Camp Philosophy (CP) is a gathering for friends who enjoy philosophy, good company, beautiful places, and conversations that go well beyond small talk.
Each year, we camp somewhere worth exploring, cook great food together, hike and photograph the surrounding landscape, visit interesting local places, and spend the week talking about whatever genuinely captures our attention. There are no lectures, formal seminars, or rigid schedules. The philosophy happens naturally—around the campfire, over breakfast, on the trail, beneath the night sky, or while sharing a drink after a long day.
Our conversations often wander through ethics, metaethics, moral and political philosophy, epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of science, logic, physics, metaphysics, astronomy, emerging technology, artificial intelligence, extraterrestrial life, and the larger questions surrounding existence. No particular academic background is required—only curiosity, intellectual honesty, and an appreciation for thoughtful disagreement.
At its core, Camp Philosophy is about briefly stepping away from ordinary responsibilities, exploring remarkable places, and enjoying the company of people who find philosophy genuinely exciting and worth thinking about.
Join us for the next trip and expect a week of excellent camp food, memorable scenery, interesting conversations, and great new people.
How It Works
- June/July – Trip planning begins (location chosen)
- August – Invites gets sent out (request for RSVP)
- September – RSVP Camper list is completed / Menu and food list gets put together
- October (early) – Final preparations
- October (end) or November (beginning) – CAMP!
We typically start planning our yearly trip in mid-summer (June, July, August) and almost always wind up camping at the end of October or the beginning of November. These are “car camping” trips (no “hiking-in” is required but most of us do love hiking and exploring new and unfamiliar areas and landscapes). We have a WhatsApp group where we coordinate things and often do Google meets to iron out details and get ahead of any potential snags. Contrary to common belief, these trips do take a good amount of planning and thinking ahead! Camp trips are normally about 7 days long but some campers choose to stay only a few days (which is totally fine with us). By early August we announce the location and then begin sending out invites via email, text, WhatsApp, and through our Discord Server. We pay ahead of time to reserve the camp spots (usually 2-4 sites side-by-side in order to fit all campers comfortably). Food is provided (unless you have very specific dietary needs). If you are invited, and you plan to join us for a trip, we ask for donations to offset our costs. A normal trip costs us around $1,000-$1,500 to put together (food, camp spot reservations, firewood, etc.). All who RSVP are given access to our shared yearly camp spreadsheet which contains all necessary camp information as well as what will be on the menu for each day. Special food requests are always welcome (and you can bring your own food/drinks too but it’s not required). We also carry tons of extra camping gear (tents, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, etc.). So if you are interested in going but don’t have enough gear chances are we have you covered.
Once arriving at camp, we setup our sleeping areas and then our shade canopy and “kitchen” area which contains multiple fold out tables. After that, we’ll hear a squawk of the Camp Philosophy chicken and let the good times roll!
Note: None of us are professional philosophers, though some do hold degrees in philosophy or the professional sciences. However, we are a group who loves to think about and discuss the deeper topics of life, reality, and the cosmos. In addition, most of us in the group would consider themselves “humanist” (to one degree or another).
