Here’s a heartwarming fact to share for Father’s Day — studies show that dads are by far the most likely person to take someone on their first camping trip. Hopefully, even if that bit of trivia causes flashbacks to disastrous camping trips filled with burnt hot dogs, poison ivy, and mosquito bites, we hope it also brings a smile to your face.
In addition to quality time with your dad, trips to family campsites have another important side effect: teaching kids that it is in fact still possible to have fun even if you aren’t staring blankly at a glowing rectangular screen.
So if you need any more inspiration for Father’s Day 2015, here are some fast facts about family campsites:
- In 2011, Americans spent a total of more than 534 million days camping, which works out to an average of 12.6 days per person.
- Also in 2011, a total of 42.5 million Americans went camping in the great outdoors.
- Although young people have a reputation for being the most tech-obsessed generation of all time, 25.7% of camping participants are under the age of 17, and 14.9% are between the ages of six and 12.
- According to a survey by the Outdoor Foundation, 67% of Americans said they were most likely to stay at public family campsites.
- Many modern family campsites include water attractions to help pry youngsters away from their smartphones. Popular water features include lakes, pools, and even water parks.
- Health experts recommend that young people receive 60 minutes of exercise or active play every day, and fortunately hiking is the most popular activity while camping.
As Father’s Day and the summer camping season officially arrives this June, many families will book fun family vacations at family campsites around the country. For some, that means cabin camping at family campgrounds, for others it means “glamping,” so-called glamour camping at family camping resorts. No matter what kind of family campsite you choose, we would recommend choosing a location without cell reception.
