Camping vacations with the family are a favorite summer tradition and it’s easy to see why. It’s a chance to spend time with the people you care about, to do fun things like hiking, swimming or sightseeing, to get away from the routine of daily life into the natural world. To cook over a campfire and watch the fireflies and stars at night. No wonder family camping trips are one of the most popular American pastimes in the summer. Many U.S. and Canadian campgrounds are open in the fall as well, so you can enjoy another season in the outdoors.
A favorite American pastime
Camping is an all-time favorite American activity. In the year 2013 alone, 40.1 million Americans went camping, according to the 2014 American Camper Report. That’s actually 14% of the total population in the U.S. over the age of six years.
Many U.S. and Canadian campgrounds offer a range of accommodation, from sites where you can pitch a tent or park your RV, to picturesque log cabins. Some people choose to camp in yurts or simply bivouac in the open. Whatever type of camping they choose, most campers typically spend 14.9 days camping each year, on average.
Camping and outdoor activities
One of the best things about camping vacations is that they can be combined with a range of other activities. Hiking, swimming, cycling, fishing, and water sports are good ways for families to spend time together. Many U.S. and Canadian campgrounds are also located near historic sites, so camping holidays can take in some sightseeing and educational activities as well.
Most camping holidays are spent on public campgrounds. Many U.S. and Canadian campgrounds are privately owned and run, and offer many facilities for visitors. In fact with hiking and biking trails, fishing, splash parks, mini golf, volleyball and bingo, there’s practically no need to go off the site at all. Camping amenities are provided with the needs of families and children in mind.
Children learn to love camping
Researchers have found that children whose parents take them camping learn to love the experience. Among people who go camping, 85% were first introduced to it by the time they were 15 years old. After that age, the chances of going camping were more limited.
Camping and outdoors activities go together. As many as 57% of campers say that they participated in outdoor activities as children, while only 25% of non-campers participated in outdoor activities. Many U.S. and Canadian campgrounds are open in the fall as well, which gives your family one more season to enjoy the outdoors, and to enjoy the fall colors from a unique vantage point.
Many camp resorts offer all the facilities for a fun and inexpensive family vacation. Whether you’re looking for tent camping spaces or RV holidays, a family camping vacation is one of the best ways there is to get away from it all and to come back feeling refreshed and energized.