Last year, more than 81 million Americans went camping. Of those, according to The Dyrt, a camping app with public and private campgrounds, RV parks and free camping locations across the country, more than four out of five camped either same amount or more than in prior years, despite high inflation impacting a variety of costs.
Those are a couple of the interesting stats in The Dyrt’s 2025 Camping Report, their comprehensive look at the latest trends, topics and figures for the camping industry. The results were compiled from surveys with The Dyrt’s own community, a sample of general U.S. residents, and camping property managers in all 50 states.
“For years,” writes The Dyrt’s founder Sarah Smith, “I’ve been saying that camping is an inflation-proof activity. Last year, that was really put to the test.”
“While some campers saved money by camping less, others increasingly turned to camping as a more affordable travel option,” she continued, “To see that more than 80% either camped more or the same shows how resilient our industry and community really are.”
One factor the study attributes to that retention is a decrease in the number of campground rate hikes. Unlike eggs, the percent of campgrounds increasing fees dropped from 45.3% in 2023 to 38.9% in 2024. In the groups that did raise rates, the number one reason was simple: inflation was hitting their purse strings as well.
At the beginning of the 2024 camping season, two costs, food and food, were causing many campers to rethink their plans. Finding inexpensive camping options was enough of a challenge that some cost-cutting campers tried to give boondocking a chance. Boondocking is a way to camp without the increased costs for campgrounds. In its simplest terms, it’s using the equipment you have and not relying on the hookups and amenities of campgrounds.
Instead of paying for an overnight stay in a campground, for example, boondockers are experts at finding places like Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lots where overnighting isn’t just permitted, it’s encouraged. Having used both in the past, it’s one way to stay in the comfort of your own rig while enjoying the relative safety of parking lots.
Visiting locations where campers are welcome offers the opportunity to see places you might otherwise not visit (top) like east Tennessee’s Sweetwater Valley Farms (top). Boondocking gives you the opportunity to see stars like these from Utah (bottom)
When you reach your destination, you simply set up your camp in a suitable spot. We’ve also used our Harvest Hosts membership to find interesting places from wineries to golf courses where we can spend 1-2 nights for free while sampling the local products.
Others turned to camping to get more bang from their travel bucks.
As a Colorado camper told The Dyrt, “I realized I hadn’t left my home state in more than a decade, and decided it was time to do something about that.”
The biggest obstacle?
“How expensive travel can be, especially when you’re staying in hotels. Inflation made that even worse, but by camping, I was able to afford trips to Moab, the Black Hills, and Ouray over the span of six months.”
During COVID, camping was seen as one way to get out in the fresh air, experience nature and still avoid close contact with people outside your immediate circle. I, for example, traveled from Tennessee to Rapid City, South Dakota without coming into contact with others. With enough food for the outdbound trip already onboard, I only stopped for fuel, rest breaks, a pump out of my black/gray water tanks and two overnights. With advance reservations, I didn’t need to check in at campgrounds, and never had to go anywhere inside other than my RV.
After COVID, the experience gained during that trip made camping simpler and more attractive. With memberships in popular camping resources like Harvest Hosts (link) we have taken advantage of free camping spots to visit local wineries, farms, and even golf courses. In exchange for the overnight camping privileges, hosts expect campers to sample their wares. It’s a great way to get the unique “flavors” of almost any area.
Seems we’re not the only people who have decided that camping really doesn’t have to mean being less than comfortable to experience the outdoors.
As always, we’ll keep you posted.
— Jim Shepherd