Why Americans are camping alone more than ever
Why it matters: Depending on who you ask, it's either another symptom of America's loneliness epidemic or it's healthy YOLO move for people who just need a break from the craziness of daily life.
🏕️ The big picture: About 31% of campers went solo at least one night in 2024, according to a survey of more than 4,000 campers by The Dyrt, an app that helps people snag camping spots.
That's up from 30% in 2023, 24% in 2022 and 19% in 2021.
"We just keep seeing this go up, up, up," The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long tells Axios.
Between the lines: The pandemic may have sparked the solo camping boom.
"During the pandemic, we all got good at doing things by ourselves and got good at getting creative at how to go have experiences," Long says. "I think that has just moved forward since then and has become a permanent thing in the ecosystem."
🌳 For campers like Colorado resident Kris Angelo, the freedom to go wherever you want, whenever you want, do what you want and spend what you want is a huge draw.
It's "the freedom of making all the decisions yourself and being able to choose your location," he says. "You can make it as cheap or expensive as you'd like."
"I certainly wouldn't have been able to afford four vacations last year if I was staying at hotels," he adds.
The intrigue: The solo camping trend looks like the latest evolution in what political scientist Robert Putnam famously chronicled in his book " Bowling Alone" — America's steady decline of togetherness and collective experiences.
In some ways, Americans are more isolated than ever. For example, solo living is on the rise.
Then-Surgeon General Vivek Murthy flagged loneliness as a public health issue in 2023.
But Angelo argues that solo camping leads to more social interaction than you would expect: "You end up talking to the locals a lot more when you're out there by yourself than when you're traveling with people."
🐶 Reality check: Many solo campers are traveling with a four-legged friend: About half brought their dog with them in 2024, according to The Dyrt's research.
That includes Angelo, who brings his Australian Shepherd mix Chappelle with him on his camping excursions, such as his trip last year to the Black Hills of South Dakota.
"Are you really camping solo — you're out there with your best friend," The Dyrt's Long says.
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