6th Annual · South Plains Region

All-American Campout

September 25–27, 2026

Museum of the American G.I. · College Station, Texas

The all-region campout at the Museum of the American GI — celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States. A Navigator/Adventurer-led weekend built for the Woodlands Trail: BB guns, archery, tomahawks, atlatls, shotgun trap, and a museum full of running tanks and living history.

How to register Event packet

Shirt & pin orders close: Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Pre-registration closes: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Fees

Flat per-person pricing — all ages, youth and adult alike.

Overnight camper

$45

Friday 3:00 pm through Sunday noon — the whole weekend, per person, all ages.

Saturday day visitor

$25

All of Saturday's activities and tours — per person, all ages.

Shotgun trap add-on

$25

Navigators, Adventurers & adults — 25 clay targets in a scheduled Saturday time slot.

Event shirt + pin

$25

Optional keepsake set. Order with your registration before the shirt deadline.

How to register

1Your troop RSVPs to the regional event on Trail Life Connect and completes the required troop paperwork there.
2Each family registers its attendees and pays on the region's Cheddar Up page — camping or Saturday-only, plus shotgun and shirt/pin add-ons.
3Day visitors may also register and pay on arrival Saturday, but pre-registering keeps our planning numbers honest.

The registration and payment link will be posted here soon — check back, or watch for the announcement through your troop.

Quick facts

When: September 25–27, 2026 · check-in Friday 3–9 pm or Saturday 7–10 am
Who: All registered Trailmen — Woodlands Trail, Navigators & Adventurers — plus adults
Meals: Bring your own, except Saturday dinner with your troop
Wristbands: Blue = overnight · Green = day visitor · Red = guided museum tour
Where: 19016 Highway 6, College Station, TX 77845 — open the map

Museum tours & the guided-tour drawing

★The museum is self-guided — go through at your own pace — with one exception below.
★The museum offers two guided tours of 30 people each (60 total). First-time visitors are entered into a drawing; the first 60 youth and parents drawn get a red wristband and a tour assignment.
★If you aren't selected, please give the guides and their groups room while the tours are running.

Getting there, check-in & camp life

Both campers and Saturday visitors use the same entrance — read this before you drive.

Finding the entrance

›Enter 0.2 miles before the museum, just past Santa's Wonderland — look for the “Blitzen Lot” parking sign.
›Overnight campers and Saturday visitors both use this same entrance (not the museum's front entrance).

Overnight campers · Friday 3:00–9:00 pm

›Drive through the day & overnight lots to the break in the tree line, following the parking signs — then park and walk up to check-in to keep the camp entrance clear.
›Turn in any paperwork at check-in before heading to your campsite.
›After check-in, drive to the campsite area, drop your gear, and return the vehicle to overnight parking right away.
›Overnight campers wear a blue wristband.

Saturday visitors · 7:00–10:00 am

›Same entrance and address as overnight camping.
›Park in the day parking lot and check in at the entrance.
›Day visitors wear a green wristband.
›Arriving outside check-in hours? Late-arrival details will be in the event packet.

Campsites

›Large troops get dedicated camping locations; smaller troops choose a site on arrival.
›Areas marked in red or hash marks are off-limits — do not enter.
›Tent camping by patrol/troop: set up a youth patrol area, a field kitchen, and an adult area. Troop trailers may park near the camping area; all cars go to the central lots.
›Grass is mowed just before the event but may still be tall — a weed whacker is a handy troop tool.
›Sunday check-out is noon: pack out all trash and leave the site cleaner than you found it. Leave No Trace.

Water, restrooms & power

›Campsites have no water or electricity — bring plenty of water, preferably in reusable bottles. Water spigots are by the buildings at the front of the property, and a potable-water buffalo serves the camping area.
›Portable restrooms are placed near the campsites and the museum. Please leave the museum restrooms to those needing accessible facilities.
›No showers on site — portable/field showers are welcome.
›Portable generators are allowed but must be off from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am. Camp is device-free for youth, so there's no recharging station.

Food

›Troops provide the Saturday evening meal; every other meal is bring-your-own (no food trucks).
›Plan coolers and ice for the weekend.
›Troop kit worth packing: chuck box / field kitchen, shade canopies, patrol flags, camping chairs, troop & USA flags with stands, caution tape and stakes, a troop first-aid kit, and water dispensers.

Activity stations

A Nav/Ad-led event serving the Woodlands Trail: Navigators and Adventurers run the stations in the morning, then rotate through with their own patrols in the afternoon. Stations are open — no sign-ups needed (shotgun trap is the one scheduled add-on).

BB guns

Woodlands Trailmen shoot Daisy Red Ryder and Buck BB guns after a safety briefing — fun paper targets plus metal spinners on the range.

