Wilderness Cooking School: Campsite Cooking Fall

Have you ever noticed that when you are out in the wilderness, everything tastes better? Back in the days of the Wild West, Dutch ovens were like gold. They were that important. No matter where their travels took them, all they needed was some hot coals and dinner was in the making. Nowadays, the mere thought of trying to survive in the wild sends shivers down people’s spines. The thing is, pretty much anything you make at home in the traditional oven and on the stovetop can be made in the wild in a Dutch oven. Bread? No problem. Pie? Absolutely. Stew? A no-brainer. The founders and cookbook authors of Dirty Gourmet will be with you to teach culinary techniques with an emphasis on cast iron, campfire, and propane stove cooking. You will also learn practical tips and tricks to ensure that cooking is an enjoyable and memorable part of the overall outdoor experience.

Want to document your camping adventure like a pro? After dinner, professional photographer Scott Klinger will go through the basics of night photography to enable you to document your campfire creations and outdoor adventures. You will go through the operations and settings required to get the most out of your camera at night and in dim light. The class will talk about the popular types of night photography particularly at Joshua Tree including, wide-field astrophotography, glowing tents, light painting and more and then Scott will walk participants through getting some great shots of their campfire experience. Tripods and a manually adjustable DSLR camera are required to participate in the photography component.

To create a good appetite, hikes with Lew Kingman are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday.

Lost Horse campground has been reserved for Friday, October 28 for those who wish to camp a day early. Please contact us at 760-819-4714 if you wish access to the campground on Friday.

We are here to answer your questions!  Class size limited to 12 participants, so sign up early!

Please download the course outline:  

Hike Level: 

If you are a member of JTNPA you will get a $10 discount off every Desert Institute class. If you are not a member you can become one 

Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel, notify us at least seven days prior to the start of the course and we will process your request minus a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds, transfers, or credits will be granted if cancellation occurs within the seven day period. Please note that we cannot make any exceptions to this refund policy for any reason, including but not limited to medical reasons, illness, travel delays, personal situations, emergencies, or weather. This program depends on registration for its funding. While inconvenient, please understand that this policy enables us to sustain our programs even with last minute cancellations.

EMILY NIELSON AND MAI-YAN KWAN, along with their partner Aimee, started Dirty Gourmet in 2010 after a bike tour across Canada and years living and working in the wilderness. The goal was to provide a resource for delicious camping recipes online, which was something the world lacked at the time. Since then, they have grown the business to include camp catering, camp cooking workshops, and a bestselling cookbook, Dirty Gourmet: Food for Your Outdoor Adventures. They are now working on a second book and continuing to provide tips and tricks to get more people excited about making food a part of their outdoor adventures.

SCOTT KLINGER is a professional photographer, filmmaker and educator with over 15 years of experience. Scott’s photographs and films have been exhibited throughout the world. Recent screenings include 66th Festival de Cannes and the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. Recent exhibitions include LAXART in Los Angeles, Anfiteatro Arte in Milan, and La Generale en Manufacture in Paris. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Art. He currently lives in San Diego, CA and is an Associate Professor of Photographic Technology at Palomar College.

LEW KINGMAN is a retired fire fighter and worked for the Palm Springs Desert Museum as a hike leader for 8 years. He volunteers with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue for 25 years and Joshua Tree National Park as an archaeological site steward and a lead field class leader for the Desert Institute.

Host or Publisher Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park