Camping is one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities, not only because of the money-saving benefits, but because people enjoy spending time in nature connecting with loved ones. A 2015 study by the KOA found “Campers are likely to say that camping improves family relationships – in fact, 41 percent “completely agree” with this.”
I second the findings in this study. Though camping has saved our family money on vacations and weekend getaways over the past 22 years, the economic benefits pale in comparison to the one-on-one time spent with our family, enjoying all of the beautiful things nature has to offer.
When it comes to camping, my family has done it all, from tent camping across several states, renting camping cabins, borrowing my grandparents pop-up camper, to buying our own trailer. And really, depending on what method you choose, savings is variable across all camping methods.
We realize the cost of our trailer probably cancels out much of the savings we realize on our trips and we could camp cheaper (and have in the past). But, I admit, we’re spoiled. Our trailer has become our second “home” and one of those intentional spending choices we’ve made over the years. The time spent camping with our kids created lasting memories and focused family time. (Plus, as Steve from ThinkSaveRetire mentions in this post, we love campground living – people in campgrounds are so friendly and happy, providing a peaceful, neighborly atmosphere.)
How much does camping cost? The answer is as varied as the methods. In this post, I am not covering the cost of a tent, trailer, or RV in the equation, as the initial investment in your equipment can vary anywhere from $100 to $100,000+. Really, the cost of camping can be anything you want it to be. Here we are looking at the actual money spent on campsites, food, and other associated camping costs.
Our costs for a camping trip
We recently took a week-long vacation to Grand Lake, Colorado, just outside Rocky Mountain National Park. Distance traveled totaled 1500 miles plus another 300 miles while we were at our destination. We stayed 2 nights in state parks with electrical hookups, and the remaining 6 nights in a (very nice) RV park in Grand Lake with full hookups (electric, sewer and water), for an average of $51.83/night. Here is our cost breakdown:
How do we save money?
We pack our own lunches, snacks, water and coffee along on road trips to save money over buying at gas stations and fast food restaurants. Since we have a small refrigerator in our camper, we can take almost an entire week’s worth of food from home along with us, saving us a ton (though we did spend $46 to go out to eat one evening). We do purchase gallons of drinking water, since we’re more comfortable drinking it over campground water.
Another nice perk is we can take our dog along, allowing us to save on the cost of a kennel (though, honestly, we have family that typically keep her).
Entertainment is typically simple and cost effective as well. We hike, look for wildlife, sit around the fire, read, and play games. On our longer trips we occasionally splurge for an activity (on this trip, we rented an ATV to drive through the National Forest).
How could we save more?
We have tent camped in the past and it is definitely more economical than towing a trailer. Costs of tent sites are lower and the gas savings is exponential. Let’s look at the same trip with a tent camping scenario for comparison sake.
Assumptions: Car gets an average 25 miles/gallon for gas, gas costs $2.20/gallon, we camp at non-electric campsites, buy more food (since we can’t pack as much), plus ice for the cooler for a total of 8 nights:
As you can see, we would save a great deal on the campsites and gas if we were to tent camp, but the estimated food costs are a bit higher due to buying food, ice and drinks along the way since we would only have a cooler for food storage (but consider you would be buying food at home too, so this cost is negligible).
Renting a camping cabin saves on buying a tent. Costs for utilizing a camping cabin would be similar with the exception of the cabin rental (prices can range from $40 on up to $100 per night).
(I considered comparing the cost of camping with staying at a hotel, but there are just too many variables to make a good comparison. With camping, you have the initial investment in the equipment, and hotels vary significantly in amenities and costs.)
Camping for frugal traveling
Camping can definitely save money, but you really need to consider your start up costs before diving right in, as camping equipment can be expensive. We recognize the money we spent on the trailer in the beginning offsets much of the savings we realize on our trips. But we love the camping lifestyle – the quality time with our family away from electronics (for the most part), enjoying all nature has to offer, and the friendly people we meet along the way. To us, all of these things make it worth it.
If you are considering camping for your next vacation, do your research before you go out and start buying equipment. I advise renting, borrowing or trying a camping cabin prior to spending on your own equipment to make sure it’s a good fit for you and your family.
Do you go camping? Do you tent camp or have an RV? How much do you usually spend?
Camping Resources:
Campmor
– all of your camping equipment needs at a great price (we ordered most of our tent camping supplies from them)
Bass Pro Shop
– we like to go there for fishing and camping equipment. Staff are very knowledgeable and helpful, plus we can take our dog to our local store!
