Federal government actions, including a 43-day government shutdown and staffing cuts at national parks, affected the camping experience of one in six campers in 2025, according to The Dyrt’s newly released 2026 Camping Report Presented by Toyota Trucks.
The findings suggest that disruptions tied to federal decisions reached beyond public lands, influencing where Americans camped and how private campground operators performed.
The report is based on surveys of thousands of members of The Dyrt Community, a representative sample of United States residents, and camping property managers in all 50 states.
The Dyrt, a campsite-finding app built around a large RVing and camping community, said its research shows federal government actions had measurable impacts on both campers and campground businesses last year.
Survey respondents were asked about the 43-day federal government shutdown in 2025, described by The Dyrt as the longest in United States history, as well as staffing reductions at national parks across the country.
Campers from historically marginalized groups reported higher disruption rates, with one in three LGBTQ+ campers and one in five BIPOC campers saying federal government actions disrupted their camping experience in 2025, according to the report.
Private camping property owners and managers also reported significant business impacts. Nearly one in four operators, or 24.8%, said their business was negatively affected by the shutdown and staffing cuts.
Another 4.1% said the impact was positive, which the report attributed to displaced campers seeking alternatives to national parks and other federally managed sites. The remaining 71.1% said government actions had no effect on their bottom line.
“Some of the greatest natural spaces in the United States of America are in our amazing national parks,” Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt, said in a press release.
“It’s only fitting then that some of our country’s most incredible campgrounds are in these parks as well. Our national parks are intended for everyone to experience and enjoy, and we should all be working toward making the outdoors more accessible,” Long said.
The report also explored political identity among campers for the first time. The Dyrt said survey results indicate campers identify as politically independent at a rate of 23%, more than twice the national average cited in a Gallup poll that found about 11% of United States adults are independents who do not lean toward either major party.