The primary reason most of us like to camp is to enjoy nature—breathing fresh air, soaking in sunshine, and savoring views of deserts, lakes, mountains, trees, canyons, and other natural features. See our where to camp page for tips on finding campsites with those beautiful sights.

To better understand the environment surrounding your campsite, you can bring along guides to birds, wildlife, geology, celestial objects, meteorology, wildflowers, and native plants. Here’s a great selection of guides to aid in your nature appreciation.

Of course, some types of wildlife—like mosquitos and ticks—are hard to appreciate. See our page on bugs for tips on how best to avoid these unwelcome critters.