Love the Outdoors – excellent checklists, cooking and fishing tips, and activity suggestions
Camping.com – everything from finding a campground, shopping for equipment, recipes and activities
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I like to “camp” in cabins, personally. We tried the tent thing a few times – never again =) I love the outdoors, but I want a clean bed and a shower at the end of the day.
Holly, cabins work too! I understand the bed and shower thing. I used to be able to tent camp much easier (when I was much younger), but I like to have a bed and shower too (why we have the camper!).
Awesome topic! You definitely can save some serious money by camping, especially if you do it full-time, which means you aren’t paying for a house and a mortgage on top of your camping fees. After retirement, we plan to boondock a lot in our Airstream, so our costs will be minimized when we do. That said, we are dumping about $7,000 into a solar system for our Airstream this coming November that will enable boondocking, but we hope to recoup that cost by avoiding campsites as much as possible. Also, the ability to live off-grid is appealing to us almost regardless of the cost, so there is that.
Right now we are living full-time in a KOA and we’re spending around $25/night for full hookups, which isn’t bad considering the KOA is basically a resort with all the amenities, including pools, showers and laundry facilities. For us, paying by the month (instead of by the night) helps to reduce our costs. Our food budget didn’t really change compared to when we lived in a traditional house. We still cook as much as we did before.
The major cost savings came when we sold both of our homes, becoming debt-free. No mortgage is enabling us to save just stupid amounts of money every month. And it’s nice that we pay just a single bill to the campground rather than paying separate utility companies for gas, water, sewer and electric. Here, everything is already included in the cost of the site except for electric because we’re paying by the month.
At the moment, we can’t see ourselves going back to a traditional house. I know that one day we probably will, but that’s probably a ways off into the future. 🙂
I’m so glad you chimed in here, Steve. I loved your post about selling the house and moving into the Airstream. The solar system makes complete sense to me if you are planning to boondock (you do have me wondering what you do about water here…I’m sure you have a solution).
And thanks for sharing your costs at the KOA. We definitely paid more for our full hookup sites in CO, but it was a touristy area and that makes a difference. Our food expenses while camping are about the same as when we are at home too- I think as long as you can store food and cook, these expenses are pretty comparable to home.
Having no mortgage and just paying for your camping fees would be a great money saver. This is something we’re considering for the future, so it’s nice to hear from those that have actually done it. I look forward to reading more about your boondocking adventures (in some national forests?)! 🙂
We love to camp! We’ve camped in tents, slept in our SUV (when we had one), and are currently converting an old school bus into an RV.
Our gear has been acquired over many years, a few items at a time, and we’re “glampers,” so there’s a ton of stuff you could do without and still be comfortable. We have a 3-season tent that cost $80, nothing fancy, but it has served us well for years (we apply waterproof seam sealer every couple of years). We also got a $150 easy-up that we use to create a shade living area/kitchen , strung with a set of $15 solar lights. $100 for a good camp stove/grill, $70 for a queen-size cot with attached air mattress (it doubles as a guest bed for company). $20 each for a set of tin camp dishes, a collapsible “sink,” and a collapsible dish drainer (which we also use in our kitchen when we’re not camping). $40 for a 2’X4’table with folding legs that adjusts from bar height all the way down to coffee table height. $15 for a manual pump that fits right into 5-gallon water bottles and makes life SO easy! My $80 metal cooler was purchased 13 years ago and still going strong. It keeps things cold for days, and acts as an end table on our porch when not in use as a cooler. We got a good lantern for $20. Good sturdy camp chairs for about $60 each.
After every trip, we’d think of something else we wished we had, and save up to get it during the end of season sales. And after a few years, there wasn’t anything else we wanted or needed!
So all told, for less than the cost of a week in a decent hotel, we’ve got all the gear we need, and now camping only costs us the site fees and what we spend in gas to get there. If we stay local, we’ll generally spend less than if we stayed home and went to the movies or a restaurant. We probably camp 10-14 nights in an average year. Sometimes more, but rarely less.
Camping is a great alternative to more expensive lodging & activities., but it can take some getting used to. I’d encourage anyone to try it at least three times before deciding it’s not for them, to allow for the learning curve!
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth! My parents used to have an old converted school bus – it was the coolest thing ever!
I love how you’ve kept the camping costs at a minimum and added to what you needed/wanted over time. Camping doesn’t have to be expensive and really can keep the costs of travel to a minimum when your initial investment is low. (The pump for your water bottles sounds great!)
We still feel like we save money since the trailer we have will last for a long time. We’ve had it for 5 years and keep up on repairs and maintenance, so it should last a long time. We used to spend up to 5 weeks/year camping, but are down to about 2 weeks now (since we have teenagers).
