Camping spans household participation, short trips, outdoor spending and overnight stays. The figures below distinguish survey estimates, administrative visit counts and modeled economic measures across the United States and Canada, with periods and definitions stated for each statistic.
Key Camping Statistics
The most useful headline figures are:
- More than 11 million new households camped in 2024 compared with 2019 across the United States and Canada, according to a KOA household survey.
- Approximately 5% of campers were new campers in 2024 in KOA’s United States and Canada estimate.
- One in four leisure travelers considered themselves campers in the 2025 KOA report covering the prior reporting period in the United States and Canada.
- 175.8 million people participated in outdoor recreation in 2023 in the United States among people age 6 and older.
- Outdoor-recreation participation grew 4.1% in 2023 compared with 2022 in the United States.
- Camping-related spending reached $61 billion in 2024 in the United States and Canada estimate.
- Campers spent an average of $200 per household per day in 2024 in the United States and Canada.
- 65% of campers planned to spend the same or more on travel in 2025 than in the previous year in the United States and Canada.
- 62% of campers chose weekend getaways in 2024 behavior reported in the 2025 KOA report for the United States and Canada.
- 44% of campers stayed closer to home in 2024 in the United States and Canada survey.
- 325,498,646 recreation visits occurred at NPS sites in 2023 in the United States.
- 331,863,358 recreation visits occurred at NPS sites in 2024 in the United States.
- 13,066,996 total NPS overnight stays were recorded in 2023 across U.S. National Park Service sites.
- 3,162,287 tent-camper overnights were recorded in 2023 at U.S. National Park Service sites.
- 2,566,383 RV overnights were recorded in 2023 at U.S. National Park Service sites.
- Camping outside parks represented 8.1% of NPS gateway-region party days/nights in 2023, equal to 10.2 million modeled party days/nights.
- NPS camping represented 2.5% of gateway-region party days/nights in 2023, equal to 3.1 million modeled party days/nights.
- NPS visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions in 2023.
Contents
- Camping participation statistics and household growth
- Camping spending statistics and the outdoor hospitality economy
- Camping trip patterns and traveler behavior
- National park visitation statistics and camping demand
- Camping overnight statistics by accommodation and region
- RV and outdoor recreation statistics shaping camping
Camping Participation Statistics and Household Growth
KOA’s 2025 report provides direct camping measures for the United States and Canada. Its figures came from 4,119 online household surveys—2,912 U.S. households and 1,207 Canadian households—with results statistically balanced by age, gender identity and ethnicity; KOA reports margins of error of plus or minus 1.82 percentage points for the United States and 2.83 points for Canada.
- More than 11 million new households camped in 2024 compared with 2019 across the United States and Canada.
- New campers represented approximately 5% of all campers in 2024 across the two countries.
- One in four leisure travelers considered themselves campers in the 2025 report, a self-identification measure rather than a campground census.
These results describe camping incidence at the household or self-identification level, not a count of unique people. KOA Report Reveals Strong Growth in Camping Industry, Emphasizing Affordability and Evolving Traveler Trends is the source for these survey measures.
Broader outdoor-recreation data supplies context but should not be relabeled as camping-only:
| Measure | Result | Period and population |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor-recreation participant base | 175.8 million | United States, age 6+, 2023 |
| Participation growth | 4.1% | United States, 2023 vs. 2022 |
| Share of population participating | 57.3% | United States, age 6+, 2023 |
| Increase from 2019 | 22.2 million people | United States, 2023 vs. 2019 |
The Outdoor Industry Association and Outdoor Foundation also reported that more than half of American women participated in outdoor recreation in 2023, without publishing the exact percentage. The average outdoor-recreation participant took 62.5 outings in 2023, down 11.4% from 70.5 outings in 2022, and 7.7 million Americans tried one or more outdoor-recreation activities for the first time in 2023.
Among all U.S. outdoor-recreation participants in 2023, the reported racial and ethnic distribution was 69.7% White, 10.3% Black, 13.4% Hispanic, 5.3% Asian or Pacific Islander and 1.4% other ethnic or racial origins; rounding may apply. Outdoor Participation Hits Record Levels for Ninth Consecutive Year supplies this broader context.
Camping Spending Statistics and the Outdoor Hospitality Economy
KOA estimated camping spending at $61 billion in 2024 across the United States and Canada. The same report measured average spending at $200 per household per day, an increase of $43 from 2023; this is a household-day average, not an individual average.
| Camper group or intention | Result | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| All campers, average daily spending | $200 per household-day | United States and Canada, 2024 |
| Glampers, average daily spending | $251 per household-day | United States and Canada, 2024 |
| Gen Z campers, average daily spending | $266 per household-day | United States and Canada, 2024 |
| Campers planning the same or more travel spending | 65% | United States and Canada, 2025 intentions |
The subgroup figures are survey estimates, and the 65% figure is a forward-looking intention rather than realized expenditure. Canadian and American expectations differed: 31% of Canadian campers planned to spend less on travel, compared with 24% of American campers.
