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Travel Tribune
Campgrounds entertain guests with unique, exciting activitie
Campground owner Mark Kasper shook his head in disbelief when his 79-year-old mother, Phyllis, climbed a 30-foot staircase and rode his park’s 300-foot zipline, literally dangling alongside a river that skirts the west end of the park.
That was four years ago, and to this day, 83-year-old Phyllis Kasper holds the record for being the oldest person to ride the zipline at Lazy River at Granville, a 195-site campground in Granville, Ohio, just east of Columbus.
But don’t think for a moment that the elder Kasper will easily surrender her title. “She told me that if anyone older than her rides the zipline, she’ll wait until she reaches that age and ride it again,” Mark Kasper said. “We hope she will.”
Lazy River at Granville is one of many privately owned and operated campgrounds across the country that are investing in unique and challenging physical activities to keep their guests entertained, said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.
“Many campground operators believe they can gain a competitive edge if they offer unusual activities that aren’t typically seen at other campgrounds, RV parks or resorts in their immediate area,” she said.
And their efforts aren’t solely aimed at providing unique activities. Some parks are also distinguishing themselves from their peers in the industry by offering unique accommodations.
One case in point is Treehouse Camp in Rohrersville, Md., near the Appalachian Trail, which offers its guests the chance to escape to the forest, while spending the night in tree house cottages that actually stand on stilts, eight to 10 feet above the ground.
Here’s a sampling of other privately owned and operated campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across the country that offer unique activities and accommodations:
● Beaver Lake Campground in Custer, S.D.: This 81-site campground, located roughly 20 to 25 minutes from Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park, offers a 360-foot-long water slide as well as cabin and teepee rentals.
● Camp Dakota Family Camping and Paintball in Scotts Mills, Ore.: This park, located in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, roughly 35 miles east of Salem, offers numerous activities, including paintball, gold panning, treasure hunting with metal detectors, ATV trails and an electric RC racing track.
● Coloma Resort in Coloma, Calif.: This Sierra Nevada park, located near the site where gold was discovered in California, offers a challenging ropes course as well as opportunities for gold panning, white water rafting and even classes in yoga. For those who don’t have their own RV or tent, the resort also offers tent cabins and RVs, park models and bunkhouse rentals.
● Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA in La Selva Beach, Calif.: This park features numerous unusual activities, including a mechanical bronco bull that guests can ride, a jumping pillow, a climbing wall, miniature golf, banana bike rentals, and an outdoor movie theatre.
● Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Castle Rock, Colo.: This park’s amenities include a mining sluice, park model cabins, tepees, yurts and safari tents. Special activities this summer, in addition to Yogi’s weekly themed weekends and special events, include a magician’s camp and theatre camps.
Contacts:
Beaver Lake Campground, Custer, S.D., Max and Cindy Hammer, 605-673-2464, or beaverlake@gwtc.net
Camp Dakota Family Camping and Paintball, Scott Mills, Ore., 503-873-7432, or john@campdakota.com
Coloma Resort, Coloma, Calif., Daniella Faieta, 530-621-2267, or www.colomaresort.com
Lazy River at Granville, Granville, Ohio, Mark Kasper, 740-366-4385, or camp@lazyriveratgranville.com
Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA, 831-722-0551, or santacruz@koa.net
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, Castle Rock, Colo., Ian Steyn, 303-681-3169,
or contact@jellystone larkspur.com
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