2 days ago
Seattleites embrace the solitude of solo camping
Americans are taking more solo camping trips to get away from it all — and for many Seattleites, the appeal lies in solitude, silence and the freedom to wander.
Why it matters: Depending on whom you ask, it's either another symptom of America's loneliness epidemic or a healthy YOLO move for people who just need a break from the chaos of everyday life.
The big picture: About 31% of campers nationwide went solo at least one night in 2024, up from 19% in 2021, according to a survey of more than 4,000 campers by The Dyrt, a camping app.
"We just keep seeing this go up, up, up," CEO Kevin Long told Axios.
Between the lines: Readers tell us the solo trend is fueled by a love of solitude and a chance to connect quietly with nature.
"While I'm not a religious person, I consider Mother Nature and the great outdoors my spiritual temple," said Paul Ferguson, a recently retired engineer who took up solo travel after he started living alone 15 years ago.
"Hiking alone immersed in nature feels so deeply rooted to our being" — you can wake up and decide to take it slow or hike more, without needing to check in with anyone, said Jordan Lee.
Zoom in: Long said the pandemic may have kicked off the solo wave, but readers tell us it's become a permanent fixture for them because coordinating with other people is a major barrier to getting outside.
"Waiting for convenient times for others to join me meant I just didn't go," said Sara Autio, a frequent solo adventurer and a volunteer and spokesperson for King County Search and Rescue.
The cost to bring even one person along includes decisions about where to meet, when to leave, how to carpool, said Lee, and concerns: Did they train enough? Are they overpacked? Underpacked?
"An ankle twist by just one member of the group can cut the whole trip short," said Lee.
What they're saying: Emilio Barrientos said he felt uneasy camping alone in Olympic National Park until the experience gave him a front-row seat to a rare sight.
At first, the eerie quiet made him wish others were nearby, but then he took a photo of a bear, winning second place in a Washington Trails photo contest.
"My time on the trails reminded me that there is so much to this world that I think we gloss over in everyday life," he said about his winning entry.
"The mountains, the forests, the rivers, we speed past them in our cars and give them a brief nod, but trails allow us an ability to become intimate and personal with them."
