Flooding, Natural Disasters Affect Plans of 1 in 5 Campers

Flooding at the Pismo State Beach campground in California in 2017. Credit: Brian Amaro-Jeppesen

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Dyrt, the No. 1 app for camping information and booking, found in its 2023 Camping Report that 18.1 percent of campers changed or canceled plans due to flooding and natural disasters last year. Certainly many campers are adjusting plans today as most of Yosemite National Park closes because of imminent flooding resulting from a heatwave melting the area’s record snowpack.

Flooding has been a major issue for campers and outdoors enthusiasts in the United States recently. There was massive flooding in Yellowstone National Park in 2022, and campgrounds in New Mexico and Iowa closed earlier this month due to flooding.

“Last year I was riding my motorbike in northern California and all of a sudden the road was closed because of a mudslide,” says The Dyrt camper Lulu Luna Turbin of Hauser, Idaho. “I’m planning a two-week trip back there this year and there are reports of roads shifting. There’s been crazy snow and rain.”

The Dyrt’s finding that nearly one in five campers altered plans in 2022 due to flooding and natural disasters is roughly triple the 6.1 percent who indicated their plans in 2019 were disrupted. During that same three-year timeframe, campers reported that it became five times harder to find an available campsite.

“With the increase in popularity of camping, people have to plan further and further ahead to make sure they can reserve a campsite,” says The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long. “So when a family has a trip planned and a national park, state park or campground is forced to close due to a flood, it’s not as easy as pushing it off a week or just finding another campground.”

Avid campers — survey respondents who camped 11 or more times in 2022 — were more likely to have their plans disrupted by floods and natural disasters with 26.6 percent indicating they encountered an issue last year. These campers also make up more than half of The Dyrt PRO members who can use features such as free camping maps to find last-minute alternatives.

About The Dyrt

The Dyrt is the only comprehensive camping resource with over 8 million user-generated reviews for RV, cabin, glamping and tent camping. The Dyrt also has the largest collection of campsites including all public, private and free camping areas in the United States. Campers use The Dyrt to book camping, discover new places to camp and get reservations at sold-out campgrounds. With The Dyrt PRO, campers get advanced maps and discounts on camping. The Dyrt is the No. 1 camping app and receives over 30 million visits from campers each year because The Dyrt has it all. www.thedyrt.com

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/flooding-natural-disasters-affect-plans-of-1-in-5-campers/