Dad Camp

Est. 2017 · Pack it in, pack it out

Dad Camp

Every year, a crew of dads takes their kids into the backcountry, and every trip gets its own patch.

See the patches What is Dad Camp?

Six Dad Camp dads in matching dad. hats and sunglasses, arms around each other, smiling on a sunny day

Trail notes

What is Dad Camp?

Dad Camp is a yearly backpacking trip for a group of dads who are friends and their kids. We load up our packs, hit the trail together, and spend time outside: hiking, setting up camp, and making memories with our kids.

Each year gets its own patch. It’s a small way to remember the trip, and the collection grows one patch at a time.

  • WhoDads + kids (No moms allowed)
  • WhenEvery year since 2017
  • SouvenirOne patch per trip

The collection

The Patches

One patch for every trip since 2017.

  1. 2026

    South Erikson

  2. 2025 Dad Camp patch: diamond with a mountain and a campfire, reading Dad Camp, Island Lake 2025

    2025

    Island Lake

  3. 2024 Dad Camp patch: rounded badge with an orange sunburst behind a snowy peak, reading Dad Camp, Grandaddy Lake 2024

    2024

    Grandaddy Lake

    Return trip

  4. 2023

    Skipped

    No trip this year

  5. 2022 Dad Camp patch: diamond with snowy peaks, a banner and a campfire, reading Dad Camp, Haystack Lake 2022

    2022

    Haystack Lake

  6. 2021 Dad Camp patch: shield with a snowy mountain and lake under a blue sky, reading Dad Camp, Notch Lake 2021

    2021

    Notch Lake

  7. 2020 Dad Camp patch: arched badge with a sun over snowy peaks, reading Dad Camp, Long Lake 2020

    2020

    Long Lake

  8. 2019 Dad Camp patch: tall hexagon with a sunrise over mountains, pine forest, lake and a deer silhouette, reading Dad Camp, Deer Creek Lake 2019

    2019

    Deer Creek Lake

    Boulder

  9. 2018 Dad Camp patch: rounded badge with a sun over mountains, pines and a tent, reading Dad Camp, Wall Lake 2018

    2018

    Wall Lake

  10. 2017 Dad Camp patch: hexagon with an orange sunset over brown mountains, reading Dad Camp, Grandaddy Lake 2017

    2017

    Grandaddy Lake

    The first Dad Camp

Year by year

Trips by year

The whole crew, one group photo per trip.

  1. Dad Camp 2026 group photo: dads and kids standing in a line in a mountain meadow with pine trees behind them at South Erikson

    2026

    South Erikson

  2. Dad Camp 2025 group photo: dads and kids gathered together on a forest trail among tall pines at Island Lake

    2025

    Island Lake

  3. Dad Camp 2024 group photo: kids sitting on a big log with dads standing behind them among tall pines, Grandaddy Lake trip

    2024

    Grandaddy Lake

  4. Dad Camp 2022 group photo: dads and kids gathered among pine trees in the woods, some kids sitting in the grass, with a doodle dog, Haystack Lake trip

    2022

    Haystack Lake

  5. Dad Camp 2021 group photo: dads and kids with backpacks at camp, behind a stone fire ring and logs, with pines and cliffs behind

    2021

    Notch Lake

  6. Dad Camp 2020 group photo: dads and kids with backpacks lined up on the rocky shore by the lake, Long Lake trip

    2020

    Long Lake

  7. Dad Camp 2019 group photo: dads and kids with backpacks on a trail through a green meadow, Deer Creek Lake trip

    2019

    Deer Creek Lake (Boulder)

  8. Dad Camp 2018 group photo: dads and kids with backpacks standing together on a big rock among pine trees, Wall Lake trip

    2018

    Wall Lake

  9. Dad Camp 2017 group photo: dads and kids standing together among tall pine trees, Grandaddy Lake trip

    2017

    Grandaddy LakeThe first Dad Camp

From the trail

Photos

Trail views, campsites, and gear piles, with group photos from each year on the way. Kids’ faces stay off the internet, so expect plenty of backs, boots, and big views.

  • Night view through an open tent door: a bright moon over a still lake lined with dark pines and their reflections
    Tent-door view, South Erikson, 2026
  • A calm, deep-blue lake ringed by tall pines under a clear sky, with lichen-covered rocks in the foreground
    Island Lake, 2025
  • Someone lying half inside a small red tent in a grassy meadow, legs and boots sticking out the door, among fallen logs and pines
    Close enough. Goodnight.
  • A smiling girl holding up a trout in a grassy meadow beside a mountain lake
    Catching fish is what we do
  • Two seared steaks resting on a split log beside a campfire
    Sometimes we eat well
  • Kids in camp chairs playing cards at night around a table lit by headlamps and a small lantern
    Fun and games
Panorama of a still mountain lake reflecting a pointed peak, pines and clouds, with a child sitting on the boulders at the right shore
Notch Lake, 2021