Maha Yassin
Taking a road trip with your loved ones, seeing beautiful scenery all around you, setting up camp, and spending a couple of days appreciating nature is one of the best things to do during the summer! Even if you have never done it before, you have so many references from the dozens of camping movies we have!
Camping movies make camping look so much fun and exciting. Don’t get us wrong; camping is excellent even if it’s not for everybody (we see you shuddering thinking about insects and sleeping bags). You’ll have the best time when you think of camping as an adventure.
So, to get you excited for your upcoming summer camping trip or to encourage you to plan one with your family or close friends, we have prepared a list of the best camping movies out there! These movies about camping and road trips will make you want to pack your bags, rent a car (or an RV!) and hit the road!
The Best Road Trip & Camping Movies
Road trip and camping movies are usually one of two movie genres: comedy or horror! This can give you a clear glimpse into how camping trips are (just kidding!). Since our goal here is to get you excited about camping, not shaking in your seat, we will only stick to the fun, adventures, and family camping movies.
Remember while you go through this list that camping doesn’t have to be with a small tent in the middle of the woods! A stay in a lodge or a summer camp also counts as camping, so do whatever makes you comfortable and enjoy your trip.
Now get some s’mores, get cosy, and dive into our list of best camping movies!
The Parent Trap (1998)
Directed by: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, and Natasha Richardson
Can a camping trip bring a separated family back together? Yes! That is the power of camping. Just ask Annie and Hallie!
The Parent Trap is a 1998 remake of the 1961 camping movie of the same name. We will talk about the 1998 version starring the lovely Lindsay Lohan! The Parent Trap is a story of twin sisters, Annie and Hallie, who were separated when their parents got a divorce a long time ago. Growing up believing that each one of them is an only child, Annie and Hallie get sent to the same summer camp by coincidence!
The Parent Trap is a great family camping movie. It is funny, adventurous and has not one but TWO camping trips that have a significant impact on the girls’ life. If your children are getting ready to go to summer camp this holiday, then definitely think about watching The Parent Trap together. The entire family will have a great time with this camping movie!
RV (2006)
Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Robin Williams, Jeff Daniels, Cheryl Hines, Jojo and Josh Hutcherson
Where is the best place to bond as a dysfunctional family? A road trip, of course! On a road trip in the middle of nowhere, no one can hear you scream!
RV is a road trip and camping movie that tells the story of a family so overtaken by their materialistic style of life they needed a wake-up call! Bob, an overworked father, decides to take his wife and two children on a road trip to the Rookies. His plan is to hit two birds with one stone, a trip for the family and a quick detour to an important meeting.
RV has got to be one of the best camping movies ever made, and if only for the fact that it stars the comedy genius, Robin Williams! But to be fair, Williams is not the only reason this film is fantastic. RV has a perfect combination of laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt family bonding scenes that makes it an excellent film for family movie night. If you’re looking for a way to get your family hyped for a camping trip, then this camping movie is the one you’re looking for!
We’re The Millers (2014)
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts and Will Poulter
Do you know what else are road trips and camping trips suitable for? Apparently moving weed across the country! Oops! Meet the Millers, a fake family making a real road trip.
We’re the Millers is one of the most hilarious road trip and camping movies you will ever watch. Fair warning, though, the movie is rated R, so it is definitely not for kids to watch under any circumstances. For adults, though, you will die laughing watching the “Millers” take an RV from the US to Mexico and back.
We’re the Millers is a film about David Clark, a pot dealer, who gets into a bad situation with his supplier. He is then asked to pay back a lot of money he owes by going to Mexico and delivering a whole bunch of weed to the United States. He devised a plan to hire a fake family to make it look like an innocent road trip to Mexico. We’re the Millers is two hours of pure comedy gold and one of our favourite camping movies!
The Muppet Movie (1979)
Directed by: James Frawley
Cast: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goalz
We’re introducing your children to The Muppet Movie to balance out our previous R-rated film. The ultimate G-rated road trip adventure that will leave them singing and dancing and ready for their own fun time on the road!
The Muppet Movie is the story of how the Muppets became the famous, funny and loving characters we all know today. The film starts with Kermit the Frog getting an offer from an agent to work in show business in Hollywood. He takes his car and begins a road trip from Florida to sunny Los Angeles.
The film is a great camping movie where Kermit makes many friends along the way. It’s filled with warm, heartfelt moments of how the muppets got to know each other. The soundtrack is terrific, and your children will be singing “Rainbow Connection” for weeks after (sorry about that!). If what you’re looking for is a children’s camping movie, then The Muppet Movie is it!
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)
Directed by: Adam Shankman
Cast: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, and Hilary Duff
How many are too many people for a camping trip? The answer is nonexistent because if this family of twelve can make it happen, anyone can!
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen, a film about a family of twelve and their absolutely chaotic but wonderful life. The second film takes the entire family to their lodge by the lake for the summer vacation. If you want to know in advance everything that might go wrong with your family camping trip, then Cheaper by the Dozen 2 can be your crash course!
The different family dynamics in this movie make it the ultimate family camping movie. From sibling games, pranks, and summer romances to adults getting too competitive, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a great film to enjoy with your whole family. It will make you want to pack your bags and take everyone you know on the best camping trip of their lives!
Daddy Day Camp (2007)
Directed by: Fred Savage
Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr., Lochlyn Munro, Richard Grant, and Tamala Jones
Are you thinking about sending your children to summer camp? Here are two parents who not only sent their kids to summer camp but decided to take charge and make the camp their version of a great adventure!
Daddy Day Camp is a beautiful family movie about Charlie and Phil, two best friends who decided to send their children to their childhood summer camp. When they discover that the camp is no longer the fantastic camp they remembered, they take things into their own hands.
The film is a great experience for adults and children alike. It’s not just a comedy and adventure at summer camp but also a look into past relationships and how to get over them and move forward in life. Daddy Day Camp is a beautiful camping movie that can give your children an idea of what summer camp can be like, so definitely give it a watch!
Camp Rock (2008)
Directed by: Matthew Diamond
Cast: Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Meaghan Martin, and Alyson Stoner
Ready for the ultimate sing-along summer camp experience? Welcome to Camp Rock, where everyone’s a star in the making!
Camp Rock is a Disney channel movie starring some of Dinsey’s biggest stars, including Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. The camping movie tells the story of Mitchie, the daughter of Camp Rock’s chef, as she gets to accompany her mother to camp one summer. Surrounded by rich and talented kids, Mitchie goes on a journey to prove her own talent without losing sight of who she is.
Camp Rock is a classic Disney film that hits all the right notes (pun intended!). From great songs to great summer and camp feels, Camp Rock will transport you back to your best summer days! Whether you’ve seen it a hundred times before (me) or are seeing it for the very first time, Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2 will become your favourite camping movies!
We hope these fantastic films get you super excited to take your family or friends on a camping trip this summer. There are so many unique places to go that cater to everyone’s preferences. So do some research, pick out your favourite spot, watch some movies to get ready, pack your bags and hit the road!