a small outdoor fire for warmth or cooking (as at a camp)
"We gathered around the crackling campfire to roast marshmallows and keep warm under the stars."
A fire at a campground or on a camping trip, often used for cooking, to provide light and heat, to drive away bugs, and as a focal point for sitting around in the evening and talking, telling stories, and singing.
"The group gathered around the crackling campfire to roast marshmallows while sharing spooky tales under the starlit sky."