States Target Non-Residents with Higher Fees

As the popularity of camping continues to grow, some states have passed laws imposing limits on non-residents and reducing the percentage of campground sites available for advanced reservation in state parks. Other states are levying punitive fee hikes on out-of-state campers, ostensibly to create more availability for resident campers. These laws are controversial, with some arguing that they are necessary to ensure residents have access to camping opportunities and preserve natural resources. In contrast, others see them as overly onerous, discriminatory and harmful to a state’s tourism economy. As RVtravel.com…

New Laws for Campground Owners

Florida is the latest state to contemplate liability shield laws for recreational activities and campgrounds. New legislation would urge people to camp at their own risk, shielding private campgrounds from liability claims. A Florida State Senate bill, SB 1054, and a correlated House bill, HB 1323, would limit claims against commercial campground facilities not situated on public lands. The legislation aims to shift the burden of responsibility to campers instead of the campgrounds, offering “civil liability protection for private campground owners and specified employees of private campgrounds for injury, death,…

City of Benton to Purchase 511 Acres for $7.6 Million for RV Park

The City of Benton will purchase 511 acres along the Saline River at a cost of $7.6 million, paid over a 10-year period, city officials announced Thursday. We didn’t go all the way back in the records, but certainly in modern times, this is the biggest purchase.” This land purchase is the largest single land acquisition in the city’s history, said Matt Thibault, marketing official for the city. Plans for the property, called Benton Thomas Park in a concept plan released by the city Thursday, include soccer fields, an RV…

From Putting to Pickleball, New Topsail Resort Has More Plans to Offer Luxury RV Living

After opening Oceans RV Resort in January, manager Joel Beck has enjoyed watching campers pull in to enjoy an outdoor hospitality option in the Topsail region. “I think it’s great because it’s close to local attractions, a lot of outdoor recreation and the museums that Topsail Island has to offer,” he said. “There’s a lot of history out here and just beautiful scenery in the area.” Beck has been in the RV business for ten years and was hired by Evolve Companies for the role. One of the things he…

Ada Commissioners Approve 310-Space RV Resort on Black Dog Clays Site

Hours of testimony didn’t stop a proposal for a new RV resort to replace a shooting range southwest of Boise. On Tuesday morning, the Ada County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a proposal from company Griffin Marketing to build the 310-space Ridgeview RV Resort at 7680 Vallejo Road. The roughly 40-acre property, which is located west of the southern end of Cole Road, is currently the home of shooting range Black Dog Clays. This project attracted dozens of nearby residents to the Ada County Courthouse to testify over the course…

Wild Adventures Adds RV Park in Valdosta, GA

Traveling park goers will get an opportunity to extend their stay thanks to Wild Adventures developing a 50-space RV campground this summer. The Lowndes County Commission gave the park the green light to apply for participation in the Georgia Tourism Development Act Program for the purpose of constructing a short-term RV park called the Safari Campground Resort. The Georgia Tourism Development Act provides a state sales and use tax incentive program for tourism development projects to encourage the creation or expansion of tourist attractions in the state. Phase one is…

New Campground Project Under Development in Elkhart

A one-of-a-kind, year-round, non-traditional campground is being built in the RV Capital of the World. The facility is located on a five-and-a-half-acre site south of the Indiana Toll Road at exit 92 in Elkhart. The project developer is the owner of the Garden Inn next door. We have noticed there are a lot of workers, they come in the area from outside of state and they are in their RV’s and that’s one market we’re leaning towards.” The campground has 67-concrete pads for RV parking that can accommodate units up…

Halifax County Board Approves RV Park

A 60-lot recreational vehicle park received approval from the Halifax County Board of Supervisors at a Monday evening meeting. Supervisors gave the final approval of conditional use permits for Woods Creek RV Park following favorable recommendations from the Halifax County Planning Commission. Woods Creek RV Park will be located on Plywood Trail, near the South Boston Speedway. Dean Jones, owner of Jones Auction & Realty, Inc. and Toots Creek Antique Mall in downtown Halifax, told supervisors and planning commission members in a meeting last month that the market niche for…

DLP Capital Acquires High-End RV Resort In Central Florida for $33 Million

DLP Capital, a private real estate investment and financial services firm, acquired Ocala North RV Resort for a purchase price of $33 million. The Ocala North RV Resort, spanning 73 acres in central Florida’s horse country, consists of 385 sites for RVs and cottages. Ocala has a prolific equine industry, with 600-plus thoroughbred farms and training centers, as well as the Ocala National Forest, which has hundreds of lakes, rivers and freshwater springs that serve as home to manatees and hundreds of other wildlife species. The region is an increasingly…