portable power options from BioLite and Goal Zero.

2. An Après Ski Love Story

We’re big fans of car camping in ski resort parking lots in the winter and spring. You can shred all day, ski right back to camp, sleep a snowball’s throw from the base area, and wake up and do it again.

Camping in a ski resort parking lot is also a rad opportunity for a date night for two reasons. First off, you’re perfectly positioned for a powder day if there’s snow in the forecast. Secondly, après is best enjoyed when you don’t have to drive home afterward.

Imagine this: you ski all day with your date. When après beckons, you eat and drink to your heart’s content, working your way through base area restaurants and local watering holes. After you’ve had your fill, you return to your cozy cabin on wheels, snuggle up, and pray for snow.

Overwhelmed by the thought of camping in such cold weather? Don’t be. Read our complete guide to car camping in ski resort parking lots here.   

3. A Simple (Or Not-So-Simple) Sunset Hike

Many of the date ideas in this guide are somewhat involved and complicated, as we want to help you impress your significant other and show them just how much you care. But a camping date night doesn’t always need to be complicated. Far from it. Sometimes, simplicity is best—especially if you’re both having a busy week.

With that in mind, we’re keeping this one simple: go for a sunset hike. That’s it. Head to a trailhead that allows free car camping or has camping available nearby. Go for a hike, timing it perfectly to catch the sunset (err on the early side, if possible). Return to your car by headlamp, make dinner in the dark, and enjoy the quietude of the wilderness with your significant other.  

Pro Tip: If you do want to spice this one up, pack a surprise picnic (complete with a picnic blanket and, if you so choose, your significant other’s beverage of choice). Set up a picnic with a panoramic sunset view, and let the good times roll!

4. Nerd Out On Nature

Nothing sparks feelings of love and passion like identifying small birds by their Latin names. Seriously. Have you tried it? It’s the ultimate outdoor aphrodisiac.

Jokes aside, buy or check out a guidebook to local flora and fauna from your library. Grab binoculars if you have them, maybe a camera, too. Go on a hike with the express purpose of identifying and appreciating wildlife. Check out bugs, nerd out on birds, get down and dirty and smell the flowers. It’s always fun to learn about the places we play–it gives us a deeper appreciation for the ecosystems we so enjoy.

5. Hot Spring Hangout

Nothing melts away stress like a long soak in a hot spring. If your significant other needs some relaxation, plan a hot spring hangout and treat them to a camping spa day.

Between dips in the hot spring, cook healthy camp meals, meditate, do some yoga, maybe break out some biodegradable massage oil. Read, relax, and just enjoy each other’s company.

Pro Tip: Be sure to hydrate, as hot springs can take it (it being every ounce of H2O in your body) out of you.

6. Wilderness Craft Night

This one’s a sweet outdoor date idea for creative campers: bring your favorite arts and crafts materials along for a camp craft night.

We’re partial to watercolors and pastels while camping, but you might want to whittle sticks into spoons, sculpt with clay, or sketch with charcoal from the campfire. Whatever medium you land on, get inspired by your surroundings and go for it. Who knows? You might just create a masterpiece that brings back beautiful memories every time you look at it on your wall.

If you do go this route, be sure to respect your surroundings and, as always, Leave No Trace.

7. River Float

We’re based in Bend, Oregon, which is bisected by the Deschutes River—one of the best and most float-friendly rivers in the United States. Needless to say, we love a good river float.

For a fun date on the water, procure a cheap two-person raft, find a mellow stretch of river (we’re talking class I rapids at a max), and float the day away. Don’t forget to hydrate, wear plenty of sunscreen, and double-check that there aren’t class V rapids lurking around the corner.

It’s worth noting that this particular activity is best treated as a double date. Why? When you have two vehicles, you can shuttle a longer stretch of river. Otherwise, consider dropping bikes to get from your take-out back to your put-in.

8. Forget Farm To Table—How About Forage To Table?

Incorporating foraged ingredients into your camp cooking after gathering those ingredients with a loved one is undeniably suave and seriously gratifying. 

Before you head out on your next adventure, look for a guide to local fauna or fungi in your destination of choice. Do your research, and keep an eye out for seasonal delicacies that might inspire a meal. If chanterelles are in season, for instance, plan a meal that will highlight those flavors, like linguine with a butter and white wine sauce.

This goes without saying, but always cross-reference flora and fungi with your guidebook, as mistakes can be fatal.

Pro Tip: Never bank on foraging—or fishing or hunting, for that matter—for your meal. Always bring a backup plan, just in case you come back to camp empty-handed.

9. Dusk And Dawn Surf Sessions

When you’re car camping near the beach, you don’t need to pick between a sunset or sunrise surf session—you can do both.

Go for a sunset surf with your significant other, come back to camp, whip up dinner, then hit the hay on your cozy Luno mattress. Set an early alarm, wake up, and get after it again.

Whether this is a date or just a surf trip might be up for debate. But what’s not up for debate is that quick yet intentional adventures like this one can help you squeeze the most out of your weekend and spend quality time outside with your significant other.

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Enjoy The Great Outdoors Together

Maybe your idea of a camping date night is chasing your significant other down technical singletrack on a gnarly mountain bike ride. Or maybe you’d rather relax in a hot spring, soaking and chatting as the sunset gives way to a starry sky. The truth is that the exact activity doesn’t matter much. All that really matters is that you’re making an effort to spend time outside with someone you care about.

That said, we hope this guide inspires you to plan and execute a memorable camping date. And, just in case that date goes exceptionally well, don’t forget to invest in a high-quality, comfortable, and durable camping mattress. Your date will thank you.

Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you on the road.

--The Luno Crew