It’s funny what can bring a family together. Some families enjoy attending sporting events together; some families enjoy traveling to exotic places together; and some families enjoy family camping resorts as a way to unplug, unwind and spend time enjoying each other’s company. A camping cabin rental in some places in the country go so far as to promote and participate in family holiday traditions that keep generations of campers returning year after year. Near Halloween, for example, some family camping resorts offer a weekend special that allows families the opportunity to set up trick-or-treat stations at the campsites for several nights, as well as an evening Halloween costume parade.
Campground directory records show that 40 million people went camping in the year 2010, for a total of 515 million different outings. While most campers enjoy tenting, the 86% of people who say they do tent camping list a variety of reasons for why they like staying as close to nature as possible. A tent can provide a far less expensive way to enjoy a weekend away, and it can also provide the most solitude if that is what campers are looking for.
Another 33% said they did cabin camping; 30% did backcountry camping and backpacking. An additional 26% said they typically chose a drive-up campsite; 24% went in their RV; and 11% simply camped in a backyard. The less popular type of camping is the 8% of campers who say they have slept under the stars, and perhaps the most unique is the 2% who have slept in a yurt.
Family camping outings are one of the most popular vacation choices for Americans. In the year 2011, for example, family campers on vacation spent 534.9 million days camping altogether. It is hard to argue with an activity that encourages family members to spend time together, as well as cook over an open fire in many cases, and spend the daylight hours in a variety of outdoor activities.
One family said they enjoy camping so much that they even stay at a campground when they travel four hours from home to visit their youngest daughter at college. Home cooked meals around the fire are a great break from college dormitory food, and the quiet of family camping resorts can offer as many of the comforts of home as you want.
Whether you are sleeping on the ground under the stars, or have your RV hooked to both electricity and water at a luxury camping resort, few can deny the allure of a family camping outing.
