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GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS FROM
CAMPGROUNDS & RV PARKS
WHO OWNS THE PLACE YOU'LL
PARK YOUR RV TODAY?
Does it matter who owns the the place where you will sleep tonight?
YOU BET IT DOES!
Your wheel estate, your rules. Their real estate, their rules. The person, company or government that owns the place where your park your RV determines your costs, liabilities, rights and safety.
With crowds of new RV’s and RV-ers hitting the roads how, summer, new campgrounds are popping up everywhere. Existing RV parks are expanding. Mom-and-pop campgrunds are being gobbled up by big corporations.
Here are questions to ask when you find that your favorite campground has changed owners.
NEW RATES. Prices are going up everywhere but new owners may also change the rate schedule with, say, a different rewards club, different long-term or weekend rates, minimum or maximum stay, more categories for space and service. To the RV traveler this means new opportunities for deals or discounts. Many RV parks now give discounts to military, teachers, first responders or people with disabilities.
NEW STANDARDS. Within national campground chains, certain basic standards are maintained throughout. It’s good to know that, say, every park flying the Happy Hoookup flag has a five-star rating for clean showers or a dog park with pet wash.
NEW RULES. Rules are usually posted on the website, so it’s smart to read them in advance before you are asked to sign them during a rushed check-in. Sometimes new rules are required by state law such as tenant rights. Or the new owners’ insurance company doesn’t permit the park to admit dogs of certain breeds.
New owners may use the 10-year rule or requite a background check. Because of crowding, many parks now have strict check-in and check-out times. The park may now be for seasonal visitors only or only folks 55+. Know before you go. To break the rules can mean eviction with no refund.
REWARDS PROGRAMS. Can you transfer points you earned under the old owners to the new one?
RESERVATIONS may be under a new website, phone or service. Time windows may be different for earlybirds. Some reservations open a year ahead, some six months. Penalties for cancellation may have changed. Reservations may be required and payment may be only electronic or only in cash.
 |
| Some parks are now fully automatic |
NEW TECH applies to everything from hookups to Wi-Fi and how you pay for arcade games and laundry machines. Know how you will pay and what digital payments are accepted. Some features, such as food trucks, may be cash only. Some parks are cashless. Metered electric at each site may add to your nightly costs.
Summing up: Stay aware, informed and nimble. If last year’s Ye Olde Camp Hollow has been snapped up by one of the big corporations that are on buying sprees these days, know before you go.
Home, sweet home, is where you park it
FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD?
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CAMPGROUNDS GOOD NEWS; BAD NEWS
The latest news from local sources in the US and Canada. It may be incomplete or premature. It's presented here so you can follow up on your own and act when the time comes. Locations are in boldface. Dates are in red. No endorsement of any place, service or event is implied.
NEW RV PARKS & CAMPGROUNDS
Just south of Ferguson, Iowa, a new county park has 30 campsites with water and electric. More than half the sites are ADA rated. In the future Green Castle Campground will have frisbee golf and as many as 60 campsites. Rates are said to be $22 nightly on a first-come basis. Go to https://marshallcountyia.gov/
New in Sicamous, British Columbia, the Mara Lake RV Park &
Campground at Sicamous Houseboats has up to 50 fully serviced RV sites with BBQ, picnic table and, beach access. Bring your own boat, rent a houseboat, stroll the boardwalk and use the washrooms. The campground will be open year-round, a plus for those who come here in winter for the sledding trails. Check the website for upcoming special events. See (www.) MaraLakeCampground.com/
Gentry, Arkansas has a new RV park near City Lake with its trails, fishing and kayaking. Tree-shaded RV sites at Rustic Ridge Retreat have city water and 30/50 amp electric. The park has free Wi-Fi, a bark park, community grilling area and a camp store. See https://www.rusticridgeretreat.org/
SCUTTLEBUTT
There is a good chance that campgrounds in Umstead Park, Raleigh, North Carolina will have easier RV access by the end of this year. State officials are looking for ways to modify the entrance. Stay tuned.
Set to open in 2026 is a 55-site campground in the the Pembina Gorge State Recreation Area, North Dakota. Modern and primitive sites will be offered; cabins will be open all year. The area near the Canadian border is known for rugged outdoor adventures, especially fossil hunts. Go to https://www.parkrec.nd.gov/
RV PARK CHANGES, REOPENINGS, NEW OWNERS
When you camp at Wind Creek State Park, Alexander City, Alabama you'll find a new look thanks to a recent upgrade project. The campground on Lake Martin has new cottages and, for RV visitors, 50-amp service, wider RV pads and more ADA facilities. The park has more than 500 campsites, all with water and electric. More than 100 have sewers too. Go to (www.) AlaParks.com for reservations.
Closed since it was heavily damaged by a blizzard in 2023, Greenfield State Park, New Hampshire reopened this season with 250 campsites, extensive improvements, upgrades to roads, water, electric and sewers, and a new dump station. Renovations continue and a few facilities are still closed. The campground’s park’s seasonal closing date is November 11. (603) 547-3497, (www.) ReserveAmerica.com/
EVENTS
Dates are subject to change. You may need separate reservations for the event and the campsite.
Calling all square dancers to Oconee State Park, Mountain Rest, South Carolina forFriday evening of Labor Day Weekend. Meet at The Barn across from the park office and wear your square dancing shoes and duds. Price $3/adult ages 15 and up, $2/child ages 6-14, children 5 and under are free (84) 638-5353. Camping reservations 1-866-345-PARK
The Fall Harvest Festival at Sleeper State Park, Caseville, Michigan is a campers-only event September 26-28. To reserve a campsite call 1-800-447-2757. Bring decorations for your campsite, When you check in the schedule of activities will be provided. For festival details call (989) 856-4411.
The 50th annual Atalaya Art Festival will be at Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Dates are September 26-28 so reserve now your choice of the 173 park campsites. Full and partial hookup sites are available and Wi-Fi throughout is free. One of the South’s premier art festivals, the affair attracts more than 100 fine artisans and artists. Local musicians and food stars will be on hand.
For more information call Huntington Beach State Park (843)-237-4440.
On selected dates through 2025, interpretive guides provide petroglyph tours of Thousand Hills State Park | Kirksville, Missouri. The park is home to rock carvings made by ancestors of today’s Native Americans. Get dates details at 660-665-6995. Registration is not required for the tours. The park has two campgrounds with electric hookups. The park is closes November through March. Reserve your campsite at (877) 422-6766..
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Calling all square dancers to Oconee State Park, Mountain Rest, South Carolina forFriday evening of Labor Day Weekend. Meet at The Barn across from the park office and wear your square dancing shoes and duds. Price $3/adult ages 15 and up, $2/child ages 6-14, children 5 and under are free (84) 638-5353. Camping reservations 1-866-345-PARK
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