KOA Camping Report: Boomers Are Back

Above, camping last week at Circle Pines KOA in Williams, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To be honest, I didn't know that the baby boomer generation ever left camping. 

But according to a KOA annual camping report, apparently they had. Now they're back.

RV Business reported:

Kampgrounds of America Inc. (KOA) reports that nearly 88 million households identify as campers and that nearly 54 million households took a camping trip in 2023. 

The data is part of KOA’s tenth edition of its North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report. The report, conducted by Cairn Consulting Group, has become a key bellwether for the industry and includes data collected from both KOA parks and non-KOA parks. 

“The past year also saw a higher proportion of baby boomers, 59% of whom were retired and on fixed incomes, and a lower-income Gen Z group,” notes the report. “Additionally, a drop in the participation of Millennials, who are currently at peak earning years, significantly influenced the new camper dynamics.”

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