A recent survey that WGNS stumbled across, shows that Tennesseans seem to be enjoying old fashioned camping trips now more than ever.
Of course, some businesses already know about the increased and renewed interest in camping because Rutherford County has at least six camper or RV dealerships and at least four stores that have a special focus on camping or outdoor activities related to campouts.
Camping Stores / RV / Camper Dealers in Rutherford County, TN:
2. Murfreesboro RV Sales: 845 Middle Tennessee Blvd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
3. A & L RV Sales: 130 Capital Way, Christiana, TN 37037
4. Candys Family RV of Murfreesboro: 4358 Shelbyville Hwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37127
5. Olympia Luxury Coaches: 4228 Northstar Dr, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
6. National Indoor RV Centers: 1205 Bridgestone Pkwy, La Vergne, TN 37086
Of course, this does not include all the Camper and RV dealers outside of the Rutherford County line in places like Coffee, Wilson and Davidson Counties.
Stores that have a Specialized Selection of Camping Supplies in Rutherford County:
1. Bink’s Outfitters: 1720 Old Fort Pkwy suite L-300, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
2. Dicks Sporting Goods: 2615 Medical Center Pkwy, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
3. Sportsman’s Warehouse: 468 N Thompson Ln, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
4. Academy Sports + Outdoors: 1150 Genie Ln, Smyrna, TN 37167
There are over 50 stores that specialize in outdoor activities just over the county line in Coffee, Wilson, Williamson and Davidson Counties.
On top of all the RV dealers and outdoor stores, Rutherford and neighboring counties also have campgrounds galore on Percy Priest Lake, the Duck River, the Cumberland River, Old Hickory Lake – just to name a few areas.
Camping Started to GROW Before COVID, but Exploded During COVID
Camping was steadily growing in popularity prior to 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its growth as Americans sought safe, outdoor vacations away from crowds.
According to a research report by the Kampgrounds of America (KOA), over 10 million households camped for the first time in 2020, accounting for one-fifth of all camping households. Data from Recreation.gov—a trip planning and reservation portal for U.S. public lands—showed that camping reservations numbered nearly 3.3 million in 2020, up by about one-third from 2019 and by more than two-thirds from five years prior.
Scroll down for more on this research and the impact on Tennessee...
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Camping is GROWING like Wildfire in Tennessee
The increased popularity of camping has been fueled by a combination of long-term trends and more immediate factors related to the pandemic. Over the past several years, camping trends such as “vanlife” and ”glamping,” as well as the increased availability of wifi and better cell phone service at campgrounds, have helped attract new campers and offered seasoned campers new ways to enjoy the outdoors without completely foregoing modern-day comforts. In particular, Gen Zers and Millennials are camping in greater numbers and account for an increasing share of all campers. In 2015, members of these generations accounted for 34% of all campers according to KOA. By 2020, this number climbed to 48%.
In addition to these longer-term factors, changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic—such as safety concerns, travel restrictions, and business closures—encouraged a flood of first-time campers. According to KOA, the majority of first-time campers in 2020 decided to do so for reasons directly tied to the pandemic. In addition, campers that year ventured further from home than in past years, suggesting that Americans increasingly chose to travel by car and camp than travel by airplane and stay in a hotel. Compared to 2015, the percentage of campers who traveled more than 200 miles to camp increased from 17% to nearly 30%.
In 2020, California led the country in camping reservations according to Recreation.gov. California camping reservations totaled 634,000 for the year, accounting for 19% of the nearly 3.3 million total camping reservations on U.S. public lands. Some of the most popular destinations in California were Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and several national forests in and around the Sierras. Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Texas rounded out the top five states with the most camping reservations on public lands in 2020.
Camping in TENNESSEE
To find the states where camping has grown in popularity the most over the past five years, researchers at Outdoorsy analyzed data from Recreation.gov. The researchers ranked states according to each location’s percentage change in camping reservations from 2015 to 2020. Researchers also calculated the total increase in camping reservations from 2015 to 2020, total camping reservations in 2020, and the public land (national park, national forest, lake, etc.) with the most camping reservations in 2020.
The analysis found that from 2015 to 2020, Recreation.gov reported a 52.7% increase in camping reservations made in the state of Tennessee.
Here is a summary of the data for Tennessee:
• Percentage change in camping reservations (2015–2020): 52.7%
• Total increase in camping reservations (2015–2020): 39,124
• Total camping reservations (2020): 113,324
• Most popular destination: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
• Percentage change in camping reservations (2015–2020): 68.1%
• Total increase in camping reservations (2015–2020): 1,323,031
• Total camping reservations (2020): 3,267,142
• Most popular destination: Yosemite National Park
For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Outdoorsy’s website: https://www.outdoorsy.com/blog/most-popular-states-camping
