Trail Life USA · South Plains Region

All-American Campout — Event Packet

September 25–27, 2026 · Museum of the American G.I. · College Station, Texas

18898 Hwy 6, College Station, TX 77845 · Map: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=18898+Hwy+6+College+Station+TX+77845

Fees & registration

Weekend camper	$17	Youth or adult — camping 1 or 2 nights, plus museum access. Only if your troop is attending.
Saturday day pass	$12	Youth or adult — all of Saturday's activities and the museum tour.
Commemorative shirt + pin	$17	This year's shirt is a form of camo. Order by September 8 — add the item once per shirt (especially for different sizes).
Trap shooting add-on	$25	Navigators, Adventurers & Guidons who help run the events. Limited capacity — first come, first served.

Shirt & pin orders close: Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Overnight registration closes: Sunday, September 20, 2026

IMPORTANT — campers: confirm with your Troop leadership that your troop is attending BEFORE you register. There is no individual camping; troops camp together with their own 2-deep leadership. (Day visitors may attend without troop approval.)
Register and pay on the region's Cheddar Up page — add one item for each person attending (camper or day pass), plus any shirt/pin and trap-shooting add-ons. The property waiver is signed right in Cheddar Up: each adult signs for themselves, and a parent signs for each child.
Day visitors may also register and pay on arrival Saturday, but pre-registering keeps our planning numbers honest.

›No refunds under any circumstances after payment / registration.
›Payment tip: choose e-check at checkout and the processing fee is just $0.59 — cards cost 3.59% + $0.59.
›Registration after September 8 has no guarantee of a camp t-shirt or event pin.

Quick facts

When: September 25–27, 2026 · arrive Friday from 3 pm · depart by Sunday noon
Who: All registered Trailmen, Woodlands Trail through Adventurers. Any troop adult, parent, or grandparent may attend Saturday as a day visitor; male adults may camp overnight with their troop (per the troop's camping and membership requirements). No female camping.
Troops: Camping is by troop — no individual campers. Each troop brings everything it needs to camp and provides minimum 2-deep adult leadership per TLUSA guidelines.
Food: No food is provided — troops are responsible for all their own food.

Getting there, check-in & camp life

Finding the entrance & parking

›Arrival address: 18898 Hwy 6 — the Santa's Wonderland entrance, 0.2 miles before the museum. Look for the “Blitzen Lot” parking sign. Do NOT use the museum's own parking entrance.
›Overnight campers and Saturday visitors both use this same entrance.
›ALL parking is in the Blitzen Lot. Campers park in the SOUTH part of the lot; day visitors park in the NORTH part and enter near the front of the property, level with the museum.

Check-in times

›Friday (overnight campers): 3:00–9:00 pm — DRIVE-THROUGH check-in at the ticket booths in the Blitzen lot (C1 on the map). There will be two lines. Stay in your vehicle; you'll get wristbands and each Trailman gets a blank dog tag.
›After Friday check-in, drive to the campsite area, drop your gear, and return the vehicle to the parking lot right away. One vehicle attached to a troop trailer may stay at the campsite for the whole campout.
›Friday late arrivals: just check in Saturday morning.
›Saturday (day visitors): 7:00–10:00 am at check-in point C2, near the front of the property — you'll get a wristband and a blank dog tag too. Late arrivals: reach Camp Director Charles Galler through your troop POC.

Wristbands

›Everyone wears their check-in wristband for the entire event — the museum is open to the public, and station leads check for wristbands before letting Trailmen participate.
›Blue = overnight camper. Red = selected for a guided museum tour.

Campsites

›Camping is by troop and by patrol — camping areas for the largest troops are assigned at check-in.
›Troops are expected to camp using the Patrol Method: patrol flags, chants, and yells are strongly encouraged.
›Hammocking? Troops camp together, so hammock spots are very unlikely at your assigned campsite — plan on a tent.
›Areas marked in red or hash marks are off-limits — do not enter.
›Sunday check-out is noon at the latest, and each troop checks out with the youth officers: pack out all trash and leave the site cleaner than you found it. Leave No Trace.

