If you dream of getting outdoors and away from the office life, one possibility is owning a campground. There are thousands of places to camp around the country, and plenty of them are privately owned. Some are near national parks. Others are great spots for locals to spend a night outdoors. Outdoors.com spoke to three campground owners around the country and shared what it’s like to start and operate a campground.
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Whispering Surf Campground – Pentwater, Michigan
Outdoors.com: Tell us about your campground. Where is it, and what does it offer?
Lisa Hoffman, Co-Owner of Whispering Surf Campground: Our campground is Whispering Surf Campground at Bass Lake, located 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan beaches near Pentwater, Michigan. We are Michigan’s oldest continuously operated private campground, and have been in existence since 1913. The campground has 90 sites, including tent, water/electric, and full hook up, as well as three cabins. We have 100′ of private beach frontage on Bass Lake and a historic Lodge for events and games. Our playground boasts a wooden pirate ship that has captured the imagination of generations of kids for over 40 years. We pride ourselves on great customer service and clean restrooms.
Outdoors.com: What inspired you to start your own campground?
Hoffman: My husband, Jeff, and I actually purchased the campground almost 3 years ago – we are the 4th owners. My father is our business partner and had always dreamed of owning a campground. We were looking to get out of corporate America and into a pre-retirement business that would allow us a more flexible schedule.
Outdoors.com: What was the process like?
Hoffman: It took us about six months of searching to find the right campground. We worked with multiple brokers and looked seriously at 3 – 4 campgrounds before purchasing Whispering Surf. At that time, campgrounds were selling quickly, so we had to move fast once we determined we were interested in a property.
Outdoors.com: What was the hardest part of starting a campground?
Hoffman: The learning curve is steep. We had to determine what our policies would be, what our “brand” looked like, pricing, what to change, what to leave the same. Fortunately, the previous owners provided very generous transition assistance. We still talk to them occasionally now. We also quickly got involved with Camp Michigan, an association for campground owners that provides education, support, representation in Lansing, and a network of helpful board members and owners. I am now President of the Camp Michigan board.
Outdoors.com: What is the booking process like for guests? Do you use a website, camping app, etc.?
Hoffman: Last fall, we changed to an online booking system through CampSpot. Previously, guests had to call or email our office to make a reservation. Now, they can book online and only need to call if they have an issue or question.
Outdoors.com What is the day-to-day work of owning a campground?
Hoffman: In the winter, it is planning for the next season, hiring summer staff, making improvements to systems, infrastructure, or processes, and booking reservations for the next summer. Winter is also when Camp Michigan is most active, so we attend education events, conferences, and have board meetings to attend. In the summer, it is all about the guest experience. While we have a staff of 3 work camper couples to handle the day to day operations, we are still available 24/7 to resolve issues, provide extra personal touches, and host events within the campground.
Outdoors.com: What is your favorite part of owning a campground?
Hoffman: We like to say that the best part of owning a campground is the people that you meet. We have met some great work campers who are now life-long friends. Some of our guests have been camping to the campground since they were children – it is fun to hear their memories. Every year we meet a lot of great people!
Wandering Woodlands – Forks, Washington
Outdoors.com: Tell us about your campground. Where is it, and what does it offer?
Roxanne Sepehri, Owner, Wandering Woodlands: My campground, Wandering Woodlands, is in Forks, Washington. Yes, home of the Cullen family vampires and werewolves. If you can imagine the mossy forest scenes from the Twilight movies, that’s what my property looks like. It has 8 primitive campsites and 2 glamping domes with different themes. One of the domes has a rustic/ bohemian theme with a swing bed suspended from the ceiling and the other dome has more of an opulent vampire theme for those wanting to get the Twilight experience.
Outdoors.com: What inspired you to start your own campground?
Sepehri: I was really burnt out from my job as an elementary school teacher and was looking for a new route in life. I wanted to do something that allowed more flexible hours, more time in nature, and more time to spend doing the things I love with the people I love. Starting a campground checked a lot of those boxes. I also really enjoy the creative aspect of owning a campground. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas for things I want to add in the future.
Outdoors.com: What was the process like?
Sepehri: It took me about a year from conception to opening day. That time was very stressful because I was still teaching full time. I wanted to set myself up so that I could quit my job at the end of the school year and open up the campground right away. I did a lot of research on what would make a good location for a campground.
Eventually, I found Forks, Washington, which checked a lot of boxes for me. I liked that it was near the Olympic National Park, near the beach, and had lots of visitors that come for Twilight nostalgia. Once I found a location, I called the county every day for months to figure out the process of turning a parcel of land into a campground. Once I got all my permits approved, I was able to move on with the building process. The domes took about 6 months longer than expected, which probably should have been expected. Decorating the domes was probably my favorite part because I finally got to see my vision come to life!
Outdoors.com: What was the hardest part of starting a campground?
Sepehri: For me, the hardest part was just figuring everything out. Since I knew nothing about starting a campground or a business, everything was completely new to me. There’s a lot of paperwork from permits to business licenses and I was afraid of getting something wrong. I spent many hours calling the county and asking a million questions so that I could get all my permit paperwork correct.
