Your next field trip starts here.

Outside Inn is a family-run campground and working farm in Santee, South Carolina, spread across more than 60 acres of pasture, pines, trails, and animal-filled goodness. There are full-hookup RV sites, tent camping and glamping options.

On August 25, 2026, the National Park Service celebrates its 110th birthday, and this year the party is bigger than the usual ranger-program-and-cupcake situation. The birthday falls smack in the middle of National Park Week, August 22–30, which means nine days of events, programs, outdoor adventures, history, wildlife, Junior Ranger activities and plenty of reasons to go play outside!

Hey. I’m Scout! Welcome to Out and About with Scout, an ongoing Field Trip series where I roll into parks, campgrounds, trails, visitor centers, scenic overlooks, and wonderfully weird roadside stops to report back on what’s actually worth knowing before you go.

There is a particular kind of tired that only comes from staring at too many bright things for too long. Screens. Streetlights. Porch lights. Parking lots lit like crime scenes. Gas stations visible from the moon. You know the vibe. Then you get somewhere properly dark, look up, and suddenly your brain remembers it was designed to be impressed.

Asheville has one of those reputations that can work against it a bit. Mention the city, and people start talking about the Biltmore, the breweries, the restaurants, and the downtown scene. All fair. But every time I go, I end up most taken with what’s happening outside.

Ever wondered if you could ditch the tent‑setup routine without losing that close‑to‑nature feel we all chase in a campground? Us too. On a whirlwind road trip from South Carolina to Yellowstone and back, my husband Liam and I tested a curated lineup of camp luxe stays (yup, I kind of despise the word “glamping”) — no RVs, no cookie‑cutter hotel rooms. Just one car, two humans, and a nightly hunt for places that felt immersive, thoughtfully designed, and rooted in place.

Fall in Yellowstone is pure magic—golden light, crisp air, elk bugling in the distance. But here’s the thing no one tells you: the best way to experience it? Stay in Cody.

When the government shuts down, national parks get caught in the crossfire. And if you’ve ever been excitedly packing for a trip only to realize, “Wait, what’s actually going to be open?”—welcome to my current life. My husband and I are road-tripping to Yellowstone this week, and yes, the gates are staying partially open. But here’s the catch: the skeleton crew holding things together can’t do it all, and that’s where things get messy—literally.

Your dog doesn’t know what a merit badge is, but they do know when you’re proud of them. Enter the National Park Service’s B.A.R.K. Ranger program — a simple, smart way to explore public lands with your pup while learning pet etiquette that keeps wildlife, people, and paws safe. I didn’t realize this existed until I saw a shepherd getting “sworn in” at a visitor center. Reader, I teared up.

The Cradle of Forestry in America: Where Forest Science Meets Mountain Air Sponsored by FIND Outdoors, a brand we genuinely love and trust. If you’ve never heard of the Cradle of Forestry in America, here’s the short pitch: it’s a forest school turned hands-on museum, tucked into a gorgeous pocket of Pisgah National Forest called Pink Beds Valley. It’s educational, it’s beautiful, it’s surprisingly fun for kids, and it played a big role in shaping modern U.S. forestry practic

Ever stood outside squinting at the sky and thought, “Is that a star or a plane or… nope, just a cell tower?” Light pollution is the real party crasher of the cosmos. But the good news? You don’t have to go full astronaut to find a better view of the galaxy. You just need to get lost in the right direction.

A carefree glamping escape: retro RV, disc golf, gem mining & more at Spacious Skies Walnut Grove, Maine.

I’m usually a tent camper—zippered doors, crinkly sleeping pads, waking up with dew on my boots. So when my husband and I (along with our Bark Ranger, Beans) booked a cabin at Spacious Skies Bear Den, I was half-expecting to feel a little… distant from the outdoors.

If your idea of a perfect spring day includes wildflower spotting, stargazing, and sleeping under the stars...

Ever planned an outdoor adventure and wondered—should we hit up a national park or a national forest?

America’s national parks, crown jewels of the outdoors, are waiving entrance fees on six special days in 2025.

The wilderness becomes mysterious as the days grow shorter and the crisp fall air settles in.