Campground Pet Peeves Part 2

I’ve already written about my campground pet peeves, but after almost three camping seasons, one thing sticks out more than any other pet peeve: the way so many campgrounds have a total monopoly.

Campgrounds Can’t Keep Up with Demand

The theory of why capitalism work is because it encourages competition. This leads to better prices, innovation in products, and better customer service. When customers can take their business elsewhere, it makes companies find reasons to keep customers happy and loyal.

Unfortunately, there are more campers in need of campsites than campgrounds to accommodate the demand. Which means these campground owners can be total assholes, operate run down facilities and charge way too much – and we have no choice but to deal with it if we want a spot to stay.

You can take it or leave it, but your feedback and opinions are not wanted, not needed, and they aren’t going to change a thing, because there’s a list of 10 people waiting to give them money for this same shitty campsite. The next closest campground is the Walmart parking lot, or fifty miles away.

Because there is so little competition out there, there is no incentive for campground owners to invest in functional websites, or make improvements to their facilities, or just be pleasant on the phone or in person.

We’ve paid far too much for the privilege of staying in a campsite with a tree dangling precariously over the site that one strong wind in a storm could cause a branch to come crashing through the roof. We’ve taken showers in “modern bathroom facilities” with mold and only cold water. I’ve been hung up on, gotten a busy signal, and been yelled at for calling on Sunday by campground operators.

#NotAllCampgrounds

It’s not all campgrounds. We’ve stayed at some really great campgrounds, we’ve had some very pleasant experiences with kind people, we’ve even enjoyed a few functional websites. But it’s really starting to aggravate me how little incentives there are for these shoddy operators to make any improvements.

And again, at the risk of sounding too political, some of the best run, most affordable, and cleanest campgrounds are state or city parks. These government run, government funded, campgrounds almost always have an intuitive online reservation system. They have big sites in gorgeous locations. Their bathrooms are always reasonably clean and well maintained. And they are always the most affordable choice in town. These campgrounds operate for the public good, not for profit, and it shows.

We’ve generally stayed at fewer of these public campgrounds because of restrictions on leaving our dogs alone in the camper. But the more frustrated I get with these privately owned, poorly run campgrounds, the most likely I am to take my business to a chain like KOA, or to the state parks.

I want to hear from you. What are some of your best and worst experiences with campground facilities and owners?