A survey commissioned during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic shows that camping rates very highly when Americans and Canadians are asked what they're looking forward to once life regains some normalcy, and very strong majorities said it would be "reasonable" to have social distancing measures employed at campgrounds and on trails.

Performed on behalf of Kampgrounds of America, the North American Camping And The Effects of Covid-19 survey reached out to 4,000 American and 500 Canadian households for their opinions on how the pandemic affects their plans for camping in the months ahead. The survey is bullish in saying "camping is well positioned to rebound earlier compared to other types of travel, once travelers themselves deem it safe to travel again."

That prediction is based largely on the feeling that camping offers "a safe, accessible way to return to the outdoors while still maintaining acceptable social distancing standards." It also stems from one-third of those leisure travelers who are not campers saying they are now interested in camping as a form of recreation.

Half of the campers surveyed said they view camping as the safest form of leisure travel in the post Covid-19 world. That percentage jumps to 72 percent when the question is posed to Baby Boomers.

"In looking at leisure travelers overall, including those who do and those who don't camp, this group (46 pecent) also ranks camping as the safest type of trip," the survey found.

At the same time, 90 percent of leisure travelers and 95 percent of experienced campers said there should be some measures in place to enforce social distancing. Forty-seven percent of campers and half of leisure travelers "agree that limiting the number of people on a trail is reasonable." Nearly half (48 percent) of prospective campers thought limiting group sizes would be reasonable, and another 39 percent said they were OK with requiring face masks in certain areas.

Twenty-one percent of the campers surveyed said they thought it was safe to camp right now, while 54 percent said they thought another month or two should pass before it would be safe.

Of the leisure travelers now interested in camping, 46 percent said they want to try the activity to spend time outdoors after being at home for so long; another 41 percent viewed camping as an affordable way to travel, and 37 percent said "it's easier to practice social distancing, compared to other types of travel."

But not all those surveyed want to pitch a tent and sleep on the ground. Forty-one percent said their view of camping is staying in a cabin, and 36 percent said they wanted a cabin with a bathroom. Twenty-one percent of the respondents said they would be happy with a tent, while 19 percent said they'd want to have an RV experience.

The desire for a cabin with private bathroom and the interest in RVing were both sparked by health and safety concerns tied to the pandemic, the survey found. Indeed, roughly half of the experienced campers and half of the prospective campers said the ability to reserve a cabin with bathroom or head out in an RV would influence how they would go about camping.

In the post-Covid-19 world, the experienced campers said they likely would reduce the size of their parties when heading into campgrounds as a form of social distancing.

Having been directed to stay at home or close to home also has 60 percent of the respondents with families greatly interested in spending more time outdoors with their children. "Of travelers who say they plan to take children camping for the first time when restrictions lift, two-thirds (67 percent) say their experiences have increased the importance they place on children spending time outdoors," the survey found.

"Among all leisure travelers, spending time outdoors with family ranks the highest in terms of what they're looking forward to most once they feel it's safe to travel again," the respondents said. 

The survey was conducted April 27-30 by Cairn Consulting Group.