Archery

Real compound bows and real arrows with target tips, with a safety briefing before anyone shoots.

Tomahawk throw

A quick safety briefing, then 3–4 tomahawks at a wooden target.

Atlatls

Throw darts with the ancient spear-thrower that turns your arm into a lever — more length, more energy, more speed.

Capture the flag

Up to 4 teams. Capture another team's flag and get it back to your base — ideal patrol vs. patrol.

Monkey bridge

Climb on and cross a rope bridge under tension. Trickier than it looks.

Milk crate race

Your whole patrol crosses the field standing on crates, passing the spare crate forward one step at a time.

Water balloon battle

One patrol defends the fort with water cannons; another attacks and tries to take it. Expect to get wet.

9 square

Work your way to the center square and hold it as long as you can — one hit per player, out of the top of your square.

Tug-o-war

Patrol vs. patrol — or Woodlands Trail vs. the adults. Pull them across the line.

Shotgun trap

$25 add-on

Navigators, Adventurers, and adults who sign up shoot 25 rounds at clay targets in scheduled Saturday time slots, in heats of 8 shooters. Safety briefing first; top Navigator and top Adventurer take home a prize. Sign-up happens with registration.

The shape of the weekend

DRAFT — sample schedule from a previous year. The final 2026 schedule will be published in the event packet closer to the campout.

Friday

3:00–9:00 pmCheck-in (overnight campers)Camp entrance
9:00 pmOfficers' conference (all Troop First Officers)Camp flag pole
9:30 pmFirst Officer debrief with troopCampsite
10:00 pmTAPS · quiet hours

Saturday

7:00–10:00 amCheck-in (day visitors)Camp entrance
8:30 amMorning colors & devotionalCamp flag pole
9:00 am–12:00 pmMorning activities (open stations)Near museum
12:00–1:00 pmLunch (bring your own)Campsite
1:00–4:30 pmAfternoon activities (open stations)Near museum
4:30–7:30 pmDinner with troopCampsite
7:30 pmEvening colorsCamp flag pole
8:30 pmMovie night — bring a chair, water, snacksNear museum
10:00 pmTAPS · quiet hours

Sunday

8:30 amMorning colorsMuseum flag pole
9:00 amChapel service — bring a chair and waterNear museum
11:00 am–12:00 pmCleanup & check-out — Leave No TraceCampsite

Uniforms: Troop/Travel uniform to and from camp · event shirt or Trail/Travel shirt during the day · formal troop uniform for flag ceremonies and chapel. New Trailmen without a uniform yet are absolutely still welcome.

Health, safety & camp rules

Health & safety

›Troops handle their own minor first aid and should have (and communicate) a first-aid procedure for their attendees.
›Every attendee needs a medical form signed for this year, on file with the troop.
›We follow Trail Life USA's Youth Protection Essentials — leaders, reinforce the 1-2-3 system with your Trailmen.
›Youth never leave the site without 2-deep supervision and troop leadership approval; anyone leaving must inform camp leadership in advance.
›For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 first. Event health & safety contacts will be published in the packet.

Knives & wood tools

›A Trailman may carry or use a knife only if he is a Navigator, Adventurer, or Mountain Lion AND holds a valid Woodsman card (Mountain Lions) or Wood Tools Trail badge (Nav/Ad).
›Mountain Lions without a Woodsman card may use a knife only under the constant supervision of a registered adult instructor.
›Fox and Hawk Trailmen may not possess a knife at a Trail Life event under any circumstances.
›Hatchets and axes only in an axe yard, following Wood Tools procedures.

Fires

›Ground fires are currently permitted — check for a burn ban before you come, and restore the ground when you leave.
›A fire outbreak here would endanger everyone: keep a bucket of water beside every propane stove and gas lantern, and consider a dedicated cooking area.
›Electric lanterns recommended. Never leave fires, stoves, or lanterns unattended.

Not at this campout

›Smoking, drugs, and alcohol.
›Personal firearms (per Trail Life USA policy — event ranges are run by certified staff).
›Youth devices — the campout is device-free for youth; unaccompanied youth may carry a phone for emergencies only.
›Drones, helicopters, and RC devices.
›Have room in your vehicle? Consider carpooling — and chip in for the driver's gas.

Hot-weather camping guide

Late September in Texas can still cook — set your Trailmen up to sleep cool and drink early.

Sleeping cool

›Big tent, breathable mesh, fewer people trapping heat.
›Rain fly off (weather permitting); pitch in shade — or rig a tarp a foot above the tent and drop the tent during the day.
›Battery fan (batteries may not last the night — bring spares).
›Frozen water pack at the foot of the bag; use a sleep liner instead of a sleeping bag.
›Go to bed a little later, once it cools.

