First-come, first-served campgrounds (FCFS) are increasingly becoming full, a trend underscored by recent findings from The Dyrt. The 2024 Camping Report, facilitated by The Dyrt and sponsored by The All-New Toyota Tacoma, highlights a significant uptick in the frequency of campers find these campgrounds full, with figures doubling from 2020 to 2023.
“I actually experienced this trend firsthand so it was reassuring that the results in the Camping Report confirmed it,” The Dyrt founder Sarah Smith said in a press release.
A characteristic of FCFS campgrounds is their non-reservation policy, requiring campers to secure spots upon arrival. This method, however, has become increasingly challenging due to a surge in camping popularity. Data from 2023 indicates that 23.4% of campers encountered full FCFS campgrounds, an increase from the 11.1% reported in 2020. This upward trend continued through 2021 and 2022, with occupancy rates climbing to 15.8% and 21.4%, respectively.
For years we would go to our favorite first-come, first-served campground in Oregon. Recently we arrived to find it completely full, which had never happened before. Happy ending though — we used The Dyrt to find another awesome campground down the road and the weekend was saved,” Smith said.
The report also compares FCFS campgrounds to those accepting reservations, noting a significant difficulty in securing spots due to high demand. In 2023, 45.5% of campers reported issues booking reserved sites, a decrease from 58.4% in 2022 but still considerably higher than figures from 2019.
“I have been to a couple of first-come, first-served campgrounds and have realized that unless I show up midweek, or in an off-season, I have trouble getting a spot,” The Dyrt camper Nicole P. of Illinois said.
In response to the increase in camping, private campgrounds are expanding their capacity and diversifying camping options.
“One time we showed up at a first-come, first-served campground that was full but we didn’t have any other options. We ended up sleeping in our car close to the campground. When we are looking at first-come, first-served sites, we often have a backup plan, or we just accept that we may have to sleep in the car,” Nicole added.
The Dyrt, a comprehensive camping app, has over 12 million user-generated reviews and photos covering various camping accommodations across the United States. The app facilitates the discovery and booking of camping spots, offering enhanced features through The Dyrt PRO subscription
“We dislike crowds and tend to camp either in the offseason or in places we know are unlikely to be full, but we did encounter this scenario in Yellowstone (no big surprise). I’m happy so many people are getting outside, but it’s certainly a mixed blessing because all of the once-lonely areas I grew up camping in are so full now that it’s an entirely different experience,” The Dyrt camper Karuna E. of Colorado said.
For more information, click here.
