Taking your RV and camping “down on the farm” has a rising appeal. Harvest Hosts, an organization that steers RVers to farms, wineries, and other agricultural sites, grew its membership from 6,000 to 250,000 members in just four years. You don’t plunk down almost $90 a year for a membership if you’re not serious about farm camping.
Nearly one in seven did farm camping in 2024
Now, The Dyrt, the only camping app with all of the public and private campgrounds, RV parks, and free camping locations in the United States, supports that thought. The outfit found that farm camping is increasingly popular with campers. About one in seven campers (14.1%) reported camping on a farm in 2024, which is three times higher than the rate just five years ago.
These statistics are from the newly released 2025 report from The Dyrt, the most comprehensive look at the latest trends, topics and figures for the U.S. camping industry. The latest version of The Dyrt’s annual report is compiled from the results of surveys conducted with three groups—thousands of members of The Dyrt camper community, a representative sample of U.S. residents, and camping property managers across all 50 states.
“The steady increase in the popularity of camping on farms fits with overall trends in the camping industry,” says The Dyrt CEO Kevin Long. “There are more campers out there looking for varied experiences, and farmers often offer unique settings with animals and agriculture. Plus, hosting campers is a great additional revenue stream for farmers, often with very little overhead.”
Steady rise in farm overnights
The percentage of campers who stayed at least one night on a farm has steadily risen each year since 2019, when the number was at 4.2%. That rate increased to 5% in 2020, 7% in 2021, 8.5% in 2022, and 11.1% in 2023.
“Being able to set up camp outside of traditional campgrounds affords us more privacy so we can enjoy the peace and quiet we love,” says The Dyrt camper Robert Q. of New Jersey. “We’ve camped at multiple horse farms in the past—it’s a bonus to be around horses. We tend to mix it up; we’ve stayed at plenty of parks and private campgrounds. But all things being equal we prefer to ‘crash camp’ or stay on private property.”
Better than half like to use an RV
Spacious farms are ideal for both primitive campsites and for accommodating camping vehicles. More than half of farm campers (51.4%) prefer RVs and trailers, compared to 45.1% for all campers. 13.6% of farm campers prefer camper vans compared to 8.3% overall. The farm camping contingent is also very active in the winter, with 42.4% of farm campers braving the coldest months compared to just 28.5% for all campers. The percentage of farm campers who camp alone (36%) is also higher than the average (30.6%).
“It was a small farm, just a few feisty goats and several happy chickens whose delicious eggs I enjoyed the entire time I spent on the land,” says The Dyrt camper Genesis L. of Texas. “There were also working dogs to keep coyotes away, free roaming cattle and curious horses that stopped by my camp to investigate my presence. It was a new experience for me, but quite enjoyable. I had my dog with me and she became quick friends with the working dogs.”
Says The Dyrt camper Connie B. of North Carolina: “There are so many things to enjoy about camping on a farm. My favorite is being able to purchase fresh farm food from preserves to organic veggies, eggs and beef. Learning new skills is also a plus. At one farm I learned how to grow mushrooms, and the role chickens played in keeping the bugs down around the different types of mushrooms. Then I made fresh mushroom risotto for dinner.”
RELATED
2024 sees increased complaints about campsite availability
The Dyrt reveals top 10 U.S. campgrounds for 2024
Are you a member of Harvest Hosts?
Stay in your RV on an alpaca farm: 3 fun Harvest Hosts options
More articles you might really like
• Lessons learned from the theft of our RV in storage
• Camping World owes many RVers big refunds. Just apply
• Epic dump station design failure: Gross!
• Is it time to quit RVing? Our readers respond
• RV electricity: How to install a 30-amp RV outlet at home
• Elon Musk is not launching a $17,000 e-motorhome
• Don’t try staying with your RV at this RV park
##RVT1199b
Thanks for the growth stats on this trend Russ and Tina. Up +/-20% year over year is a great growth pace for this trend.
Keep up the great work. We all appreciate the remarkable volume of contributions you continue to make, daily.
✌️😎
Thank you for the news and statistics, Russ and Tina! We live on a farm, but we prefer COE campgrounds when we travel. Have a great day and safe travels!