The Dyrt found in its 2024 Camping Report presented by The All-New Toyota Tacoma that California campers were nearly 30% more likely than campers nationwide to encounter sold-out campgrounds.
California is among the most competitive states in which to find an available campsite in the United States. The only state with a more competitive camping scene is Wyoming. For this year’s annual report, The Dyrt took a closer look at three iconic West Coast camping states – California, Washington and Oregon.
“I just started camping again this year after a long absence,” says The Dyrt camper Robin W. of California. “I love it, but booking a campsite can be tricky on the weekends. I wish they did lottery-style bookings. I feel like the same people who have the time get to book the same sites.”
The Dyrt launched The Dyrt Alerts last year to help campers get reservations at sold-out campgrounds. California quickly emerged as one of the top states where campers are looking to take advantage of a cancellation.
Winter camping is also a big draw in a state with large areas where it rarely dips below freezing. California campers are 27% more likely to go camping in the winter compared to other campers across the country. Campsites are easier to book in the winter than they are at the height of camping season. Even so, that strategy doesn’t always work out.
“We went to Mount Tam on Christmas in our stealth minivan camper,” says The Dyrt camper Robert N. of California. “There was only tent camping, and all sites were full that would accept car camping. We pulled over in a spot off the road where we could spend the night, then drove back into the park to do another hike. Nice thing about the stealth camper is it just looks like a car parked on the road.”
One other California tidbit contained in the report is campers in this state reported higher incomes than campers nationwide. While 5.5% of all campers reported household incomes of greater than $250,000, that number jumps to 12.2% in California.
