A polar bear resting on a snowy ledge beside an overland rig with a rooftop tent and a campfire

Since 2022 · Always free

Come Camp.
Ride Trails., Have Fun., Share Stories., Make Friends.

Four camps a season100 free spots eachKS · AR · OK · MO
See the 2026–27 Season

The 2026–27 Season

Four camps a season. Free every time.

Dates for this season aren't set yet. This page updates itself the moment each campout is announced.

Camp 1

November

2026

Dates to be announced

100 free spots open up once the site is locked in.

Camp 2

January

2027

Dates to be announced

100 free spots open up once the site is locked in.

Camp 3

February

2027

Dates to be announced

100 free spots open up once the site is locked in.

Camp 4

March

2027

Dates to be announced

100 free spots open up once the site is locked in.

The Four Camps

One state a month, all winter.

Missouri patch

November

Missouri

The season opener, and usually the mildest of the four. Ozark hills, hardwood timber, and the first fire of the winter.

When
November, dates to be announced
Where
To be announced
Spots
100 free

Last held Nov 8–9, 2025. Spots open here once this year's date is set.

Camp set up in the timber
Camp set up in the timber
A frozen waterfall on the trail
A frozen waterfall on the trail
Oklahoma patch

January

Oklahoma

Deep winter and the coldest nights of the season. Big open country, red dirt, and the best star cover of the four.

When
January, dates to be announced
Where
To be announced
Spots
100 free

Last held Jan 10–11, 2026. Spots open here once this year's date is set.

Rigs camped below canyon walls
Rigs camped below canyon walls
Red dirt and mud on the trail
Red dirt and mud on the trail
Arkansas patch

February

Arkansas

Steep, rocky forest service roads through the Ozarks. Typically the most technical driving of the season.

When
February, dates to be announced
Where
To be announced
Spots
100 free

Last held Feb 14–15, 2026. Spots open here once this year's date is set.

Snow on a forest service trail
Snow on a forest service trail
A rig crossing water
A rig crossing water
Kansas patch

March

Kansas

The closer. Winter is loosening its grip by March, which makes this the easiest one to talk somebody into for their first camp.

When
March, dates to be announced
Where
To be announced
Spots
100 free

Last held Mar 14–15, 2026. Spots open here once this year's date is set.

Big Brutus at blue hour
Big Brutus at blue hour
Big Brutus lit up after dark
Big Brutus lit up after dark

The Club

Trails all day. Campfire all night.

We're a bunch of folks who'd rather be outside in the cold than sitting indoors. Four times a season we pick a spot, ride forest service trails all day, and end up around the same fire cooking dinner together.

Since 2022, across KS, AR, OK, MO. November, January, February and March. No program, no schedule to keep up with, nothing to buy.

Every camp is free, and always has been. Grab a spot so we know how many to expect. That's the only reason we hand out tickets at all. 100 per camp.

The Patches

Every camp earns a piece.

Show up to a campout and you go home with a patch. They aren't standalone. Each one is cut to lock into the others, and because the states border each other, the finished set builds out into a map.

Miss a camp and there's a gap in it. That's the whole idea.

A Wander Oklahoma patch resting in the snow
The four connecting Polar Bear Camping Club patches for Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas, locked together into a map
2nd Annual PBCC · Kansas · Missouri · Oklahoma · Arkansas

Past Camps

Where we've been.

Polar Bear Camp March 2026Mar 14–15, 2026Big Brutus Inc
Polar Bear Camp February 2026Feb 14–15, 2026Ahart's Grocery
Polar Bear Camp January 2026Jan 10–11, 2026116 Red Rock Canyon Rd
Missouri Camp November 2025 (Rocky Creek Conservation)Nov 8–9, 2025Missouri 106
October Polar Campout ArkansasOct 10–12, 2025Cass Arkansas