During the day

›PRE-hydrate — starting to drink when you're already hot doesn't work.
›Wide-brim hat, sunscreen, sunglasses.
›Cool wet rag on the neck — evaporation works.
›Eat cooler food: fruit, veggies, salads, sandwiches.
›Canopy for shade and a breathable chair at camp.

Clothes

›Light, loose, sweat-wicking (merino or UV/sun shirts; caution with cotton).
›Long sleeves block sun; moisture-wicking socks.
›No open-toed shoes around camp.

Warning signs — act early

›Dark or infrequent urination, intense thirst, headache, weakness, dizziness, cramps, nausea, heavy sweating, fast pulse.
›Heat stroke: sweating stops, confusion, fast breathing, loss of consciousness.
›Treatment: move to a cool place, drink water or sports drinks, lie down with feet slightly raised, cool the skin with water and fanning, cold packs at armpits and neck.

Frequently asked questions

Who can attend?

This event is for registered Trailmen — Woodlands Trail (Fox, Hawk, Mountain Lion), Navigators, and Adventurers — plus adults. Adults camping overnight must be currently registered Trail Life USA adults; non-registered adults are welcome as Saturday day visitors (they don't count toward 2-deep leadership). Moms and female family members are welcome as Saturday day visitors — there is no female overnight camping at this event. Non–Trail-Life siblings can't attend.

What does it cost?

$45 per person to camp the weekend, or $25 per person to attend Saturday only — flat rates, all ages. Optional add-ons: shotgun trap for Navigators, Adventurers, and adults ($25) and the event shirt + pin ($25).

When is the registration deadline?

Shirt and pin orders close August 25 so they can be printed in time; pre-registration closes September 23. Day visitors may also register and pay on arrival Saturday, but pre-registration is strongly preferred so we can plan for accurate numbers.

Where do we sleep, and what should the troop bring?

Tent camping by patrol/troop: each troop campsite sets up a youth patrol area, a field kitchen, and an adult area. Youth may tent individually or as a patrol, and troop trailers may park near the camping area. Bring the troop kit: chuck box / field kitchen, field showers, shade canopies, patrol flags, camping chairs, troop & USA flags with stands, caution tape and stakes, a troop first-aid kit, and water dispensers.

What about food and water?

The troop provides Saturday dinner; every other meal is bring-your-own (plan coolers and ice — no food trucks). Campsites have no water or electricity: bring plenty of water, preferably reusable bottles. Water spigots are by the buildings at the front of the property, and a potable-water buffalo serves the camping area.

Restrooms, showers, power?

Portable restrooms are placed near the campsites and near the museum. No showers on site — portable/field showers are welcome. There's no power for recharging: camp is device-free for youth, and portable generators must be off between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am — so a CPAP needs its own battery plan.

Are campfires allowed?

Ground fires are currently permitted — check whether a burn ban is in effect before you come. Leave the ground exactly as you found it. Keep a bucket of water next to every propane stove or gas lantern, prefer electric lanterns, and never leave a fire unattended.

How do the museum tours work?

The museum is self-guided — go through at your own pace — with one exception: two guided tours of 30 people each (60 total). First-time visitors are entered into a drawing; those drawn get a red wristband and a tour assignment. If you aren't selected, please give the guides and their groups room while tours are running.

How does shotgun trap work?

Optional for Navigators, Adventurers, and adults ($25). Shooters sign up for a Saturday time slot; each slot runs in heats of 8. After a safety briefing, shooters rotate through 8 stations and fire 25 rounds at clay targets thrown straight out in front. Top Navigator and top Adventurer take home a prize.

What do we wear?

Troop or Travel uniform traveling to and from camp; the event shirt or a Trail/Travel shirt during the day; formal troop uniform for flag ceremonies and the worship service. New Trailmen who don't have a uniform or troop shirt yet are absolutely still welcome — come anyway.

What paperwork is required?

Every attendee needs a medical form signed for this year, kept on file with the troop, plus the event waiver with registration. Troops complete their event paperwork on the Trail Life Connect calendar event.

Can Woodlands Trailmen get advancement credit?

Ask your Ranger — troops we've talked to award one Hit the Trail activity plus several steps for the weekend (museum heritage + camping).

How do we stay in touch on site?

Radios are issued to event staff and to each troop for the weekend. Youth are device-free, so coordination runs through leaders.

When is the full packet coming?

The detailed event packet — final schedule, arrival maps, and contacts — is published around the start of September.

The event packet

Everything on this page as one clean, printable handout — pin it to the fridge, share it with your troop.

View & print the packet