Camping app The Dyrt’s recently released survey revealed a spike in expansion among private campgrounds.
According to The Dyrt, the demand for campsites has significantly increased since 2020, far outpacing supply. The survey indicated that in 2022, a significant portion of private campgrounds added campsites and other amenities, extended their season, and raised rates.
“America doesn’t have enough campsites,” The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long said.
Long added that national and state parks are booked up months in advance and aren’t able to add capacity and noted that it is three times harder to find an available site to book than it was pre-pandemic, providing campground owners an opportunity to develop their businesses in exciting ways.
The survey covered properties across all fifty U.S. states, ranging in size from as little as one campsite to hundreds and covering all kinds of camping, such as tents, RVs, and glamping. More than 89% of respondents said they would like to expand their camping business next year.
Of the properties surveyed, over a third, or 35.7%, said they would be adding capacity for camping in 2022. To increase capacities, the campgrounds built additional campsites to accommodate a particular kind of camping they previously provided or introduced a brand new type of camping on their property or both.
Almost a third of the surveyed campgrounds, or 31.0%, added campsites by 2022 for existing types of camping available on the property, such as tent sites at 35.6%, RV sites at 30.5%, glampsites at 13.6%, and cabins at 11.9%.
Of the campgrounds that were surveyed, 17.5% of them said they added a new type of camping in 2022. Glamping which accounted for 44%, was by far the most common new camping type for properties to add, followed by tent sites at 28%, RV sites at 16%, and cabins at 12%.
The Dyrt’s survey of campground owners also found that nearly half of campgrounds said they increased their fees in 2022, and a similar portion said they plan to raise rates again next year.
Aside from increasing capacity and rates, private campgrounds are also broadening their calendars.
The Dyrt’s survey found that 18.6% of hosts extended their camping season in 2022, with winter and fall as the most popular seasons to add dates.
Featured image from The Dyrt.