I agree, camping is something you really need to try before you start investing in equipment! It’s not for everyone, but if you love it and travel a lot, it’s worth looking into!
Camping was our primary vacation of choice when I was a child. Today we don’t camp as often, but do so every once in awhile and really enjoy the trips. Our last trip was rafting down the Delaware river. We had a great time. Nothing beats a campfire at night under the stars.
What great photos! Hope you had an amazing time.
Thanks, Brian! We had a great time and enjoyed the beauty of the area!
I didn’t camp much as a child, but my husband and I have been camping in one way or another for 23 years. We love our trips, but go much less now that the kids are getting older. Rafting down the Deleware sounds like a great time – nothing better than a river float followed by camping!
I usually would go camping in a tent but now that I have my three year old I am not sure how that would work out. I’m sure she would love it though. I like to take the most frugal option whenever possible but if a cabin is necessary I would just do the leg work to find some good discounts. As far as food goes, I am all for cooking outside. I love getting all our supplies together with the ice chest. I didn’t realize how expensive a week long camping trip could be until seeing your cost breakdown.
Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Lorin! I’m sure your 3 year old would love it! We took our kids when they were really young, but we typically went for short trips then.
Our trip was pretty expensive as far as camping goes, but a camping trip doesn’t have to be this much. We stayed in a touristy area, so our campsite was a little higher than we normally pay. Plus gas for a big truck that gets 9 mpg when towing in the mountains really adds up.
Camping food is the best. We cook over the fire when weather permits, otherwise we use a gas grill or toaster oven.
Certainly helps that fuel prices are so down, huh? That’s always a nice bonus. Hard to believe gas prices being double current prices not long ago!
I think the camping in tents days are mostly behind me at this point, but I’ve done a fair amount of that in the past. But camping in a pop-up camper or full camper/RV would be up my alley. I think it would be a blast to travel the country with one for an extended period of time, probably in retirement. However, I hesitate a little because I’m not sure I could drive a big RV without a few accidents along with way…we’d have to get a smaller one or a pull-behind maybe. It’s just a great way to see the country!
Glad you had a great trip!
Thanks! Fuel prices help tremendously. We always run the numbers on hotels vs. camping when planning a trip to make sure we are making the best economical decision (though I prefer the camper). When fuel was higher a few years ago, we tent camped for our longer trips.
We love our camper and look forward to traveling more in retirement. We don’t have a big RV, just a pull-behind trailer, but it’s not bad to tow along at all. I’ve towed it – if I can, you could too! 🙂
We went the inexpensive route years ago and got our tent camping equipment from Target when the kids were young. We used to go camping with a couple of other families and the kids always had a great time, but we would only stay for a night or two. Twice however, we drove all the way up to Acadia National Park in Maine and tent camped for 3-4 nights. That was a lot of fun and made for some good family memories.
Younger kids typically love everything camping has to offer. We did a two week tent camping trip out west to Arizona and Utah a few years ago. Acadia National Park and the surrounding area are absolutely beautiful – bet your kids loved it!
There’s some really great Minnesota campgrounds that have rental cabins. Your post reminded me I need to check them out soon and get a reservation! They always fill up quick.
We just got back from a camping trip in MN yesterday! Great lakefront site – we were on the wait list for a couple of months. Hope you get your reservations!
We’ve never done a whole week of camping since having kids. Just a few nights here or there. Rob and I are trying to come up with a “best of both worlds” design. On our next trip, We will borrow a friend’s minivan for our next trip, and try to rig up sleeping gear in the van. We will run the AC the whole night (we think that will cost about $10).
However, we’ll stay in national forest land where we can build a fire, and cook on a camp stove and explore nature. Since it’s only 2 nights, we think it’ll work out well for us, but we’ll have to see.
That sounds like a great plan, Hannah. It’s so nice that you are able to borrow the van and have the AC! You’ll save on camping fees by staying in the national forest, and I’m sure there will be plenty to explore. Two nights is a good start to see how it works out. I’d be interested to hear how it goes!
Hey Amanda! I didn’t know there were camping cabins (learn something new everyday, I suppose lol). I sorta think it would be cool to travel in an RV to different places. Only problem is finding a driver because my husband isn’t to keen on doing all the driving himself;)
Hi Latoya! Yes, camping cabins are generally pretty basic, a little cabin with beds and a table and chairs (you bring your own linens), but the campgrounds often have other cabins available with more amenities, such as bathrooms and kitchenettes. I would love to be able to travel to different places on a more regular basis too! Maybe you could convince your husband somehow…
Great post! I’ve not seen the cost of camping in this detail before.
