Families nationwide are heeding the call of the wild-or not so wild-to take camping vacations at public and private campgrounds.
Campground operators and equipment manufacturers say business is flourishing again after a brief setback last year because of the recession.
Cool, wet weather in the upper Midwest hurt attendance at many parks early this summer, says Craig Henrich, publisher of Camping and RV magazine, Iola, Wis. But campground owners are optimistic that rentals will rise with the temperature for the rest of the summer.
Private campgrounds account for roughly half of the 16,000 campgrounds nationwide. The rest are in state and national parks, national forests and on other public lands.
Most private campgrounds are family businesses, so few statistics on occupancy or sales are available. But rising camping revenue at state park campgrounds supports the upbeat mood among private operators.
The industry attributes renewed interest in camping to several trends:
– Baby Boomers who camped as youngsters want to introduce their children to the outdoors.
– Two-career couples are taking more weekend trips because of difficulties in coordinating vacation schedules.
– Early retirements are prompting more people to take to the road full or part time.
– Concern for the environment goes hand-in-hand with a desire to be outdoors.
– Camping is more affordable than other vacations.
”Family camping has taken off like a rocket,” says George Grabner, president of American Recreation Products, a St. Louis company that makes tents, sleeping bags and backpacks.
At least 25 percent of American adults camp at least five days a year, and more than half of those are at least 35 years old, Grabner says. The statistics come from the National Sporting Goods Dealers Association.
Base is broad
”Camping is becoming more attractive to a broader base of individuals,” says Rob Schutter, vice president and general manager of Leisure Systems Inc., Cincinnati, which franchises Jellystone Parks, one of two major campground franchises in the United States.
Thus, today`s camper wants more than a fire ring and a flat place to pitch a tent.
Campers expect campground owners to keep their parks scrupulously clean, mowed and secure. But they also want activities that keep parents, children and older adults amused during their stay.
Campers who use recreational vehicles need water and sewer hookups as well as heavy-duty electrical service to power appliances that may include air conditioners, stoves, refrigerators, microwave ovens, washers and dryers.
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Bonnie and Wayne Fyle, owners of Majestic Oaks Campground at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., say they even have had requests for cable television hookups. But they prefer to emphasize outdoor activities such as hiking trails, volleyball, swimming and horseshoes.
Kent Zimmerman, of Kampgrounds of America (KOA), another major campground franchise, says the demand for more amenities reflects a transition from camping as an inexpensive form of lodging to a desirable way to spend a vacation. His firm has 600 campgrounds nationwide.
”People are not camping now for economy,” says Doris Walters, who runs the St. Louis West Kampground in Eureka, Mo., with her husband, J.C. ”They are doing this because they enjoy this.”
Leisure Systems expects the 71 Jellystone Parks to run some kind of recreation program, Schutter says. Campers complain to Leisure Systems if the park they use lacks a program, he says.
Entertainment expected
”They have come to expect a certain level of entertainment,” Schutter says. Jellystone Parks pays a licensing fee to Hanna-Barbera Productions Inc. to use the likenesses of Yogi Bear and other cartoon characters.
Leisure Systems and KOA have begun encouraging their franchisees to build cabins for campers who want a cool, secure place to sleep. The cabins lack bathrooms and kitchens, but they have beds and air conditioning.
Walters says she thought the cabins would appeal mostly to young families who don`t own tents.
”However, we are finding that many people (who rent cabins) come in with a tent in the car,” she says. ”If it`s 90 degrees and 69 percent humidity, they often will opt to stay cool” by renting a cabin for the night.
Even campgrounds not affiliated with a franchise are seeing an increase in demand for services and activities.
”The demands are like a major hotel,” says Jeff Sims, who runs Compton Ridge Campground in Branson, Mo., with his parents and sister. The family has been in the business for 25 years.
Compton Ridge has a 600-seat convention center for use by group campers, including clubs affiliated with major brands of recreational vehicles. The campground offers catered meals, car and camper rentals, church services and shuttles to Silver Dollar City and Branson`s music shows.
Many campgrounds will have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Deborah Bohnsack, executive director of the Missouri Campground Owners Association. The act covers employment as well as access to restrooms, swimming pools, camp stores and other facilities.
Campgrounds have to make their facilities accessible to disabled campers or provide someone to assist them.
Bottom line suffers
The increasing demand for extras can crimp the bottom line, especially for campgrounds that compete with public facilities like state parks and Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
Public facilities generally charge less than private campgrounds, a fact that is ”a major thorn in our sides,” Bohnsack says. Public campgrounds don`t pay property taxes or charge sales taxes.
For private campgrounds, ”the net profit is very low,” Sims says. A top campground operator can make 4 to 7 percent profit, but only with perseverance and luck, he says.
Sims and other owners say they frequently work 12 to 18 hours a day in the peak summer season. In winter they do repairs and improvements. Some offer off-season storage of recreational vehicles as well.
Sims says many campers have told him they`d like to run a campground when they retire. ”You don`t retire to this,” he says.
On the other hand, ”We really enjoy what we`re doing,” says Walters, of Kampground.
Some campers stop at the same campgrounds year after year. Walters says gets letters and cards from campers around the nation and even from overseas. ”These people become your friends,” she says.