Heading off to summer camp is a rite of passage in Texas. It’s where we spent precious weeks communing with the great outdoors, swapping ghost stories while flashlights illuminated eager faces, and waited with anticipation for letters from home at mail call. We’re still transported right back to adolescence by the scent of a campfire and the warm gooey drip of s’mores.

The summer camp experience instilled in us a sense of adventure, ignited by that first taste of freedom. Summer camp taught us about nature and our fellow campers, but most of all, it  taught us about ourselves. Truth be told, we’ve been chasing that summer camp high ever since.

As our nostalgia dials up cravings for simpler times, we’ve sought out one-of-a-kind destinations that recapture that same sense of freedom and adventure that only Texas can deliver. These spots have cultivated immersive outdoor experiences fit for the sophisticated grown-ups we’ve become.