For costs, couldn’t you include maintenance of camping equipment or even depreciation? Like the cost of RV repairs or the difference in price between when you bought it and what you could sell it for now? You could do the same thing with basic car maintenance and depreciation as well. Most likely these wouldn’t wildly change the bottom line, but they are interesting “hidden” costs. 🙂
Thanks Felicity! That’s a great idea! Here’s some quick numbers – we’ve lost about $10,000 in depreciation since the purchase of the camper, but haven’t had much in the way of maintenance (besides new tires – $500), but then there’s also insurance and license (around $300) to consider. We’ve had it for 5 years, so you could say it has cost us in the area of $2100 per year. This definitely adds to the cost of camping trips, but if you were to spend less on the equipment from the beginning (think smaller unit or tent), of course this cost could be significantly lower. I’d never run those numbers before – very interesting! Thank you!
Camping is great! Thanks for including the photo – blue hair and all : ) You certainly stayed at a beautiful place. When we camp, we use tents, and we just set up a site in a provincial park nearby (only an hour away – the one I’ve been going to all my life) and sink into the camping lifestyle. You drove much greater distances – another variable when it comes to camping. I don’t think you’d get the same quality of vacation any other way. Lots of great time you’ve set up to spend with your family : )
Thank you, Ruth! I honestly don’t think it matters how far you go or what method you use – if you like the outdoors, camping is a relaxing, fun activity. It’s entertaining, but also allows you to disconnect from all the noise in everyday life. I feel more peaceful when I’m camping.
Nice moose pic! We loved Colorado, though did not get to hit that part on the loop we did. Looks beautiful. Travelling on the cheap means more travelling can be done 🙂
Thanks! Every day the moose moved up and down the creek in the campground. Definitely – if you can travel cheaper, you can travel more (kind of like early retirement – if you can live on less and save more, you can retire earlier!).
My husband dreams of driving out West in an RV! One day…
We love it out West, so that’s typically where we head! You’ll get there!!! (And I look forward to reading about it!)
My parents are pretty big into camping, I didn’t seem to catch the same genes there and hated all our camping trips when I was growing up! The amount of money spent on all the camping gear/maintaining it definitely needs to be a consideration, people can become just as “keeping up with the Joneses” and materialistic about camping gear as they can about anything else.. So it could potentially turn into a false economy. Looks like you guys are right on top of the expenses and not blindly following the “camping is always cheaper” rule.
I do enjoy a lot of the camping areas and nature walks though, Tristan and I do day trips to popular camping/national park areas and enjoy it for the day – then come back to a comfortable bed at home 🙂 (or a hotel if we are out of town).
Jasmin
Thanks, Jasmin! It’s too bad you disliked the camping trips! My kids always liked it, but they are getting to the age now (13 and 16), where they would rather be at home to see their friends than to go out camping, so our little weekend trips are almost non-existent now.
I agree, camping isn’t always the cheaper option. We always run the numbers ahead of time to make sure we are using the most economical means for travel (hotel or airbnb vs. camping).
Great post! We just backpacked the Tahoe Rim Trail–10 days, 9 nights. We camped for 8 and stayed in a hotel for one since we really, really needed a shower. Even with the cost of our gear, it was still less than staying in a hotel every night and the average cost per night will come down the more we use it.
A bonus of carrying our food or taking it with you in your camper is that it can be so much healthier than eating out all the time. Win for nature and win for health!
Yes, Julie, you guys took camping to a whole new level on that trip! I loved reading your post on your experience. We have aspirations to do at least some of the Appalachian Trail one day (when the kids are off on their own).
Very true about the food! Eating out all the time can really add up to a ton of unhealthy food. Taking along our own food definitely allows us to eat healthier when we’re traveling – I do love that about camping.
We just got back from a few days at a rented cabin in the Utah mountains. There are few things that promote family bonding as much as camping. We had deer and moose walking through the yard while we ate diner. Great experiences that we will always remember.
A cabin in the Utah mountains sounds lovely! I agree, there’s just something about camping that allows everybody to relax and enjoy each other’s company. It’s so great you were able to spend that time with your family making lasting memories. Thanks for sharing!
I love camping! I spent half my summer living in a trailer (but, that was for work…).
You can camp on BLM land (and Forest Service land too, I think) for free. They don’t have developed campsites, but then again, you don’t have to worry about your neighbor drinking too much and blasting Eminem in the middle of a pristine forest at 11 PM (that happened on my last stay in a campground…ugh…).
Hi Lindsay! I love that you love camping!
National Forest land has free camping too. Some of them have designated camp sites, but others don’t. Yes, I do think that would likely eliminate the drunk neighbors blasting Eminem! Sorry you had a bad experience on your last stay in a campground!