How to Find a Campground That Fits Your Comfort Zone

Wi-Fi signal strengths vary by campground. If a consistent, strong connection is a must, bring a mobile hot spot or go into town to use a library or coffee shop connection.

An outdoorswoman living in Granby, Colorado, Gaylene Ore, 60, has backpacked, tent camped and RV camped around the country for a total of 38 years, and still does it all. Some of Ore’s favorite camping trips are with girlfriends and fellow members of national, women-only camper organizations Girl Camper and Sisters on the Fly. She joins her RV camping girlfriends at Colorado’s Mueller State Park and Wolford Mountain Reservoir, among others.

When accessing campgrounds, Ore always looks for clean bathrooms and an easily reachable campground host on site. “I feel most comfortable in campgrounds located within walking distance of trailheads for hiking and near a small town with restaurants and medical services available, just in case.”

National Park System campground hosts undergo federal background checks, Koepke says. “If necessary, hosts work with federal law enforcement park rangers who patrol campgrounds 24/7 and handle issues such as thefts, disturbances and emergencies.”

At private campgrounds, expect more security features, such as well-lit, paved or crushed gravel pathways, larger-sized signage, perimeter fences and security cameras. Lifeguards may be on duty at swimming pools. Night managers stay on site. Bathhouses often have security entrance code keypads and, instead of curtains, locking doors on shower stalls.

Community spirit

Campers are friendly, so it is easy to meet new people. Private campgrounds often plan themed social events, host activities and invite local musicians to entertain guests.

Private campgrounds often plan themed social events for guests. Marathon Motel & RV Park in Texas hosted a star-gazing party.

Courtesy Kit Bernadi

On a recent RV camping trip out West with my husband, we stargazed with a resident, amateur astronomer at the Marathon Motel & RV Park an hour from artsy Marfa, Texas. While staying at New Mexico’s Alamogordo White Sands KOA Journey campground, we joined town residents listening to country bluegrass group The Jammers.

KOA franchise owners Sandy and Kelly Rodwick, 52 and 56, respectively, bought the 8.5-acre KOA campground after working in corporate America. “To stay at a campground is to become part of an instant community of people who love to travel and experience new things,” says Sandy Rodwick. “We learn a lot from one another.”

Founded in March 2021 by Ali and Eric Rasmussen, Spacious Skies Campgrounds strives to expand the meaning of campground community. Each of the privately owned company’s 15 campgrounds in 10 states along the East Coast is designed to reflect distinct regional culture. Guests 50-plus comprise most of their company’s camping population. All the campgrounds institute rules ensuring guests of diverse backgrounds and beliefs feel welcome.

“Our 150 staff members undergo diversity training earning the Unity Blaze Certification created by the Black Folks Camp Too organization,” says Ali Rasmussen, an experienced camper of Cuban American descent. “We are one of the most vocal companies in the campground space instituting inclusivity policies.”

Campgrounds are common ground we share. Determining in advance of a camping trip what makes you feel comfortable in the outdoors helps you and everyone else at the campground be happy campers.