National Park Service economic data captures a narrower public-land visitor economy rather than the whole camping market. NPS visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion in local gateway regions in 2023, up 10.4% from 2022 estimates, but the modeled change reflects visitation, spending profiles and inflation adjustment as well as demand.
In the 2023 NPS model, visitors spent $0.6 billion on camping fees, $5.2 billion at restaurants and bars, and $1.7 billion on food at grocery and convenience stores. Lodging outside parks accounted for $19.67 billion, or 74.6% of NPS visitor spending, and includes lodging beyond camping.
The KOA spending figures come from the KOA camping and outdoor hospitality report. The public-land estimates come from 2023 national park visitor spending effects: Economic contributions to local communities, states, and the nation; NPS warns that local, state and national contribution totals are not additive.
Camping Trip Patterns and Traveler Behavior
Camping behavior in the KOA research emphasizes shorter trips, proximity and social or restorative motivations. These are survey responses and reported preferences, not a complete booking or itinerary census.
- 62% of campers chose weekend getaways in 2024 across the United States and Canada.
- 44% of campers stayed closer to home in 2024; the report does not provide a universal distance threshold for this response.
- 26% of campers wanted to reconnect with family traditions such as s’mores and campfire stories in the 2024/2025 report.
- One in five campers took a first solo camping trip in 2024 across the United States and Canada.
- 22% of campers reported camping with extended family members in the 2024/2025 report.
Well-being responses also show why camping demand is not measured only through nights or dollars. 57% of campers said walking on a beach or relaxing near water supported their overall well-being, compared with 53% of leisure travelers; this is a self-reported preference, not a clinical outcome.
Finally, 72% of campers believed camping was the most cost-effective travel option in the 2025 report. That number describes perception rather than a verified comparative-cost calculation, and all behavior and attitude measures are from the KOA report.
National Park Visitation Statistics and Camping Demand
NPS recreation visits provide a large public-land demand indicator, but a recreation visit is an NPS visitation unit, not a unique person or camping visit.
| Year | NPS recreation visits |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 327,516,619 |
| 2020 | 237,064,332 |
| 2021 | 297,115,406 |
| 2022 | 311,985,998 |
| 2023 | 325,498,646 |
| 2024 | 331,863,358 |
NPS sites recorded 13 million more recreation visits in 2023 than in 2022, a 4% increase. The 2023 total was close to the 2019 level, while the 2020 count reflects the pandemic-era disruption.
Within the NPS system, the 2023 category counts included 92,390,204 visits at national parks, 51,443,904 at national recreation areas and 41,152,084 at national memorials. Not all visits in these categories involve camping, so these figures are best read as public-land visitation context.
The annual series is reported in NPS Visitation Numbers, while category details appear in the Annual Visitation Summary Report for: 2023.
Camping Overnight Statistics by Accommodation and Region
The NPS reported 13,066,996 total overnight stays in 2023 across its listed overnight categories. Within that total, tent-camper overnights were 3,162,287, RV overnights were 2,566,383 and backcountry overnights were 1,794,439.
| NPS overnight measure | 2023 count | Definition note |
|---|---|---|
| Total overnight stays | 13,066,996 | Broader than camping alone |
| Tent-camper overnights | 3,162,287 | Overnights, not unique campers |
| RV overnights | 2,566,383 | NPS sites, not all U.S. RV camping |
| Backcountry overnights | 1,794,439 | May include multiple shelter types |
The NPS visitor-spending model uses party days/nights, which count days for day trips and nights for overnight trips. NPS visitor parties accounted for an estimated 126.4 million party days/nights in gateway regions in 2023.
Camping outside parks represented 8.1%, or 10.2 million party days/nights, while NPS camping represented 2.5%, or 3.1 million party days/nights. Camping and lodging inside NPS units combined represented 3.2%, so that combined measure must not be treated as camping alone.
Modeled spending averaged $155.98 per party per day/night for camping outside parks and $157.50 for camping inside NPS units. These are visitor-spending segment averages, not campsite prices; the underlying source is the NPS 2023 visitor spending effects report.
RV and Outdoor Recreation Statistics Shaping Camping
The gateway-region model places camping alongside lodging and day-trip segments. In 2023, lodging outside parks accounted for 38.5% of gateway-region party days/nights, local day trips for 20.6% and non-local day trips for 16.9%.
Across all visitor segments, NPS visitor spending averaged $208.41 per party per day/night. For comparison, NPS lodge visitors averaged $516.42 per party per day/night, while the modeled camping averages were much lower; these are unlike accommodation and visitor segments, not advertised prices.
The modeled camping segments generated substantial local activity:
- Camping inside NPS units generated an estimated $0.49 billion in visitor spending in 2023 in NPS gateway regions.
- Camping outside parks generated an estimated $1.59 billion in NPS visitor spending in 2023 in gateway regions.
- NPS visitors spent an estimated $26.4 billion across all local gateway-region categories in 2023, so the camping segment figures are not a national total for camping.
The NPS model uses segment-specific spending profiles and IMPLAN modeling. Its camping fees, camping segments and all-visitor spending measures therefore answer different questions and should remain separate when interpreting camping demand; the methodology and estimates are documented in the NPS visitor spending effects report.