Campground statistics span several different measures: people camping, overnight stays, available sites, accommodation choices, revenue and reported business outcomes. The figures below focus mainly on U.S. National Park Service (NPS) and North American measures, with periods and definitions stated so that estimates, surveys and forecasts are not confused with one another.
Key Campground Statistics
These highlights capture the most broadly useful figures in the detailed sections:
- Approximately 56 million forest campers were estimated in 2000 in the United States, up from 13 million in the 1960s.
- More than 175 million recreational visits per year were estimated for U.S. national forests, covering all national-forest recreation rather than campground-only visits.
- NPS RV overnight visits recorded a 1.5% CAGR from 2010 to 2018, in the NPS camping-type comparison.
- Tent-camper overnight visits recorded a 1.1% CAGR from 2010 to 2018, in the NPS camping-type comparison.
- The share of campers preferring proximity to a local attraction rose from 30% to 39% between 2017 and 2018, in a North American camping survey.
- Location was a selection factor for 30% of national-campground selectors in 2018, according to the survey measure.
- Tent camping was the primary accommodation for 59% of campers nationally in 2018, according to the national camping survey.
- Tent camping was primary for 65% of state-park campers in 2018, compared with 46% of private-campground campers.
- RVs represented 17% of primary accommodation use at national parks in 2018, with all RV types combined.
- The U.S. glamping market was forecast to reach $1 billion by 2024, according to the third-party forecast reproduced by the NPS.
- Pacific West NPS regions recorded 3,098,431 tent-and-RV overnight nights in 2018, alongside 3,845 front-country sites.
- The NPS report calculated 598 nights per front-country site in the Intermountain region in 2018, a derived comparison rather than a conventional occupancy rate.
- Median concessioner campground occupancy was estimated at 58% in the 2019 analysis, based on an incomplete financial-report dataset.
- Total NPS camping revenue was $36,186,864 in 2019, covering NPS camping revenue categories rather than the entire campground industry.
- NPS reservation camping revenue reached $23,709,496 in 2019, compared with $13,166,572 in 2013.
- Parks Canada campgrounds accommodated 850,000 occupied nights in 2018, not unique campers or person-nights.
- More than 78% of parks in an ARVC-reported 2018 sample recorded increased occupancy, while the sample also reported increased rates and profits.
Contents
- Participation scale and long-term campground trends
- Camper preferences and location choice
- Accommodation statistics: tents, RVs, cabins and glamping
- Regional demand, supply and occupancy
- Campground revenue and reservation growth
- Public and private campground operations
Campground Participation Statistics and Long-Term Trends
Historical estimates show that outdoor camping participation expanded substantially over the second half of the twentieth century, although the measures are not identical to modern campground bookings.
- The USDA Forest Service estimated that forest campers grew from 13 million in the 1960s to approximately 56 million in 2000 in U.S. forest camping. These are rounded historical estimates and do not represent all campground users. (Trends in developed forest camping)
- National forests attracted more than 175 million recreational visitors per year in the study context published in 2016. The figure covers all national-forest recreation, not campground-only visits. (If you build it, will they come?)
The NPS camping-type series provides a later directional view for 2010–2018. Its reported compound annual growth rates distinguish tent and RV overnight visits from miscellaneous stays.
| NPS camping measure | Period | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Concessioner camping overnight visits | 2010–2018 | 0.3% CAGR |
| Tent-camper overnight visits | 2010–2018 | 1.1% CAGR |
| RV overnight visits | 2010–2018 | 1.5% CAGR |
| Miscellaneous overnight stays | 2010–2018 | -5.2% CAGR |
The miscellaneous category is not equivalent to campground stays, and the NPS report notes that shutdown effects were not isolated in the comparison. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
Campground Preferences and Location-Choice Data
Campground selection is influenced by setting and access, but survey results vary by campground type. In a North American camping survey, the share preferring proximity to a local attraction increased from 30% to 39% between 2017 and 2018; this is a preference measure, not causal evidence.
| Selection factor | National park campgrounds | Private campgrounds | State park campgrounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere | 22% | 25% | 23% |
| Location | 30% | 19% | 26% |
| Quality | 18% | Not supplied | Not supplied |
| Wi-Fi | 8% | 4% | Not supplied |
These are 2018 survey percentages for the stated selector populations. Quality is a selection factor, not a measured quality score, and Wi-Fi reflects stated preference rather than availability. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
The differences matter when interpreting demand: a location percentage for national-campground selectors should not be treated as a universal ranking of campground attributes. Survey percentages describe respondents or users in the named populations and should not be generalized beyond them.
