Camping Statistics You Should Know Before Your Next Adventure

Family summer camp

Camping vacations are some of the most popular vacations families take in order to reconnect with nature and each other. There’s nothing more relaxing than kicking back and getting away from technology and civilization. The beauty behind camping is that there are endless ways to do it and make each experience unique. Read on for some little known facts and statistics behind camping.

  • One of the most popular things for American families to do is camping vacations. In 2011 alone, 42.5 million people spent 543.9 million days camping combined. On average, campers went on camping vacations five times per year, and travelled about 191 miles from their home to where they camped.
  • 70% of camping is done in public campgrounds.
  • 28% of RV campers spend five or more nights on a trip, meaning they tend to have the longest outings since 70% of tent campers tend to only spend one or two nights per outing.
  • Most campers (87%) enjoy multiple outdoor activities, with 92% of people saying they hiked.
  • About 70% of the time, campers include their friends in their plans.
  • A survey found that 86% of people went tent camping, 33% did cabin camping, 30% did backcountry/backpacking, 26% used a drive-up campsite, 24% went in an RV, 11% camped out in their backyard, 8% slept under the stars, and 2% slept in a yurt.
  • Products are considered bear proof if they survive 60 minutes of direct contact.
  • Campers spent nearly $1.5 billion on camping equipment in 2014.
  • In 2013, it was estimated that campgrounds and RV parks made almost $5 billion in revenue.
  • More than 100,000 wildfires occur every year in the U.S. alone, so make sure to put your campfires completely out!
  • If you’re camping somewhere that has bears, be aware that they have an acute sense of smell and can run up to 35 miles per hour.
  • There are so many different ways to camp that there almost isn’t an excuse to not go! Whether you’re “outdoorsy” or not, there’s an option for you. So what are you waiting for? Go on your next adventure!