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Campgrounds Are Increasingly Investing
In Fun Water Related Activities
Linda Profaizer, Pres and CEO NEWS RELEASE - National Assn of RV Parks & Campgrounds
Most people like the idea of taking a summer vacation in a scenic location where they can simply get close to nature. But when families head to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mexico, N.Y., roughly 36 miles north of Syracuse, they aren’t going there simply to relax in the woods. Many can’t wait for the chance to try out the park’s new “Water Wars” attraction in which opposing teams use specially designed catapults to see how much they can saturate their fellow campers. The popular attraction, which includes two opposing battle stations that would provide adequate shelter if it weren’t for their large windows and gaping roof holes, has been installed in more than a dozen private campgrounds across the country, courtesy of the Water Wars company of Pequot Lakes, Minn.
 Water Wars is one of a growing list of unique water features that private campground and RV park operators are adding to their parks. Other unique attractions include floating trampolines, floating water slides and floating climbing walls. Some parks are also investing in spraygrounds, while others have developed their own waterparks, including Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Quarryville, Pa., which built a $2 million waterpark last year, and the Jellystone Park in Williamsport, Md., which added two 400-foot waterslides two years ago. “Private park operators are investing in water related attractions because they know these will not only appeal to families with children, but encourage people to stay at their parks for longer periods of time,” said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds in Larkspur, Colo., which represents the nation’s 8,000 private parks. Profaizer’s point was validated by Bob Ryan, who owns the 160-site Jellystone Park in Quarryville. “Our reservations are up 40 percent over last year,” he said, noting that the addition of a waterside has been a big draw.
 Private parks’ increasing investments in water-related attractions is also making private campgrounds and RV resorts increasingly competitive with each other, since families with children will naturally gravitate to those parks that offer the most water related activities. “The campground owner who has the most toys wins,” said Bud Styer, a campground industry consultant who owns four campgrounds in Wisconsin, each of which has broad range of water toys. Demand for campgrounds with unique water attractions is so strong that the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds is redesigning its GoCampingAmerica website with expanded search capabilities that will enable consumers to readily identify and book reservations at campgrounds and RV parks with unique water attractions. The new search function, which will enable consumers to run keyword searches to find campgrounds with specific amenities, is expected to go live by late June. In the meantime, consumers looking for private campgrounds with unique water features should consult with major campground chains, such as Kampgrounds of America (www.koa.com) and Jellystone Park Camp Resorts (www.campjellystone.com) and run Google searches pairing words like waterslide, floating trampoline, water wars and campground along with the state you plan to visit.
For additional commentary, statistics and sources on the latest camping trends in campgrounds and RV resorts or for leads on parks in your news coverage area that are making unique investments in water related attractions and other amenities, please contact Linda Profaizer at the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds at (303) 681-0401 and visit the association’s website at www.gocampingamerica.com. SOURCE
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Following is a sampling private campgrounds with unique water activities
Baraboo Hills Campground, Bud Styer, (608) 370-4500 or www.campingforthefunofit.com
Cape Hatteras KOA, Rodanthe, N.C., (252) 987-2307 or www.koa.com
Cherokee Great Smokies KOA, Cherokee, N.C., (828) 497-9711 or www.koa.com
Cherrystone Family RV Resort, Cheriton, Va., James Hopkins,
(757) 331-3063 or www.cherrystoneva.com
Harmony Ridge Farm and Campground, Branchville, N.J., (973) 948-4941 or www.harmonyridge.com
Hayward, Wis. KOA, (715) 634-2331 or www.koa.com
Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Melissa Gause, (843) 238-5161 or www.lakewoodcampground.com
Long’s Retreat Family Resort, Latham, Ohio, (937) 588-3725 or www.longsretreat.com
Port Huron KOA, Kimball, Mich., (810) 987-4070 or www.koa.com
Merry Mac’s Campground, Bud Styer, (608) 370-4500 or www.campingforthefunofit.com
Mount Rushmore KOA, Hill City, S.D., (605) 574-2525 or www.mountrushmorekoa.com
River Bend RV Resort, Bud Styer, (608) 370-4500 or www.campingforthefunofit.com
Smokey Hollow Campground, Lodi, Wis., Bud Styer, (608) 370- 4500 or www.campingforthefunofit.com
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Mexico, N.Y., (315) 963-7096 or www.jellystonecny.com
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Natural Bridge Station, Va., (540) 291-2727 or www.campnbr.com
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in North Java, N.Y., (585) 457-9644 or www.wnyjellystone.com.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Quarryville, Pa., (717) 786-3458 or www.jellystonepa.com
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in the Wisconsin Dells, (800) 462-9644 or www.dellsjellystone.com
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Here is contact information for companies that supply campgrounds with unique water features
Commercial Recreation Specialists, Kathleen McCormick, (608) 848-8781 or www.crs4rec.com
Free Style Slides, St. Petersburg, Fla., Marc Jarvis, (727) 563- 2003 or www.freestyleslides.com
Water Wars, Pequot Lakes, Minn., Tommy Woog, (218) 568-4099 or www.waterwars.com
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