The Great American Backyard Campout Starts This Weekend

It’s time to break out the hiking boots and stock up on marshmallows, because the Great American Backyard Campout is happening this weekend.

Created to get kids outside and playing in nature, the Backyard Campout is a way for families and friends all over the country to connect with nature.

Maryland has dedicated nine state parks for the event. Participants can create camping teams and ask friends to donate money to their camping trip. The National Wildlife Federation uses 80 cents of every dollar raised to fund programs to battle kids staying indoors and the health problems associated with it.

The participating state parks are Deep Creek Lake, New Germany, Dan’s Mountain, Cunningham Falls, Patapsco, Elk Neck, Sandy Point, Point Lookout and Pocomoke River.

Each of Maryland’s participating parks will have activities for the teams, like swimming, s’more making and sing-alongs.

Cunningham Falls and New Germany will only be participating in the event on June 25, while the other parks will be doing both June 25 and 26.

Teams are asked to come up with team names and are not required to raise any money, though $100 is encouraged. Teams can win fundraising prizes like hats, T-shirts and blankets.

Teams should register online before the event, and each team will be given a personal URL for online donations. The National Wildlife Federation will accept donations until July 31. The Web sites can also be used to share camping stories and photos with friends.

Registration is free through the National Wildlife Federation. Some parks have camping fees of between $5 and $25, so be sure to check online before going to the park.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly named the National Wildlife Federation. We regret the error.