Special Report on Camping 2011: Profile of Campers

According to the Special Report on Camping 2011, the most popular venues for camping are public campgrounds, such as a local, state or national park campgrounds. The most popular season for camping is during the summer, especially in June, July and August. Most campers choose to camp in tents during their summer trips. Spring and fall trips are usually more spontaneous. Most camping trips, regardless of the season, are taken with friends.

Camping means different things to different campers. For some, camping means spending family time outdoors; for others, it means hanging out with friends and having fun. Some campers enjoy the luxuries of electricity and Internet while camping, and others enjoy the adventure of a rugged outdoor experience.

- Family members are the most popular camping companions for 35 to 54 year olds—more than half of their trips include immediate family members.
- Seventy percent of all campers are married or living with a domestic partner.
- Ninety-two percent of campers hiked during their last in-season trip.
- 86% of all campers taking their last trip during the summer months
- More than 50 percent of campers are motivated to go on a camping trip simply because they enjoy the act of camping.
- Summer trips have longer planning horizons, with over 50 percent of summer campers making the decision to go more than a month in advance.
- Various attitudes toward camping include those who are motivated by family fun, hanging out with friends, enjoying luxuries and pushing one’s own limits.
- "Extreme" campers go camping most often, taking 6.26 trips per year.
- Participants that associate camping with family and kids are most likely to stay at public campgrounds.
- Half of respondents were under the age of seven when they went camping for the first time. Only nine percent of first time campers were 19 or older.

(*Source: Special Report on Camping 2011)

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