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Best Family Camping Tents 2026
We tested seven family camping tents over about 60 nights, from the Utah desert to the Oregon coast, with kids from one to ten. The North Face Wawona 6 is our top pick, the NEMO Aurora Highrise 6 is the runner-up, and the Kelty Wireless 6 is the budget buy. Here's which one fits your family.
REI Co-op Westward 6 — Family Camping Tent Review
A week on the Arkansas River with a family of four, kids playing in the vestibule's shade every afternoon. Great for summer. Pick something else for rainy country.
Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 — Family Camping Tent Review
It pitches in under five minutes, stayed dry through a desert lightning storm, and once blew down a mountain because we didn't guy it out. Lesson learned.
REI Co-op Base Camp 6 — Family Camping Tent Review
A group of ten-year-olds pitched it and slept in it all on their own. With a full fly and 14 pockets, it's the tent we trust when the forecast turns bad.
Kelty Wireless 6 — Family Camping Tent Review
Our backyard tent, and the one the kids are allowed to wear out. It pitches fast and costs about half what premium tents do. Just keep it to fair weather.
NEMO Aurora Highrise 6 — Family Camping Tent Review
It stayed pitched in sandy soil through a desert river thunderstorm, and the family in it had never camped in wind like that. The catch: getting it back in the bag.
The North Face Wawona 6 — Family Camping Tent Review
A front porch with a tent attached. The Wawona 6 swallowed our bikes, chairs, and toys during a rainstorm. Just practice the setup at home before your first trip.
How to Hike With a Toddler and Actually Enjoy It
A toddler's version of hiking is not a smaller version of your hike. It's a different activity that happens to use the same trail. Here's how to plan for the one you're actually going to get.
How to Dress Kids for Snow and Cold Weather: A Layering Guide
A kid melting down outside in the cold is almost never a tolerance problem. It's a layering problem. Here's the system that actually keeps them warm, dry, and willing to stay outside.
6 Things We Love That Make Car Camping With Kids Straight Bougie
Six things that make car camping with kids feel less like survival and more like glamping: a kids' picnic table, a durable light-up vest, a sand-free mat, the ultimate cuddle chair, an anywhere-hammock setup, and waterproof solar string lights.
