20 Vintage Camping Photos That Capture Smoky Campfires, Station Wagons, and Retro RV Life

Written by Rachel Schneider on May 16, 2025 updated May 19, 2025

A family enjoys a picnic at a campsite with a pop-up camper in the background. They prepare food on a table covered with a red-and-white checkered cloth in a grassy, wooded area. Camping supplies are visible around them.

From ’50s tent setups to ’90s backyard-style getaways, camping has always given us some of the best memories. These photos highlight rugged adventures and family traditions built around folding chairs, hot dogs on sticks, and a general affinity for the outdoors.

1. Trans-Van Camping in the Early ’80s

A group of six people, including children and adults, sit and smile at a picnic table outside a camper trailer. A tent and trees are visible in the background, suggesting a campsite setting. — Liamrite

No camper? No trailer? No problem.

2. Waterproofing Made All the Difference

Three people at a forest campsite with a picnic table covered in supplies, a blue cooler, and a bright orange tent set up among tall trees. Sunlight filters through the woods. — MyDogGoldi

Nothing put a (literal) damper on camping in a tent like water creeping in while you were trying to sleep. Extra reinforcements were crucial.

3. Cooking a Hot Dog on a Stick

A young child in a red shirt roasts food over a campfire in a wooded area, with an open station wagon filled with camping gear parked in the background. — Voltron1993

Forget the grill. Sliding a hot dog on the end of a stick and roasting it over the open fire was the best approach to dinner while camping.

4. Campers at Sunset Beach in California in 1969

A crowded beach scene with vintage cars and camper vans parked on the sand. People are sunbathing, walking, and swimming in the ocean. A rustic cabana and a wind vane are visible near the shore. — plong42

Camping near a beach was the way to go in the ’60s. You could haul the family van or station wagon from the campsite to the beach, fully stocked with everything you needed for a comfortable day.

5. Lunch at the Picnic Table

A family sits at a picnic table by a lake, enjoying food and drinks. Trees and grass surround them, and another empty table is in the background. It is a bright, sunny day. — Right0rightoh

All that’s missing from this picture is a red-and-white checkered tablecloth.

6. The Kids’ Table

Three young children sit at a small table outdoors, eating and drinking, with tents and trees visible in the background, suggesting a campsite scene. Two girls and a boy look toward the camera. — gmus

Where all the best memories were made, and no one yelled at us for spilling our milk on the table.

7. The RV Interiors Were Elite

Retro RV interior with patterned green carpet, wood-paneled walls, a dining area with a striped bench, a kitchen with a stove, counter with vegetables, and window with yellow curtains. Cozy and vintage atmosphere. — danjadeering

You can hardly tell the difference between the inside of a ’70s RV and a ’70s house!

8. The Best Bonding

A man in a red shirt and a young girl stand by a smoky campfire at a campsite, with tents and trees in the background. The man holds a piece of wood, while the girl looks at him, appearing curious. — StreetTacoNamdDesire

Camping has always been about getting in touch with the great outdoors and spending quality time with family.

9. Camping in the Cold

A young child in a red hat and sweater sits by a campfire in a forest, warming their hands. Camping supplies and food are laid out on the ground near a blue tent in the background. — isecore

As long as we had a warm sweater, a knit cap, and a fire, we’d camp no matter the temperature.

10. Camping in the Desert

Two people sit by a small campfire next to a compact camping trailer with its rear hatch open, on a sandy, brush-filled landscape under a cloudy sky. A table with supplies is set nearby. — intljock

Back in the ’70s, we didn’t need a Kampgrounds of America lot with an onsite shower and playground. We could head to the Mojave Desert as long as we had some chairs and a travel trailer.

11. ’90s Camping

A group of six people, including two adults and four children, sit around a picnic table with food, drinks, and snacks such as Lay’s chips. They are smiling and appear to be enjoying a meal together. — tarl06

From the shirtless family members to Dad’s ballcap to the Gatorade, chips, burgers, and hot dogs, this is pretty much what every single camping trip looked like during the ’90s.

12. The Awning!

A man and child stand near a picnic table and grill beside a white RV with an awning, parked in a wooded campsite. A tan pickup truck is parked in front of the RV on a sunny day. — Fireyshotguns51

The camper awning with a rug underneath it is the most unmatched camp setup. You can’t change our minds.

13. The Cat?

A woman sits on the open trunk of a red station wagon, holding a small dog. Snowy mountains and rocky terrain are in the background, suggesting a scenic, remote location. — schadenfreude57

We’ve heard of taking dogs camping, but apparently the woman in this picture couldn’t leave her feline friend behind.

14. Camping in Style

A woman and two children stand by a picnic table covered with camping supplies in a forest campsite. A large green and yellow tent is set up among the trees in the background. — PoofBam

Mom and Dad used to call the first day of setting up camp “move-in day,” because we’d set up our clothesline, table, cooking station, tent, toys, and everything in between to make the outdoors our home.

15. Lugging Around Equipment

Two people wearing ponchos and glasses stand on a rocky ledge with large backpacks, overlooking a misty, forested mountain landscape. The sky is overcast and the scene appears to be from past decades. — PoofBam

The most committed campers would wear their camping gear and hike to their destinations.

16. Camping in the ’50s

A black-and-white photo shows a family camping in the woods, sitting on chairs around a fire pit. A tent and several 1950s cars are in the background, with trees surrounding the campsite. — skipperbob

This might be the most immaculate setup we’ve seen.

17. Boys Camping in the ’60s

A group of children in casual outdoor clothes sit and stand around a campfire in a wooded area, with some looking at the camera and others talking or tending to tasks. It appears to be a summer camp scene. — MyDogGoldi

Every camping trip in the history of ever has resulted in at least one wet pair of shorts.

18. Mom’s Job Never Stops

The trays on these chairs might have been the most convenient camping thing to hit the ’60s.

19. Everything Was So Colorful

A group of people, including adults and children, are gathered at a campsite with tents, cars, and a picnic table. Camping gear, food, and supplies are spread out as people socialize and children play on a sunny day. — MyDogGoldi

The bowls, the cars, the tents … it was all so technicolor in the ’60s!

20. What a Rig

Some of us had station wagons with tents and kids piled in the back, while others had a pickup camper and truck made for exploring.

Want more stories about idyllic American summers?

Be sure to read 10 Scenes From the Beach That Scream 1980s Summer. Plus, check out 19 Classic Photos That Show the Magic of Drive-In Theaters and 10 Family Traditions From the ’70s That Have Disappeared.