Camp Out With a Good Book This Summer

June is National Camping Month, and a great time of year to get outdoors and reconnect with nature! I grew up camping often with my dad in Botswana, and to this day, the smell of woodsmoke from a campfire evokes happy memories. We would sometimes use bedrolls and mosquito nets rigged from a nearby tree and camp out in the open, but camping doesn't have to be sleeping in a tent, roughing it. You can still get the same benefits of the outdoors by sleeping in a cabin or going "glamping."

Make Your Next Camping Trip the Best Yet

This summer, San Mateo County Libraries is encouraging you to get outside, chase new adventures and capture them with our new summer learning program, My Summer Adventure.

Going camping is a great opportunity to get away from our busy lives, unplug from technology and spend some quality time in the peaceful outdoors. Swapping out the concrete of the urban jungle for fresh air, blue skies and soft greenery allows us to get grounded, rest our eyes and reset our nervous systems to a slower, calmer pace. 

Our libraries offer a variety of resources to upgrade your next camping adventure. We have California State Park Passes and San Mateo County Park Passes available for check out on a first come, first served basis for up to three weeks. We also offer hiking backpacks, hiking gear and even GoPro cameras! GoPros are great if you want to capture immersive footage of your experiences in the great outdoors. With their wide-angle lenses and rugged durability, GoPros allow you to document your outdoor fun—whether it's fast-paced mountain biking or underwater adventures.

Camping Reads

There's no better companion on your camping trip than a good book, so check out your favorite book, or one of these camping books, and start your summer adventure!

Where Should We Camp Next?

Camping

Camping and Hiking Encyclopedia

Create your Own Camping Activities

Making Camp