Outdoors.com: What is the booking process like for guests? Do you use a website, camping app, etc.?
Sepehri: Right now I use Hipcamp, Dyrt, and Airbnb for bookings. If you search for Wandering Woodlands in Forks, Washington you should be able to find me. You can also go to my Instagram page @Wandering_Woodlands and get a direct link from there. My website is still in the making, I have a domain but nothing set up for it yet. In the future I would love to take bookings directly from my website as well.
Outdoors.com: What is the day-to-day work of owning a campground?
Sepehri: I do a walk around of the campground every morning to make sure no trash was left and just make sure everything is clean and tidy. As people check in, I walk around and try to greet everyone. Sometimes if people are being loud during quiet hours or are starting a fire during a burn ban I will have to walk over and remind them of the rules. Thankfully, the majority of people who stay at the campground are very polite and follow the campground rules.
Outdoors.com: What is your favorite part of owning a campground?
Sepehri: Honestly, my favorite part of owning a campground is the freedom. Right now I’m just getting started, so financially, it’s still a bit scary and I’m having to work part time during the winter season. However, if things go as planned, in the future I would love to have the off season free to do with what I want. I plan on spending that time with friends and family and traveling. The other top things I enjoy about owning a campground is spending my time outdoors in nature and getting to be creative. I really loved designing the interiors of the glamping domes and in the future I want to put in a spa area and a walking trail that has little fairy houses and fun things to find along the path.
In the Pines RV & Cabin Village – Bolivia, North Carolina
Outdoors.com: Tell us about your campground. Where is it, and what does it offer?
Heather Greene, Co-Owner of In the Pines RV & Cabin Village: In The Pines RV & Cabin Village is located in the heart of Brunswick County, tucked away in the loblolly pines of North Carolina. A 40 acre RV park featuring 30, 50 amp, full hook up sites as well as 8 uniquely designed, upscale, tiny cabins. We are located in the town of Bolivia and are just a short drive to Southport and Oak Island. On site we offer llama trekking on our trails through the quiet pine forest. We also feature a mining sluice and offer both gem and fossil mining. We have a common area with a jump pad, gaga ball pit, and cornhole which is sure to keep the kids playing for hours on end. There’s also a playground with a slide and swings for kids as well as a dog park for our furry guests.
Outdoors.com: What inspired you to start your own campground?
Greene: In 2019, Bryan and Jessie Judge sold their businesses and home and purchased a fifth wheel camper and embarked on an adventure of a lifetime across the country with their two young daughters and two dogs. It was during that trip that they were inspired with their next business idea of starting their very own family campground. They returned to their home state of North Carolina and began looking at properties and doing the leg work to learn what it takes to open an RV park.
They quickly realized it would take a lot to pull off. Bryan first enlisted the advice and help of his dad and mentor, Joe Judge. After doing his own due diligence, Joe thought it was a wonderful opportunity for this area. He was incredibly supportive and brought in both of Bryan’s sister’s families too. The goal was to try to open the RV park we wanted while keeping it 100% family owned. With all 4 of their families involved and invested, they were able to make their dream a reality. The park just opened October 2023.
Outdoors.com: What was the process like?
Greene: The process was longer and even more challenging than expected. We purchased the property in December 2020 and then started the planning, the design, permitting, hiring contractors, etc. There were price increases and unexpected expenses along the way. The whole family stepped in and went to work to pull this off. We painted the inside and outside of the building ourselves, laid sod, cleared trails, painted and decorated the interior of all the cabins, built the check in desk, stall doors in the bathrooms, installed board and batten and so much more. Lots of love and hands-on labor went into each detail of this project.
Outdoors.com: What was the hardest part of starting a campground?
Greene: Nothing was smooth. Covid hit at the beginning of the project, permitting took longer than expected, rain caused delays, supply chain issues and construction demand in the area were all big challenges we faced. The project ended up taking a year longer than we expected along with a 40% increase in cost.
Outdoors.com: What is the booking process like for guests? Do you use a website, camping app, etc.?
Greene: We have a website that guests can use to make reservations directly online. We use the 3rd party reservation system Newbook which is linked to our website and makes the process smooth for us in house as well as for our guests. We are also on the camping apps.
Outdoors.com: What is the day-to-day work of owning a campground?
Greene: Checking in and out guests, working in the retail store, planning events, marketing, bookkeeping, flipping cabins, cleaning the grounds and building, and on-going projects. Pool construction will be starting soon and the pool is planned to open this summer. We also have plans to expand toward the back of the property adding tent spots, more RV spots and cabins in the future too.
Outdoors.com: What is your favorite part of owning a campground?
Greene: We love meeting new friends everyday. We have met so many nice families from all over and love the connection and camaraderie camping brings. There is something special about being out in nature that you can feel. We love meeting the locals in the area and being a part of such a wonderful community. We are extremely focused on our guest experience and are so proud how well received it’s been thus far.
