Camping in North America - statistics & facts
From the Grand Canyon to the Canadian Rocky Mountains, North America is known for its vast national parks and awe-inspiring landscapes, making it a prime spot for camping enthusiasts. It comes as no surprise that these parks were one of the leading locations for camping in North America in 2023, when national, state, or provincial park campgrounds accounted for over a quarter of all camping nights spent in the region. In that year, as many as 53.7 million North American households participated in camping, showing growth of around 20 million over the past decade.
Either way, the camping market proves to be a lucrative one, with the revenue of the North American camping industry reaching approximately 24.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, a figure that is forecast to grow over the upcoming five years.
Who likes camping the most in North America?
In 2023, the income group with the highest share of North American campers was those earning less than 50,000 U.S. dollars annually. In recent years, the generation with the highest share of campers in North America has been Millennials, overtaking Gen X and reaching slightly over 30 percent in 2023. Meanwhile, when looking at the experience level of North American campers, the share of respondents that said they had started camping in the past few years has seen significant growth. This was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw a sizable increase in new campers.National parks in North America
When it comes to national parks, North American campers are spoilt for choice. That said, for their own safety, campers must either stay in the provided campgrounds or, if they are feeling more adventurous, apply for permits for backcountry camping. Some parks are more popular than others, and in 2023, the most visited national park in the U.S. was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Meanwhile, the most visited national park in Canada was Banff National Park.Camping vs. glamping in North America
Some campers want to challenge themselves and test their survival skills, taking the bare minimum along with them. Meanwhile, others want to combine home comforts with camping, also known as glamping. In 2023, the favorite glamping accommodation of North Americans was cabins, allowing vacationers to experience the beauty of nature but not sacrifice the little luxuries in life. Typically, glampers had a higher household income than campers, with almost 10 percent more glampers earning over 100,000 U.S. dollars than campers in 2023. Alternatively, some of these campers will actually be traveling to their destination in their accommodation, with around 10.1 million North American camping households owning a recreational vehicle (RV) in 2023.Either way, the camping market proves to be a lucrative one, with the revenue of the North American camping industry reaching approximately 24.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, a figure that is forecast to grow over the upcoming five years.
