Campground operators offer varying perspectives about their anticipated summer business levels.
Some see business levels on par with last year’s figures, while others see challenges, particularly involving transient RV travel.
Campspot, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based online booking service, is seeing advanced reservations in the U.S. and Canada tracking closely to last year’s figures, according to Dakota Moran, a Campspot spokesman.
“In Canada, occupancy for stays between May 1 and Sept. 1 is currently at 39.1%, slightly below last year’s 40.9%, though average daily rates are higher year over year at $26.87 compared to $23.45. In the U.S.,” Moran said, “occupancy is essentially flat at 30.1% compared to 30.2% last year, with average daily rates also relatively stable at $24.79 versus $25.09 a year ago. Overall, demand remains steady, and it’s still early in the booking window for summer travel, so we expect reservations to continue building as the season approaches.
Billings, Mont.-based Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), which has over 500 franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada, is optimistic about the strength of the 2026 camping season.
“Advance reservations are currently pacing relatively close to 2025 overall, signaling continued stability and strong interest in outdoor hospitality,” said Kim Wootteon, KOA’s senior vice president of commercial strategy.
America’s 250th Anniversary and the Route 66 Centennial are also expected to fuel additional trips, Wootteon noted.
“These landmark celebrations align naturally with camping and road travel, and we expect that they will positively influence campers throughout the season,” she explained.
Business levels at KOAs in Canada could be even stronger.
“We’re seeing notable strength in Canada, where reservations are modestly ahead of last year, driven in part by stronger domestic travel patterns, as more Canadian campers opt to vacation within Canada rather than travel to the U.S,” Wootteon said.
Rachel Godbout, chief operating officer of Advanced Outdoor Management, which manages 42 parks in 23 states, said her parks’ business levels are actually tracking ahead of last year’s figures.
“As we head into summer,” she said, “we are trending above pace compared to this same point last year in all markets, which is an encouraging indicator of strong seasonal demand. That said, our fall numbers are tracking closely in line with last year’s trajectory at this time, indicating the market is holding steady rather than softening. These are encouraging signals for the industry as a whole.”
Horizon Outdoor Hospitality, based in Castle Rock, Colo., is also seeing positive signs across its management portfolio, which includes 28 parks in 16 states, including RV resorts, lodging-only boutique resorts, seasonal campgrounds, and extended stay properties.
“Compared to the same period last year, we are seeing expanded demand across all stay types, including RV sites, lodging accommodations, and tent camping,” said Nic Pugliese, Horizon’s senior vice president for strategy. “The strongest year-over-year growth is occurring during the core summer travel window, reflecting continued consumer interest in outdoor travel and domestic trip planning. As well, all regions except certain Sunbelt pockets are showing strength on a year-over-year basis.”
Pugliese also noted that booking windows continue to normalize following the post-pandemic period.
“While some guests are booking closer to their stay dates than years prior, destination markets and seasonal camping demand are driving many guests to book earlier. This demonstrates sustained interest in extended stays as well as vacation travel across guest segments,” he said. “We continue to optimize stay-type occupancies as transient demand fluctuates. But even with weakened transient demand from several years ago, we are seeing some strength in that stay type for the core camping season. In our view, the outlook for the 2026 season remains positive, supported by healthy advance reservations and continued demand for high-quality outdoor experiences.”
Jessica Nichols, COO of Ocean City, Md.-based Blue Water Development Corp., which owns and operates 54 campgrounds in 24 states, said her company is seeing more complexity in the campground business this year, with strong demand for seasonal and monthly camping, but more variable demand from transient RVers.
“Reduced Canadian tourism is still impacting northern states,” she said, “particularly New England and the Pacific Northwest, though interior northern states are finding better footing. From a value perspective, RV traveler behavior is mirroring trends in traditional hospitality. Fully amenitized, upscale lodging and premium RV site types are booking well at higher rates, while more price-sensitive travelers continue to gravitate toward standard full hook-up (FHU) and limited hook-up site types.”
Blue Water is also seeing stronger demand for rental accommodations than transient RV sites.
