Trail Journal Sketching

What you need

• A small notebook or sketchpad
• A pencil and a black pen
• Optional: a small set of colored pencils or watercolors

How to play

1. 1.Find a spot alone — a log, a flat rock, the picnic table — within sight of camp.
2. 2.Set a 30-minute timer. Do not check it.
3. 3.Pick one subject: a tree, the fire pit, the view from your seat. Sketch it loosely. The goal is observation, not realism.
4. 4.Add three written notes: a sound you hear, a smell, a thought you want to remember.
5. 5.Date the page. That is the entry.

What success looks like

A finished page in the journal — sketch plus notes.

Variations

• Two-page spread: left side sketch, right side full written entry.
• Group share: at the end, each person reads one note (not the sketch) aloud.
• Daily streak: same activity each evening of a multi-night trip — see how the entries evolve.

Safety notes

• Stay within shouting distance of camp.
• Pack out everything — including pencil shavings.