These Are the 6 Big Camping Trends You'll See Everywhere in 2025

Camping participation in the United States has grown significantly in the past decade. According to one 2024 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report, the number of households in which someone went camping has increased by 68 percent since 2014. That means around 28.5 million households in the US consider themselves campers.

According to Pitchup founder Dan Yates, the camping trends the company expects to see in 2025 are focused on how campers can find “meaningful ways to find balance and deeper connections with their surroundings.” But they also reflect the fact that “camping” now covers a wide range of activities, accommodations, and comfort levels, making it more accessible to people who wouldn’t normally be drawn to the old-school idea of sleeping on the ground in the woods.

Here are the newest camping trends that might be everywhere in 2025 and beyond.

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According to Pitchup’s data, cold camping will be more and more common in 2025. But cold camping doesn’t have to mean camping in sub-zero conditions or on the ice in Antarctica. It refers to experiences where people are intentionally trying to cool down a little, whether that means booking campgrounds with cold-plunges and Nordic spas, or choosing destinations where it may get a little brisk at night, even in the middle of summer.

Photo: BONDART PHOTOGRAPHY/Shutterstock

Glamping hotels are nothing new, but a trend growing momentum is traditional luxury hotels adding glamping options. That allows travelers to choose one of two ways to travel. They can either book a glamping suite that comes with all the luxuries of a five-star hotel, like room service, on-site spas, and multi-course tasting dinners — or they can try glamping without committing to it for every single night. Guests can book a luxury hotel room for most of their stay, then sleep in a glamping tent for just one or two nights. Travelers have probably already seen this at resorts like Amangiri in Utah, which offers a tented mini-resort as part of the larger property, and Ventana Big Sur, which has a glampsite, luxury hotel, and tent sites where campers can still take advantage of five-star perks.

Other hotels around the world are starting to jump on to a new variety of this: creating hotel rooms that include both options. At the newly built Soroi Larsens Camp in Kenya’s popular Samburu National Reserve, guests who book a luxury suite get their own raised “starbed,” giving them the option every night of sleeping in a plush tented room or going up one level to sleep under the stars in a breezy king-sized bed (surrounded by mosquito netting) with views of grazing wildlife. Luxury rooms even have outdoor bathrooms with showers, so star bed users can lean into the full nature experience.

Pitchup’s data showed a 209 percent increase in searchers by users looking for luxury camping and glamping options, regardless of budget.

Nude camping could be a big 2025 camping trend. Photo: anatoliy_gleb/Shutterstock

Campground booking insights showed that people want to reconnect with nature, and for a growing amount of travelers, the best way to do that may be going au naturel. “Pitchup.com saw a staggering 742 percent increase in searches for naturist campgrounds so far this year compared to 2023,” writes the report.

It’s important to note that being nude in nature, called naturism, isn’t at all about sexuality or romance. It’s must more about creating a “back to nature” feeling and embracing body positivity and confidence. There’s been a significant increase in the number of camping resorts and destinations friendly to nudists, from Avalon Mountain in West Virginia to Purple Peacock Resort in Texas.

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While there are plenty of camping pros and culinary whizzes out there who know how to make campground cooking into an elevated experience, there’s no denying that dehydrated food and beef jerky aren’t usually the most appealing snacks. But that’s changing, as Pitchup predicts that having a culinary focus in the great outdoors will be one of 2025’s big camping trends. That includes a focus on glamping and camping resorts that have on-site dining, such as AutoCamp Resorts (with camp cooking kits) or Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge in British Columbia, which has wine-pairing dinners most nights and coffee delivered to tents each morning.

In 2025, expect also to see an increase in camping opportunities at sites focused on food, such as campsites at wineries, working farms, and even near bars and pubs. Fun options for 2025 include the Tea Pods, a new tinyhouse glamping resort on a tea farm just outside Nairobi, Kenya, or RV camping at MoomBeam Farm in California, which grows lavender and natural loofah sponges.

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While people may normally spend the holidays with friends and family at home, more and more campers are choosing to spend holidays away from people, embracing JOMO (the joy of missing out). Pitchup’s data show that more couples and small groups are spending the holidays camping, rather than attending fancy parties or going to giant family reunions.

Tied to that is celebrating special occasions in the woods. In 2025, expect to see continued social events at campgrounds and glamping resorts, from weddings to birthday parties to holiday parties for office workers.

Beach camping in Portugal. Photo: Andrii Lutsyk/Shutterstock

Given America and Canada’s truly fabulous national parks, it’s not surprising that self-sufficient camping is so popular in North America. But thanks to an increase in available gear and clothing rentals, plus local guide-finding resources like 57Hours, pitching a tent abroad may be one of the next big 2025 camping trends.

Pitchup reported a 20 percent increase in international campground searches, with the biggest increases in Portugal (a 254 percent gain over 2023), followed by Hungary and Montenegro. That coincides with the trend in recent years to avoid overtouristed destinations and visit less crowded alternatives. Those countries also have especially unique camping and glamping opportunities, especially in Portugal, where wild camping is mostly illegal. That means travelers have to instead look to private camping options, like Oasis Camp on a private lagoon, or Parque de Campismo de Valbom, overlooking Arrábida Natural Park near Lisbon.

The increased interest in camping internationally could also be due to the rising costs of travel, including steep hotel amenity fees and airlines that charge $100 or more for checked baggage. While high-end glamping can be pricey, camping is usually a less-expensive alternative to hotels. That’s especially true in countries that have robust hut systems for hikers and backpackers, like in Germany, Switzerland, and Slovenia. While US huts are more like wooden shelters without electricity or cooking facilities, “huts” in Europe are more like basic chalet-style hotels, with comfortable areas to sleep and small restaurants. That means campers don’t need to carry as much in the way of food or tents and sleeping bags, making the activity more accessible to travelers who don’t want to carry those items throughout their trips.