“Similar to 2025, full-service lodging is helping bolster the overall pace, with both nights and ADR trending strong year-over-year,” Nichols added. “In contrast, transient RV demand remains sluggish nationwide. This is likely influenced in part by advancements in property management system integrations and broader distribution channels, particularly within the short-term rental space.”
Blue Water is also seeing some “pacing challenges” for transient RVers in early June, with demand compressing into the final 10 days of the month.
“While this is driving higher late-June pricing, earlier-month demand will need to strengthen for campground owners to fully close the pace gap,” Nichols said, adding, “ADR is holding steady to slightly up year-over-year, reflecting continued demand and rate integrity despite broader economic pressures.”
Despite these variables, Blue Water is still positive about its summer outlook overall.
“The sector continues to benefit from multi-generational travel, strong demand in drive-to markets, and the ongoing consumer preference for experience-based, value-oriented vacations,” Nichols said.
Meanwhile, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Northgate Resorts is seeing noteworthy stability in bookings as it prepares for the summer camping season, while other booking trends mirror those of other campground operators.
“Advance booking pace heading into the 2026 season is generally more level than what we’ve seen the past several years,” said Mitch Spence, Northgate’s chief commercial officer. “There are clear variations market to market and depending on the maturity of the property, with locations that have had recent expansions or reinvestment into amenities seeing stronger year-over-year growth.”
Northgate is also seeing stronger demand for rental accommodations than transient RV sites.
“From a product mix perspective, we’re largely flat year-over-year on the RV side, while lodging is trending up,” he said, adding, “Regionally, the Midwest and Northeast have been more resilient while Texas has been softer. We’ve also placed more emphasis on driving occupancy rather than pushing ADR growth to ensure we remain an affordable option for our core customer base. Overall, we view 2026 as a normalization year and remain optimistic it will still be a strong season for the industry.”
Jim Omstrom, of Open Road Resorts, is also pleased with how 2026 bookings are shaping up so far.
“Overall, we’re very pleased with how early bookings are tracking compared to this time last year. Trends are strong and positive heading into the peak season across all of our parks,” he said.
Omstrom also said that consumers are responding favorably to improvements his company has made at the Santa Fe KOA Holiday, which include new campsites, a new bathhouse and laundry, a retail store, a new community fire pit and a dog park.
“Similarly, our West Omaha KOA Holiday has seen amazing reviews for the new premium full-hookup RV sites and amenities like the updated bathhouse and laundry room, new fishing pond, dog park, dog wash station, and community fire pit with pergola. Guest feedback has been outstanding, and trends heading into the peak season are very encouraging,” he said.
“We’re also very encouraged by strong early trends at our Red Rock property just outside Yellowstone National Park, which continues to draw solid interest and is on track to grow nicely year-over-year,” Omstrom added.
Several park operators also told Woodall’s Campground Magazine that it’s too soon to determine the extent to which summer travel could be affected by rising fuel costs resulting from the latest war in the Middle East. However, some were willing to offer comments now, including Diane Eichler, senior vice president of marketing for KOA.
“It’s too early to say whether potentially rising fuel costs will meaningfully influence summer travel plans,” Eichler said, adding, “Camping continues to be viewed as one of the most cost-effective forms of travel, and interest in road trips and outdoor experiences remains strong heading into camping season. Historically, when fuel prices rise, demand for camping doesn’t decline. Instead, camper behaviors shift. Campers may choose destinations closer to home or take shorter trips. The desire to spend time outdoors camping remains strong, despite economic factors.”
For her part, Nichols agreed that higher fuel prices can influence travel behavior by encouraging shorter, closer-to-home trips.
“The state of the economy is always a key driver when it comes to leisure travel,” she said. “Historically, camping and RV travel have continued to offer a value-oriented vacation option, and many travelers shift toward drive-to destinations rather than canceling trips altogether, which can be beneficial for our sector. That said, we would be remiss to assume that broader economic pressures and rising fuel costs will not have some impact on leisure travel overall.”
