Alaska camping participation is broad but varies considerably by setting and region. In a 2022 statewide survey, 45.0% of Alaska resident respondents said they had used public campgrounds for outdoor recreation during the prior two years. The comparable shares were 36.0% for backcountry camping and 22.0% for public-use cabins. These are survey percentages, not statewide headcounts. The survey covered 1,491 Alaska residents and was minimally weighted to Alaska demographics, according to the 2023–2027 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Appendix A.
Contents
- Statewide camping participation
- Public campground use by region
- Backcountry camping by region
- Public-use cabin participation
- What campers value at campgrounds
- Camping-fee revenue over time
Statewide camping participation
The statewide results provide three useful measures of overnight outdoor recreation. Public campgrounds had the highest reported participation: 45.0% of respondents used them during the two years preceding the 2022 survey. Backcountry camping followed at 36.0%, while public-use cabins reached 22.0%.
The measures describe whether respondents reported using each type of accommodation for outdoor recreation. They do not state how many trips each person made, how many nights were spent outdoors, or how many people camped statewide. A respondent could also have used more than one type of accommodation, so the percentages should not be added together.
| Accommodation type | Alaska resident respondents using it | Measurement period |
|---|---|---|
| Public campgrounds | 45.0% | Prior two years of the 2022 survey |
| Backcountry camping | 36.0% | Prior two years of the 2022 survey |
| Public-use cabins | 22.0% | Prior two years of the 2022 survey |
The statewide pattern puts developed public campgrounds first among the three reported options. Backcountry camping still represented more than one-third of respondents, while public-use cabins had a smaller but substantial reported user share. The figures are from the DNR survey described in the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan appendix, rather than a direct count of reservations, nights or visitors.
Public campground use by region
Public campground participation differed sharply across the six Alaska regions included in the survey. Southcentral had the highest reported share, at 58.2% of respondents. The Arctic region had the lowest, at 16.6%. The other regional percentages were 30.5% in the Interior, 27.8% in Southeast, 10.2% in Southwest and 26.6% in Western.
| Alaska region | Respondents using public campgrounds |
|---|---|
| Arctic | 16.6% |
| Interior | 30.5% |
| Southcentral | 58.2% |
| Southeast | 27.8% |
| Southwest | 10.2% |
| Western | 26.6% |
The regional spread matters when interpreting a statewide percentage. In this survey, public campground use was not evenly distributed across Alaska. Southcentral’s reported participation was higher than every other listed region, while Southwest and Arctic were lower than the statewide 45.0% figure. The results identify differences in reported use; they do not by themselves explain why those differences occurred.
These percentages refer to respondents in each region and the prior two years measured by the 2022 survey. They should not be read as visitor totals for regional campgrounds or as a ranking of individual facilities. The source is the 2023–2027 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Appendix A.
Backcountry camping by region
Backcountry camping showed a narrower regional range than public campground use. Southeast recorded the highest reported participation at 43.5%. Southwest followed at 37.5%, and Arctic was close at 37.3%. Interior reached 36.7%, while Southcentral was 34.6% and Western was 33.9%.
| Alaska region | Respondents using backcountry camping |
|---|---|
| Arctic | 37.3% |
| Interior | 36.7% |
| Southcentral | 34.6% |
| Southeast | 43.5% |
| Southwest | 37.5% |
| Western | 33.9% |
Every listed region had at least 33.9% of respondents reporting backcountry camping during the survey period. That pattern contrasts with public campground participation, where the reported regional values ranged from 10.2% to 58.2%. The two measures therefore describe different geographic patterns in the same statewide survey.
The backcountry result is still a participation measure, not a count of permits, trips or nights. It also does not establish whether a respondent used a specific state park, federal area or other public land. For consistent interpretation, the geography is the respondent’s Alaska region and the measurement window is the two years before the 2022 survey. The source is the Alaska DNR recreation-plan appendix.
