Seattleites embrace the solitude of solo camping
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A solo camper's setup by Jug Lake near White Pass — just a hammock, a tent, and the rustle of wind through the evergreens. Photo: Courtesy of Paul Ferguson
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."