Nearly half of all campground site-nights tracked across the United States are now booked heading into summer — a 9.4-point jump in a single month — yet RV site pricing, the segment that generates the most revenue at most parks, has actually dropped below where it was in April.
That’s the central finding from the May issue of the Insider Perks Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index (OHPI). This monthly benchmark tracks millions of deduplicated pricing observations from private campgrounds, RV parks, glamping properties, federal campgrounds and independent outdoor hosts, according to a press release.
The OHPI Composite rose 2.7% to 102.7 in May, with the national weighted average nightly rate climbing to $103.58 from the April baseline of $100.88. But the movement isn’t uniform — and the divergence between accommodation types tells the real story of where the market is headed this summer.
The RV Pricing Gap
Tent camping led the increase, jumping $6 per night to an index reading of 105.6 as campgrounds across the northern half of the country opened for the season at summer rates. Lodging — cabins, cottages and on-site accommodations — rose to 102.1 as inventory entered peak availability. But RV sites dipped to 99.3, meaning the average RV site is now cheaper than at baseline.
The explanation is partly structural: tent sites at parks that were closed for winter come online at higher summer rates, pulling the tent average up, while year-round RV parks in southern states continue at their established pricing. But the demand data suggests something more is happening.
The Demand Pressure Index — a conservative floor estimate of national occupancy based on observed availability — surged from 40.0% in April to 49.4% in May. Across 20.3 million estimated site-nights of capacity, 10.1 million are now booked. The booking window is compressing, too: the median sold-out observation occurred 131 days before check-in, down from 154 days in April.
“In other words, sites are filling faster, inventory is tightening and the market is approaching the levels where parks start reporting sell-outs across entire weekends,” according to the release. “At this trajectory, the index projects demand pressure will likely exceed 55% by July. Yet RV pricing hasn’t responded.
“For operators, the implication is straightforward: if your RV sites are booking at the same rates they were in April while your occupancy is climbing, you may be leaving revenue on the table heading into the busiest months of the year,” the release added.
Parks That Differentiate Are Capturing More
Within individual parks, the data shows that operators who actively differentiate and name their premium inventory are outperforming those who don’t.
Among parks offering multiple RV site types, the average price range within a single property is $50.70 between the cheapest and most expensive site — and more than 1,250 parks maintain a spread of $40 or more. The differentiation continues to be driven by site attributes rather than hookup type.
The 50-amp premium jumped from 1.7% to 5.9% in May — the largest attribute-level pricing shift tracked this month — suggesting that parks with higher-amperage service are beginning to price for summer demand. Premium-designated sites (those actively named and marketed as premium, deluxe, or preferred) nearly closed the gap with waterfront sites, narrowing to just $0.07 apart at $82.88 versus $82.95.
Meanwhile, standard back-in RV sites with 30-amp service dropped $1.25, widening the gap between standard and premium inventory.
The message from the data: parks that have taken the time to segment and brand their site tiers are capturing meaningfully more per night than parks offering undifferentiated inventory, noted the release.
Waterfront sites still command the highest individual premium at 22.5% above standard, up from 20.8% in April.
Market Stratification Is Accelerating
The premium spread — the gap between 25th and 75th percentile pricing — widened to $69 in May, equal to 94.5% of the national median rate. That’s up from $64 (87.7%) in April.
The top of the market is pulling away. The 90th percentile jumped $8.75 to $210 per night, while the 25th percentile barely moved, dropping $0.50 to $52.50. The median held flat at $73.
What this means in practice: premium properties are raising rates for peak season while budget campgrounds are holding steady. The market is stratifying — the gap between what a value-oriented camper pays and what a premium guest pays is approaching the full median nightly rate, stated the release.
State-Level Shifts
Maryland extended its lead as the nation’s most expensive state, jumping from $143.63 to $175.07 per night — a 21.9% increase as the mid-Atlantic enters peak season. Ohio and Virginia entered the top 10, replacing Alaska (which dropped from #8 to #27 as its short summer season expanded supply) and New York.
The five fastest-heating markets in May were Maryland (+20.8%), Pennsylvania (+15.4%), North Carolina (+9.1%), Indiana (+6.9%), and South Carolina (+5.9%) — all eastern and southeastern states riding the seasonal wave.
On the other end, Alaska (-21.1%), Kansas (-15.9%), Michigan (-5.5%), North Dakota (-5.5%), and Missouri (-2.6%) cooled. Alaska’s drop reflects the end of early-season scarcity pricing, while the plains states are coming down from spring break peaks.
The gap between the most expensive state and the least expensive expanded to $135.34, a 4.4x difference — up from $101.47 (3.4x) in April.
The Forward Curve: Every Month Repriced Higher
One of the OHPI’s proprietary metrics is the forward pricing curve — the average rate observed for future check-in months across the full dataset. Unlike a traditional snapshot, this captures how the market is pricing the year ahead and allows month-over-month comparison of the same future period, highlighted the release.
Every forward month shifted upward between the April and May observations. July remains the national peak at $110.09 per night, up $2.64 from where July was priced in April. But the largest shifts came in winter: January through March 2027 moved $3.86 to $4.83 higher.
“The winter repricing is notable because it suggests that warm-weather and snowbird markets aren’t just holding their pricing — they’re strengthening it,” stated the release. “Operators in Florida, Texas, Arizona and the Gulf Coast are pricing winter 2027 materially higher than they were pricing it a month ago.”
“The forward curve is what isolates real demand movement from seasonality,” said Brian Searl, founder and CEO of Insider Perks, which produces the index. “When July’s price moves $2.64 between two observation points, that’s not seasonal — it’s the market telling you that demand for that specific month is stronger than it was before.”
Glamping: Castles Lead, Safari Tents Surge
The average standalone glamping stay held essentially flat at $304.95 per night (median $225), compared to the April baseline of $304.37 ($226.67 median). The gap between mean and median continues to reflect significant upward skew from luxury properties.
Castles command the highest per-night rate at $547.09, competing directly with boutique hotels. The most notable movement this month is safari tents, which jumped 14.2% to $257.95 as summer demand reaches glamping markets. Boats rose 5.5% to $332.83 and towers gained 2.9% to $334.50.
Most categories saw slight price compression as coverage expanded significantly — dome properties nearly doubled and safari tent properties roughly doubled. When coverage expands faster than demand, averages naturally moderate. Nature lodges ($335.95), caves ($325.38), domes ($317.92) and treehouses ($298.54) round out the upper tier.
Glamping accommodations at traditional campgrounds average $158.59, maintaining a measurable gap between campground-based glamping and standalone properties.
What It Means for Operators
“The May data paints a clear picture for park operators heading into peak season: demand is here, but pricing hasn’t fully caught up — particularly in the RV segment,” stated the release.
“Parks that have differentiated their site inventory with named tiers, premium designations and attribute-based pricing are capturing meaningfully more than parks offering a flat rate structure,” the release added. “The 50-amp premium tripling in a single month, premium-designated sites nearly overtaking waterfront, and the widening gap between standard and premium inventory all point in the same direction: the market is rewarding operators who give guests a reason to pay more.
“The forward curve reinforces the message,” the release concluded. “The entire year ahead repriced higher in May, including winter. Parks that are still holding 2025 rates for fall and winter bookings may want to revisit them — the market appears to be moving.”
The Outdoor Hospitality Pricing Index is published monthly by Insider Perks and is available for free download at insiderperks.com/ohpi. The complete methodology is published at insiderperks.com/ohpi/methodology.
