Enjoy the great outdoors from the bear-free comfort of your own backyard! With many vacations and traditional summertime events canceled or altered this year, the Ames Parks and Recreation Department is encouraging families across the community to celebrate the outdoors in a safe and socially distanced way with a Backyard Campout on Saturday, July 25.

Camping in your backyard may not be quite like camping in Yosemite National Park, but it does have some advantages – close proximity to indoor plumbing, no bears, and you don’t need any special gear. No tent? No problem. Drape a blanket or tarp over chairs. No backyard? Still no problem. Just set up your makeshift tent in your living room. For more backyard campout ideas, visit www.nwf.org/Great-American-Campout/

Share your Backyard Campout with us – post photos and videos of your camping experiences and tag Ames Parks and Recreation and/or City of Ames (@AmesParksRecreation and @CityofAmes) on Facebook.