Wildfires are increasingly disrupting camping plans, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In 2023, 18% of campers reported their plans were disrupted by wildfires or natural disasters, according to The Dyrt, an application for camping availability, photos, and reviews. This is an increase from 6% in 2019, indicating a “steady rise” in camping plan disruption over the past five years.
From 2020 to 2021, 11% of campers experienced disruptions, but this number rose to 18% in both 2022 and 2023. The 2024 Camping Report by The Dyrt and The All-New Toyota Tacoma reveals that California, Oregon, and Washington are the states most affected by these natural disasters.
Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt, remarked on the challenges campers face. “The Dyrt has been headquartered here in Oregon since the very beginning, so we’ve seen firsthand the toll wildfires have taken on the Pacific Northwest. It’s scary and tragic for so many reasons,” he said.
Long noted that the unpredictability of wildfires makes it “extremely challenging” to plan camping trips in advance. He added that the difficulty of securing reservations at popular campsites further complicates making last-minute changes to plans.
The impact is notably severe on the West Coast. In 2023, 33.1% of West Coast campers had their plans interrupted by wildfires and natural disasters, compared to the national average of 13.1%. Specifically, in Oregon and Washington, 42% of campers reported disruptions in their camping plans.
An account of this disruption comes from The Dyrt camper Robert D., who described a road trip with his wife in 2023 from Yamhill to Redmond, Oregon. “30 miles and millions of acres of burnt trees,” he recounted. “At mile marker #23, the devastation started. Because of the amount of trucks and equipment working to remove all the burnt trees, the speed limit was reduced to 40 mph.”
Robert D. detailed the extent of the damage, saying, “I looked up both sides of the canyon wall some thousand feet above me. All I could see was burnt trees clear to the top on each side. Hundreds of thousands of trees burnt just enough to blacken the trunk at the bottom, but not enough to get to the branches up high. Our favorite camping spot, Blue Pool Campground, was closed for over a year’s time.”
The wildfire situation this year is echoed by Ed Hiatt, assistant fire director for operations in the U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest. In a recent press release, Hiatt stated, “This is shaping up to be another monster fire year in the Pacific Northwest and it’s just mid-July. We’re at Preparedness Level 5, the highest level of wildfire response possible in the region and nation.” The largest active blaze in the U.S. at this time is in eastern Oregon and Idaho.
Documentary filmmaker Trip Jennings, who used The Dyrt to find camping locations while researching and shooting “Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire,” also highlighted the app’s utility. The film focuses on more effective fire mitigation tactics.
“The Dyrt is proud that a member of our camping community is at the forefront of this issue and was able to rely on the millions of reviews from The Dyrt camping during the filmmaking process,” Long said. “Wildfires were one of the factors we had in mind while designing features for The Dyrt that enable flexibility for campers.”
With millions of user-generated reviews, photos, and tips for every RV site, cabin, glamping, and tent camping location in the United States, The Dyrt is a camping resource. The Dyrt PRO offers additional features, such as reservations at sold-out campgrounds, advanced maps, and camping discounts.
For more information about The Dyrt, visit thedyrt.com.