Water, restrooms & power

›There is a water point for filling containers near the museum; a NON-potable water buffalo may be closer to the camping area. Bring plenty of drinking water in reusable containers.
›Porta-potties are located near the campsites and in the activity area (R1 and R2 on the map).
›Hand-wash stations: one in the front activity area near the dog tag stamping tent (you can refill water bottles there too), and one by the porta-potties in the camping area (hand washing only).
›Trash: the museum has only a small dumpster — please pack out your trash.
›No electricity at the campsites, and camp is device-free for youth. Portable generators must be off from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am — a CPAP needs its own battery plan.
›No showers on site — portable/field showers are welcome.

Food & troop gear

›No food is provided — troops are responsible for all food requirements, all weekend. Plan coolers and ice.
›A snow cone truck (Tikiz Ice) will be on site Saturday 3:00–5:00 pm in the museum parking lot for individual purchases.
›Troops bring everything required for their camping: chuck box / field kitchen, shade canopies, patrol flags, camping chairs, troop & USA flags with stands, a troop first-aid kit, and water dispensers.

The museum & guided tours

›Museum entry is included with every registration — campers and day visitors alike. Tours are self-guided, with one exception below.
›The museum will run THREE guided tours of 30 people each (90 total). First-time visitors (as answered at registration) go into a drawing; the 90 selected youth and parents get a red wristband, a tour assignment, and an email a few days before camp. If you're not selected, please give the guides and their groups room.
›NEW: shoot an M1 Garand! The museum sells tickets in the gift shop — $10 (normally $20) for 8 blank rounds, ages 8 and up including adults, fired in the motor pool area behind the museum.
›General museum info: americangimuseum.org (link below).

Event map

Check-in

C1Fri check-in (drive-through at the ticket booths — stay in your vehicle)
C2Sat check-in (Saturday morning — top of the Blitzen Lot)

Shooting & throwing ranges

THTomahawk
BBBB Guns
ARArchery
SSSlingshots
STShotgun (trap)
M1M1 Garand ($10 · tickets at the gift shop)

Field games

9S9 Square
GGGaga Ball (open play — self-run)
ATArchery Tag
MBMonkey Bridge
WBWater Balloon Battle
ALAtlatl
TWTug-o-war (bracket — Sat 6:30 pm)

Facilities

DTDog Tag Stamp
SCSnow cones (Sat 3–5 pm · museum lot)
WRRefill (drinking water · hand-wash station near the dog tag tent)
R1Restrooms (activity field)
R2Restrooms (camping)
HWHand wash (by the camping porta-potties — hand washing only)
EMNavAd Employment (morning station assignments for Navigators & Adventurers)

Flag ceremonies

MFMuseum Flag
FPCamp Flag

Zones

Campsites — campsites are assigned at check-in — no reserved spots.
Prohibited — do not enter
Blitzen Lot parking (day visitors north · campers south)

Zoomable on your phone at tlusa-sp.com/aac/map — or scan:

Volunteer positions

It takes a lot of adults to run a field day this size. Please consider signing up for a volunteer position when you register — they're free items on the same Cheddar Up page.

Parking · Check-in · Tomahawk supervision · Dog tag stamp station · Slingshot supervision · BB gun supervision

Schedule

Friday

3:00–9:00 pm	Check-in (overnight campers) — Camp entrance
9:00 pm	Officers' conference & shirt distribution to POCs (all Troop First Officers and POCs) — Camp flag pole
9:30 pm	First Officer debrief with troop — Campsite
10:00 pm	TAPS · quiet hours

Saturday

7:00–10:00 am	Check-in (day visitors) — C2 — front of property
8:30 am	Morning colors & devotional — Camp flag pole
9:00 am–12:00 pm	Morning activities (open stations) — Near museum
12:00–1:00 pm	Lunch (bring your own) — Campsite
1:00–4:00 pm	Afternoon activities (open stations) — Near museum
3:00–5:00 pm	Tikiz Ice — snow cones for purchase — Museum parking lot
4:00–5:00 pm	Tear down — all hands help put away event equipment — Activity area
6:30 pm	Tug-o-war bracket competition — Near the flags
7:30 pm	Evening colors — Camp flag pole
8:30 pm	Movie: Follow Me Boys — bring a chair, water, snacks — Camping area, near flag pole
8:30 pm	Shotgun cleaning — about 20 Navigators/Adventurers who want to learn; sign up anytime at the NavAd Employment table (EM) — Shotgun range
10:00 pm	TAPS · quiet hours

Sunday

8:30 am	Morning colors — Camp flag pole
9:00 am	Worship service — bring a chair and water — Camp flag pole
11:00 am–12:00 pm	Cleanup & check-out (after worship) — Leave No Trace; check out with the youth officers — Campsite

Uniforms: Troop uniform is required for the morning/evening flag ceremonies and the chapel service; Travel/Trail uniform all other times. New Trailmen without a uniform yet are absolutely still welcome.