Campground Accommodation Statistics: Tents, RVs, Cabins and Glamping
Tent camping remained the primary accommodation for 59% of campers nationally in 2018. The corresponding shares varied across national parks, state parks and private campgrounds.
| Camping setting | Tent primary accommodation | Other supplied accommodation result |
|---|---|---|
| National camping survey | 59% | — |
| National park campgrounds | 53% | RVs 17%; full-service cabins with bathrooms 15% |
| State park campgrounds | 65% | — |
| Private campgrounds | 46% | — |
The values describe primary accommodation use, not the share of each campground’s inventory. The NPS analysis also estimated that towables represented more than 85% of the U.S. RV market around 2019, which is an RV market-composition estimate rather than campground occupancy. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
Glamping was measured separately from the accommodation shares above. A third-party forecast reproduced by the NPS projected the U.S. glamping market to reach $1 billion by 2024 and implied more than 15% CAGR from 2018 to 2024; both figures are forecasts, not observed outcomes. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
Regional Campground Demand, Supply and Occupancy Statistics
NPS regional data for 2018 show substantial variation in tent-and-RV overnight nights and front-country sites. The reported site counts are supply indicators, while nights are observed use measures.
| NPS region | Tent-and-RV overnight nights, 2018 | Front-country sites |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 80,211 | 80 |
| Intermountain | 2,632,111 | 4,399 |
| Midwest | 637,710 | 1,235 |
| Northeast | 516,196 | 1,607 |
| National Capital | 76,855 | 56 |
| Pacific West | 3,098,431 | 3,845 |
| Southeast | 893,527 | 3,298 |
The same report calculated 1,003 nights per front-country site in Alaska and 598 nights per site in the Intermountain region. These are derived comparisons, not conventional occupancy rates; some calculations assume comparable availability days, and available site nights were not supplied for every region. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
For concessioner campgrounds, median occupancy was estimated at 58% in the 2019 analysis. The estimate came from an incomplete financial-report dataset, so it should not be read as a complete NPS-wide occupancy rate.
NPS defines an overnight stay as one night in a park by a visitor. Preliminary park data can be revised, and not every unit reports official statistics. (VUStats FAQ – Social Science)
Campground Revenue Statistics and Reservation Growth
NPS camping revenue increased in the reported series from 2013 to 2019, but the report cautions that revenue growth cannot be separated into inventory growth versus demand growth because historical available inventory was not consistently defined.
| NPS camping revenue measure | 2013 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Total NPS camping revenue | $24,958,502 | $36,186,864 |
| Reservation camping revenue | $13,166,572 | $23,709,496 |
| Non-reservation camping revenue | $11,791,930 | $12,477,367 |
The report calculated a 7.8% CAGR for total NPS camping revenue from 2013 to 2018, an 11.0% CAGR for reservation camping revenue, and a 3.7% CAGR for non-reservation camping revenue. These rates are not adjusted for inflation or capacity. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
Recreation.gov represented 64% of total NPS camping revenue in 2019 under the report’s portal classification. Pacific West reservation camping revenue was $7,430,266 in 2019, a regional reservation measure rather than total regional campground revenue. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)
Public and Private Campground Industry Statistics in North America
Public agencies and private networks report different types of scale. Parks Canada managed 110 campgrounds and 12,000 campsites in the 2018 analysis, within 222 managed units across national parks, historic sites and marine areas.
- Parks Canada welcomed more than 25 million person-visitors per year in the 2018 analysis, covering all visitors rather than campground guests only.
- Parks Canada campgrounds accommodated 850,000 occupied nights in 2018, a measure of occupied nights rather than unique campers or person-nights.
- Jellystone Park Camp Resorts had 79 campgrounds in 2016 and 83 at the end of 2018, equivalent to a rounded 3% CAGR over 2016–2018 for that company franchise network.
The private campground sample reported by the American Resort Development Association (ARVC) offers outcome indicators, but its sample frame and base were unspecified. More than 78% of parks reported increased occupancy in 2018, 51% experienced increased revenue rates, and 90% identified increased profits; the profit result was self-reported.
These public and private figures should not be combined into a single market total. The NPS report combines administrative data with KOA/Cairn survey results, trade-association information and third-party forecasts, so each measure retains its own population, definition and limitation. (National Park Service: Campground Industry Analysis)