500% Spike in Campground Bookings for April Solar Eclipse – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
If you’re yet to plan a trip to see North America’s total solar eclipse — the longest since 1806 and the last until 2033 in Alaska — it’s time to prepare, according to a report by Forbes.
On Monday, April 8, the rare sight of the sun’s corona around a new moon will be visible from a 115-mile wide path stretching from Mexico to Atlantic Canada via parts of 15 U.S. states. Everyone else on the continent will see just a regular partial solar eclipse.
You must get inside that path of totality—to not do so is to misunderstand how mind-blowing a totality solar eclipse is and its rarity. The experience of plummeting temperatures, wildlife going crazy, and the sight of the sun’s spiky white corona will leave you in disbelief at what you just saw. The next total solar eclipses in the U.S. are in Alaska in 2033, Canada, Montana/South Dakota in 2044 and coast-to-coast in the U.S. and beyond in 2045.
But hotels are now hard to come by — or else costly. The answer, of course, is to camp.
Demand for campgrounds in the path of totality around April 8 is understandably high. Searches for campgrounds in states within the path of totality are up by 97% year-on-year, according to online campsite booking hub Campspot, which offers a special eclipse campground booking page. It also reports that actual bookings are up by 90%.
“With the growing interest in this event, it’s important to start planning your trip soon,” said Erin Stender, CMO of Campspot, in an email. “Prime camping spots, particularly in areas with the best views of the eclipse, are in high demand—but this is your chance to create one of those unforgettable “remember when” stories.”