Activity stations

The field day events are geared toward Woodlands Trail Trailmen. Navigators and Adventurers run the stations and keep them fun and on schedule — and probably enjoy the events just as much. There will also be formal flag ceremonies, a movie on Saturday night, and a worship service on Sunday morning.

Tomahawk toss: A quick safety briefing, then throw tomahawks at a wooden target.
BB gun shooting: Woodlands Trailmen shoot Daisy Red Ryder and Buck BB guns after a safety briefing — about 15 minutes on the line, with a fun paper target to pick plus metal spinners on the range.
Archery: Real compound bows and real arrows with target tips — full-size bows plus some mini bows — with a safety briefing before anyone shoots.
Slingshots: A supervised slingshot range shooting at targets like tin pie pans — simple, classic, and harder than it looks.
Archery tag: Two teams in face masks shooting special padded-tip arrows at each other. Timed rounds so everyone rotates through — go once, and if you want another run, check back in the afternoon.
Atlatl: Throw darts with the ancient spear-thrower that turns your whole arm into a lever — extra length, extra energy, surprising speed.
Monkey bridge: Climb on and cross a rope bridge slung between two trees. Ropes under tension — trickier than it looks.
Water balloon battle: One patrol defends the fort with water cannons while 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. Runs itself, all day.
Dog tag stamping: Every Trailman gets a blank dog tag at check-in — bring it to the stamping tent any time and punch designs and wording with real metal stamps. 24 stamping stations this year (up from 6).
Tug-o-war bracket: New this year: a bracketed tug-o-war competition Saturday at 6:30 pm near the flags, before evening colors and the movie. Team sign-ups go through your troop POC.
…and more: See photos and videos from a previous event at the link below.
Trap shooting ($25 add-on): Back again this year: some Navigators, Adventurers, and Guidons who help run the events will have the opportunity to shoot shotguns in a game of trap. Shotguns are provided in 12 and 20 gauge — you pick your gauge when you register so the right ammo is purchased (no personal firearms or ammunition). Limited capacity — add it to your registration before the spots are gone.

Health, safety & camp rules

Health & safety

›Every troop appoints a Troop Health & Safety lead for this event.
›Troops handle their own minor first aid and should have (and communicate) a first-aid procedure for their attendees.
›Each troop is responsible for having a copy of every participant's medical form available — plus the property waiver, signed during Cheddar Up registration (adults for themselves, a parent for each child).
›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 the H&S lead and Camp Director in advance.
›For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 first. For serious issues that don't need 911, find the Event H&S Lead, Justin Austin — any station lead or troop POC can reach him by radio.

Weapons policy (adults)

›Trail Life USA's weapons policy applies — link below.
›South Plains Region addition: at region/area events your concealed-carry firearm must be ON YOUR PERSON. Whenever it isn't (sleeping, swimming, etc.), it must be in a LOCKED SAFE — a trigger lock is not sufficient — secured by wired security cable to a permanent, heavy, or bulky object. Manual or electronic lock is fine (example safe linked below).

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

›Brazos County is currently UNDER a burn ban, so campfires are NOT permitted unless it is lifted — check the latest status at the county burn-ban link below before you come. If the ban is lifted, ground fires are allowed.
›If fires are allowed, they must be in a below-ground fire pit or a raised fire pit, with a 5-foot radius of clearance.
›Keep a bucket of water beside every propane stove and gas lantern, prefer electric lanterns, and never leave a fire unattended. Restore the ground when you leave.

Not at this campout

›Smoking, drugs, and alcohol.
›Firearms — do not bring any (per Trail Life USA policy). Every firearm for the shotgun and BB gun ranges is provided, and the ranges are run by certified staff.
›Youth devices — the campout is device-free for youth; unaccompanied youth may carry a phone for emergencies only, with permission from their troop POC.
›Drones, helicopters, and RC devices.
›Have room in your vehicle? Consider carpooling — and chip in for the driver's gas.

Hot-weather camping guide

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.