The Dyrt found that nearly two out of three Americans say they are at least somewhat interested in camping in the next three years. Last year 84.8 million people – about 1 in 4 Americans – went camping.
The statistics are from the newly released 2024 Camping Report presented by The All-New Toyota Tacoma, the most in-depth and comprehensive look at the camping industry to date. Of those who said they’re at least somewhat likely to camp in the next three years, many would be first-time campers. Nearly 30% of respondents who have never camped before said they are likely to do so within three years.
Interest among non-campers has been growing steadily for years. More than 20 million Americans have gone camping for the first time since 2021, including 5.5 million first-time campers in 2023.
“Camping is truly for everyone, and these statistics prove that,” says The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long. “When two out of three people say they are curious about going camping, that’s a huge number of potential campers. Camping has grown dramatically in the past few years, and people are getting inspired by friends and family members who enjoy camping to get out there themselves.”
Of the 5.5 million new first-time campers, a third of them were between the ages 18-34. And while one in four Americans camped in 2023, four out of five adults in this country have gone camping at least once in their life.
First-time camper growth is slower in West Coast states where camping is extremely popular. Campers in California, Oregon and Washington were 29% less likely to be first-time campers than the nationwide average.
“The last time I went camping was more than 20 years ago at Burlingame State Park in Rhode Island. It was a big family trip, there had to be at least 15 of us,” says Sarah T. of Connecticut. “Now I have two girls of my own in high school and I want to plan a family camping trip either this summer or next, before they head out into the world. My father retired a few years ago, bought an RV and started traveling the country. Maybe we’ll borrow that for a weekend!”