Registration is now open for CampingCon 2024! There is a flat rate of $80 for attendees or $40 for student attendees. Participation is limited to 40 attendees, so register soon to secure your spot! Registration will close September 2, 2024 or when we reach 40 attendees, whichever comes first.

Camp Thunderbird will also be available to conference attendees from noon on Wednesday, October 9 through 10:00 am on Sunday, October 13 for those who plan to arrive early or stay later to explore the Gila region. There is an additional minimum fee of $35 for either day.

NCPH members and non-members alike are invited to gather in southwestern New Mexico to discuss the concept of “wilderness” and the place of the great outdoors in public history work. The Gila Wilderness, brainchild of Aldo Leopold, celebrates its centennial year in 2024—and we're excited to celebrate it with you this October 10-12, 2024. The conference will be held at the rustic Camp Thunderbird in Mimbres, New Mexico, adjacent to the Gila National Forest. 

Featuring a mixture of presentations, site visits, and outdoor excursions, this conference in the woods will examine public outdoor spaces and the development of the “wilderness” idea. Participants are encouraged to engage with issues related to public history—both historic and contemporary—that occur in “outdoor settings” however defined. The event hopes to build on the work of previous CampingCons held in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016 and in the San Juan Island National Historical Park in 2019. 

Visit https://ncph.org/conference/campingcon-2024/ for more information! Camping Con 2024 is an NCPH mini-con sponsored by New Mexico State University, the New Mexico State University Library and Special Collections, and the University of Texas at El Paso.