Many people who go on family vacations stay in hotels or in rented homes or condos — or they stay with family members. But there is a significant group of people — tens of millions — who spend their time at family campgrounds, either sleeping in an RV or roughing it in a tent.
For the past several years, the number of people going camping has stayed pretty steady at around 40 million, and most of those people, about 70 percent of them, stay at public campgrounds. That might be family campgrounds at state parks or at campgrounds that are run as businesses.
While many people don’t mind roughing it when camping, staying in a tent, going to the bathroom outside and forgoing showers, many prefer to have camping amenities like bathrooms with running water and access to electricity. Some people also will pay extra to get other amenities, such as campgrounds with a pool. On the other hand, about half of people who go camping do it simply because they enjoy it and don’t need any special amenities. Though that doesn’t meant that they just sit in their tent or camper all day. Nearly nine out of 10 campers say they participate in multiple outdoor activities such as fishing or hiking on trails. And many people who visit a family campground bring their own activities along, such as games like lawn darts or cornhole.
The best time to take a family camping trip depends on where you are going and what your goals are. If you are camping in a tent, you don’t want to go at a time of the year when it is going to be very hot or very cold, because that can be very uncomfortable. Likewise, if your goal is to do outdoors activities such as fishing or hiking, you want good weather to be able to do those things. If you have a camper or RV or if the campground you are visiting has cabins, then the weather conditions may not matter as much.
Family camping vacations can be a good way to spend lots of time together while also getting a chance to spend time in nature. For many families, that is something they enjoy, but if you find the right family campgrounds with plenty of amenities, it can be a fun trip even for a family member who doesn’t particularly enjoy camping.
