The Dust-Off Summer: Travelers Are Simplifying the Way They Get Away

Planning a vacation used to feel exciting. Now, for a lot of people, it just feels like work.

Higher costs, unpredictable flights, and the sheer mental load of coordinating a modern trip have pushed travelers to a breaking point…what Campspot’s new summer insights report calls the “complexity ceiling.” Instead, the survey data shows that people are opting for The Dust-Off Summer, focusing on easier, drive-to getaways with gear they already own.

Here’s what the data shows about this latest summer travel trend, and how to hop aboard.

Nearly 8 in 10 people are done with flying, at least for summer

A huge 79% of travelers say they’re actively cutting back on air travel in 2026, and 60% are avoiding flights altogether if possible. If forced to cut something from their summer plans, 1 in 3 would cross the international flight off the list first.

It’s not just about cost, though that’s a factor. Predictability is what’s on people’s minds. 

A drive-to trip means you control the schedule, you bring what you want, and nothing gets canceled at the gate. Over half (58%) say they’re more likely to take a drive-to getaway this summer than last year. 

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re mapping a road trip, let the campground be the anchor. Search availability first, pick your site, then build the driving route and stops around it (rather than the other way around). It’s a faster way to plan and usually surfaces parks you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Camping is the most protected item on the summer calendar

When asked what they’d cut first if summer plans had to shrink, only 5% said their camping or RV trip. In other words, other vacations are negotiable, this isn’t.

Why? A whopping 80% of campers say they’ve chosen an RV or camping trip specifically because it felt like the smartest vacation option available. Affordable, easier to plan, and predictable in cost. That’s a compelling pitch when the alternative involves three airline apps and a hotel booking fee.

What’s worth noting is that the value of camping isn’t just financial. There’s a reason people protect it on the calendar even when money is tight. The payoff (being outside, unplugged, and away from the noise) is something a hotel lobby can’t replicate. 

Budget-friendly and genuinely restorative is a rare combination. Camping has both.

💡 Pro Tip: If sticker shock on cabins or glamping sites has kept you in tent-only mode, check availability midweek. Cabin rates at many parks drop significantly Sunday through Thursday, and you’ll often find openings at top-rated parks that appear fully booked on weekends. Many parks also have discounts for extended stays, so your week-long stay may cost the same as a long weekend!

95% are shopping their own garage before buying anything new

Almost every traveler surveyed says they’re focused on getting more value out of what they already own rather than buying something new for the trip.

Half have repaired gear in the last year instead of replacing it, and 60% say owning fewer nice things but taking more trips feels more appealing right now. When something’s missing for a trip, 53% say they’ll borrow, rent, or buy secondhand before they’ll buy new—a number that jumps to 79% for Gen Z and 70% for millennials.

The gear-swap economy is real. Nearly 1 in 3 campers has lent their equipment to someone else in the past 12 months. The garage has become a travel resource.

The mindset shift here goes beyond saving money. Borrowing a friend’s camp stove or renting a rooftop tent for a weekend lowers the commitment bar on trying something new. This is how a lot of people discover they actually love RV camping, or kayaking, or a style of trip they’d never have paid full price to experiment with.

💡 Pro Tip: Before your first trip of the season, do a quick gear audit. Dig everything out, check what still works, and make a short list of what’s actually missing. Post in a local Facebook camping group or neighborhood app before buying; someone nearby might have what you need and would happily lend or rent it.

69% of camping trips happen within a 6-hour drive

A third of campers keep it under four hours. And 86% say they’re interested in exploring more of the U.S. through road trips and nearby getaways this year.

Shorter drives mean lower trip costs before you even arrive, no recovery days built into the itinerary, and the ability to actually go—rather than spending three weeks trying to coordinate logistics for a trip that keeps getting pushed. For younger campers juggling work and limited time off, a doable trip beats a dream trip that never happens.

Plus, most people dramatically underestimate what’s within a few hours of home. State parks, lakefront campgrounds, mountain sites, and waterfront resorts are often hiding in plain sight, passed over for years in favor of bigger, farther destinations.

💡 Pro Tip: Open Campspot and search within your region without a specific destination in mind. Filter by amenities you actually care about (pool, waterfront, pet-friendly, full hookups) and sort by rating. Let the results surprise you. Some of the best parks around could be really, really close.

Summer is stretching, which is a good thing

The peak months aren’t going anywhere, but travelers are padding the edges. Many (69%) are already camping in May to get ahead of the crowds, while 77% plan to push into September. Over half (58%) extend all the way to October.

Meanwhile, 39% say they actively avoid holiday weekends, preferring to find any weekend with availability instead. 

Shoulder season is becoming the strategy for many campers.

💡 Pro Tip: If you have flexibility, a Thursday check-in in September can mean even more choices (and often better rates) than a Friday arrival.

Dust off your gear and get outside

Travelers want less logistics overhead, and more actual trips. Camping sits right at the center of that shift, and the numbers show it’s not going anywhere.

Get even more insights about The Dust-Off Summer trend.

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Image Credits: Adobe Stock users M. Perfectti, anatoliy_gleb, Cavan, Travelvolvo, unai