Public-use cabin participation
Public-use cabin participation was highest in Southeast, where 33.6% of respondents reported using this type of accommodation for outdoor recreation during the prior two years. Southcentral followed at 25.0%. The shares were 14.9% in Interior, 12.9% in Western, 9.8% in Arctic and 5.3% in Southwest.
| Alaska region | Respondents using public-use cabins |
|---|---|
| Arctic | 9.8% |
| Interior | 14.9% |
| Southcentral | 25.0% |
| Southeast | 33.6% |
| Southwest | 5.3% |
| Western | 12.9% |
The regional profile for public-use cabins differs from both campground and backcountry participation. Southeast leads the cabin measure, while Southwest has the smallest reported share. Statewide, public-use cabins were used by 22.0% of respondents, below public campgrounds and backcountry camping.
These results do not represent cabin occupancy, booking volume or the number of available cabins. They show the percentage of surveyed Alaska residents who reported using public-use cabins for outdoor recreation in the specified period. The figures come from the 2022 survey results summarized by Alaska DNR.
What campers value at campgrounds
The same 2022 survey asked Alaska residents how important selected campground features were. For the statewide sample, dump stations for RVs received the largest combined reported share across the two listed importance categories: 29.4% rated them very important and 29.6% rated them important. Water for RV hookups was rated very important by 23.9% and important by 25.4%. Electricity was rated very important by 19.8% and important by 26.5%. Showers were rated very important by 18.2% and important by 26.7%.
The response categories are reported separately here. They should not be combined into a single preference score, because the supplied results distinguish “very important” from “important.”
| Campground feature | Very important | Important |
|---|---|---|
| Water for RV hookups | 23.9% | 25.4% |
| Showers | 18.2% | 26.7% |
| Dump stations for RVs | 29.4% | 29.6% |
| Electricity | 19.8% | 26.5% |
Regional results for the “very important” rating show additional variation. Water for RV hookups was rated very important by 42.8% of Arctic respondents, 17.2% of Interior respondents, 25.1% of Southcentral respondents, 21.5% of Southeast respondents, 29.0% of Southwest respondents and 22.7% of Western respondents.
For dump stations for RVs, the corresponding regional shares were 26.8% in Arctic, 27.4% in Interior, 30.8% in Southcentral, 27.4% in Southeast, 27.3% in Southwest and 28.7% in Western. These figures describe campground facility priorities in the 2022 survey; they do not measure the number of facilities or indicate that every campground offers each feature.
The source for the statewide and regional facility ratings is the 2023–2027 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Appendix A. The survey question concerns importance ratings, so these numbers should be kept separate from the participation percentages above.
Camping-fee revenue over time
Alaska State Parks camping-fee revenue provides a separate financial series related to camping activity. The Alaska Office of Management and Budget reports the amounts in thousands of dollars by fiscal year. This is an official state-park camping-activity proxy, not a direct count of campers, visits or overnight stays.
| Fiscal year | Camping fees collected |
|---|---|
| FY 2013 | $284.7 thousand |
| FY 2014 | $329.5 thousand |
| FY 2015 | $373.2 thousand |
| FY 2016 | $571.5 thousand |
| FY 2017 | $642.3 thousand |
| FY 2018 | $594.9 thousand |
| FY 2019 | $724.2 thousand |
| FY 2020 | $561.4 thousand |
| FY 2021 | $692.3 thousand |
| FY 2022 | $748.4 thousand |
| FY 2023 | $752.3 thousand |
| FY 2024 | $849.0 thousand |
| FY 2025 | $1,137.7 thousand |
The series rises from $284.7 thousand in FY 2013 to $1,137.7 thousand in FY 2025, with lower reported amounts in FY 2018 and FY 2020 than in the immediately preceding fiscal years. The latest value in the series is for FY 2025, and the figures are fiscal-year revenue rather than survey responses tied to the 2022 measurement window.
The revenue data should not be substituted for the resident participation survey. The survey describes reported use of public campgrounds, backcountry camping and public-use cabins among Alaska residents. The OMB series describes camping fees collected by Alaska State Parks. The two sources use different measures, populations and time frames. The financial figures are reported by the Alaska Office of Management and Budget Performance Detail: Revenue Collected on Park User Fees.