BIPOC campers driving growth in camping community

International

The Dyrt, the app to get the best campsites, built by the largest RVing and camping community in the U.S., has found that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals are discovering camping more rapidly than the overall population, and were 53% more likely to have camped for the first time in 2025.

These statistics are from the 2026 Camping Report Presented by Toyota Trucks, which is compiled from the results of surveys conducted with thousands of members of The Dyrt Community, a representative sample of U.S. residents, and camping property managers across all 50 states.

"Camping in the great outdoors is for everybody, and it's so encouraging to see these statistics for first-time campers from the BIPOC community," says Kevin Long, CEO of The Dyrt. "It's always been part of The Dyrt's mission to make camping more accessible for everyone. We want this camping community we're all a part of to continue to grow."

Experienced BIPOC campers were 10% more likely to have tried a new type of camping in 2025. Also, respondents to The Dyrt survey who identified as BIPOC were 55% more likely than campers overall to prefer truck camping. In fact, there was a 122% increase from 2024 to 2025 in truck camping among BIPOC campers who use The Dyrt. There was also a 60% uptick in camper van camping among BIPOC respondents last year.

"By far my best adventure in 2025 was going through Arizona toward Utah and driving through Death Valley and into Mount Zion — the most scenic drive ever!" says The Dyrt camper Luis P. of Florida. "My go-to camping spot for years has been Elkmont Campground in Tennessee. My Sequoia has been so amazing taking me through spots I never thought possible for a 2WD, but yet here we are! I was able to do some off-the-beaten-path driving in Moab and when driving through the Bentonite Hills."

Survey respondents were also asked about the 43-day government shutdown in 2025, the longest in U.S. history, and staffing cuts at national parks throughout the country. Campers from historically marginalized groups were disproportionately affected — including one in five BIPOC campers who say their 2025 camping experience was disrupted by federal government actions.