Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
Camping is a huge part of American culture. Many people in the country are enthusiastic about camping and seek the positive health impacts of time spent outdoors.
This type of recreational activity attracts more than 40 million participants each year in the U.S. The statistics show that the number of campers remained relatively stable from 2012 to 2016, never dipping below 40 million people.
In 2012, around 40.52 million people participated in camping. In 2013, the number dipped slightly to 40.09 million campers, then rebounded slightly in 2014 to 40.5 million people. In 2015 and 2016, the number of people participating in camping amounted to 40.02 million and 40.52 million respectively. The highest number of people since 2012 participated in camping activities in 2017 — 41.77 million.
The most popular type of destination for American campers was state or national park campgrounds; more than 40 percent stated that they usually chose these locations for camping in 2017. The survey found that 25 percent of respondents typically camped on privately-owned (no membership required) campgrounds, while nearly 20 percent of people camped on public or privately-owned land other than campgrounds.
Backcountry, national forest or wilderness areas were also a popular destination — 7 percent of respondents preferred camping at these types of locations. A small number of campers (around 2 percent) typically camped in parking lots, such as Wal-Mart or roadside areas.
About Pavel Prikhodko
Pavel Prikhodko, Ph.D. Machine Learning
Pavel has worked for many years as a researcher and developer on a wide range of applications (varying from mechanics and manufacturing to social data, finance and advertising), building predictive systems and trying to find stories that data can tell.
In his free time, he enjoys being with his family.
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Great to see these stats covered. Thank you!