What's the general consensus. We try to avoid CG with seasonals (other than work campers/hosts). We've not had good experience when the parks have seasonals. It always seems they feel its "their" park and they either ignore rules that are enforced on visitors, or run over guests as they try to use the parks amenities. I see most as a place for the parents to drink beer and ride around in golfcarts, while children run unsupervised. Growing up camping we were allowed at an appropriate age to go on our own, but we didn't bully other children out of their fun either. (When you see kids behave that way, then you see the parents it usually makes sense). Maybe it's just me and I'm to uptight.

Maybe a little uptight, you really can't make a blanket statement like that IMO, I have experienced those types of places that you describe, but I have also stayed in nice places with seasonals who could not be nicer, give you the scoop on all the great things to see and do in the area, and always know where to find the best ice creammm!

we rarely stay in private owned rv parks or campgrounds. we prefer state and federal parks and campgrounds.but when we do stay in an rv park, it's usually only for one or two nights so the occupants' status and behavior doesn't impact on us.

You have to check each park out carefully. In general I would tend to agree. But there are always exception to the rule. I can think of two that we visit where I would challenge you to pick out the long term vs the daily/weekly. The reason being is the enforcement of rules that do not allow long terms to look or act any differently than short term.

Your broad-brush characterization of seasonals includes snow-birds, summer vacation rentals, and folks who live in their RV for any other reason. Maybe you simply don't like to be around anyone who occupies an RV site for a period longer than your 2-week vacation. It has been our experience that these days it is difficult to find privately-run CG's that don't have at least some seasonal/long-term residents; perhaps you should limit yourself to state and federal CG's where the maximum stay is 2 weeks.Most of the summer I guess we might be people you would feel comfortable with since we like to move every week or two. But we tend to stay in place during the winter so might not be acceptable neighbors during those months. Does your opinion of people depend that much on whether they rent their site by the week or the season?

hoojs wrote:What's the general consensus. We try to avoid CG with seasonals (other than work campers/hosts). We've not had good experience when the parks have seasonals. It always seems they feel its "their" park and they either ignore rules that are enforced on visitors, or run over guests as they try to use the parks amenities. I see most as a place for the parents to drink beer and ride around in golfcarts, while children run unsupervised. Growing up camping we were allowed at an appropriate age to go on our own, but we didn't bully other children out of their fun either. (When you see kids behave that way, then you see the parents it usually makes sense). Maybe it's just me and I'm to uptight.we've been in many, many parks that have seasonals...sometimes a few, sometimes a lot. the park we use in mesa, az every spring is a snowbird park and thus is mostly seasonals. we've never encountered any of the issues you raised. we *did* encounter golf-cart races at a park in Illinois but it wasn't seasonals. it was memorial day weekend and the park was renting golf carts to anyone...and I almost mean that literally...who had the price. even 10-12 year old kids were zooming around the park. that's one reason why we now stay at home on holidays.

Campgrounds with Seasonals. Yes/No? | Good Sam Community

54 Replies

Homer1
Explorer
Aug 08, 2013
IMHO I prefer parks that do not have a large concentration of seasonal's. They do tend to take ownership of the campground. They all know each other fraternize with each other etc. Now I am particularly speaking of those that own winter homes with in a snowbird park. Long term RVers have never been a problem. The biggest problem I have is with campgrounds that have permanent residents mixed in with the RV crowd. They park their cars, trucks, 4 wheelers just about any where they please. I have had to wake them at 4-5 a.m. to be able to get my motorhome and tow past their vehicles left on the berm of the very narrow street. Now that makes for some interesting starts for the day.
phenrichs
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
paulcardoza wrote:
LOL! The few government run CG's in the area are booked solid, as soon as they become available.

All of our state parks fill up fast as well. They have an online reservation system that allows 90 days in advance. And boy let me tell you if you want to camp in certain CGs you better be online at 7am 90 days in advance or you are done.
paulcardoza
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
LOL! Unfortunately, here in Southern New England, there are no national parks and prices for campsites are as high as anywhere..... I guess it's what we have become used to. The few government run CG's in the area are booked solid, as soon as they become available.

docj wrote:

At $70-80/night I would like to hope it's really nice. That's a bit too pricy for our budget no matter how nice it is. We have stayed at full hookup campgrounds in some of the most beautiful national parks in the US and Canada for a lot less than that. Somehow anything man-made can't compete, in my mind, with what nature can provide. To each his own, JMO.
6_7_tow_rig
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
We avoid private campgrounds at all costs. We have also witnessed the seasonal camper thing an will not consider staying staying anywhere that allows them from our previous experience.

With that being said please don't take that as meaning we think all seasonals are bad or dirty. I'm sure some on here have some beautiful rigs set up in fantastic spots. We've just not seen them in our travels probably partly due to using some private campgrounds as stop overs only and not seeing others to compare too
phenrichs
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
I have seen the behavior the OP mentioned only a couple times but not in all parks. Most that I have been to that have seasonal sites have them set off in a farther back part of the park. I think that is good for both sides as the seasonal folks don't have the constant in and out traffic. I feel they are two very distinct types of camping and are better off to not overlap too much. The folks are great but they get comfortable in the park and that does sometimes rub others the wrong way. I have been to one place that I will not go again do to them catering to the seasonals and the locals and we travelers were almost treated as a nuisance. By and large I personally like the seasonal folks. They are good to visit with and good for local info. Plus I have 3 small children so it often works out well for my kids to make to friends to play with. That being said we do tend to prefer our state parks here in SD. - But not because of this topic. We just like them better.
Vulcaneer
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
docj wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:
Really? Well, the place is easily one of the best CG's I've ever been to and I would much rather that they keep it in pristine condition then let is become a camper salvage yard, like many other CG's with seasonal programs I have seen. Normandy Farms is in the top 1% of CG's I have stayed at.

docj wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:

You are inspected periodically and you must be INVITED back the following year.

Thanks for identifying the CG in question; it sounds like just the kind of place I would want to avoid. If I have to have an invitation for the privilege of making a reservation, that is at least one level of pretentiousness more than I can stomach.

At $70-80/night I would like to hope it's really nice. That's a bit too pricy for our budget no matter how nice it is. We have stayed at full hookup campgrounds in some of the most beautiful national parks in the US and Canada for a lot less than that. Somehow anything man-made can't compete, in my mind, with what nature can provide. To each his own, JMO.

I have stayed at Normandy Farms. And yes...It's a pretty nice place. Very well managed, and quite strict. Things like motor cycles need to be parked at the visitor parking, and NOT ridden through the park. But also pretty pricey for what you get. Certainly not what I would consider in the top 1%. Just let one of their precious skunks go walking through a site, while the site renters dog is tied up. Even if you are 10 sites away, you won't be back.

But their rules on seasonals, does make the place look a lot better than many others in New England. If you want to see the other side of the coin, go visit Del-Aire Camping Resort in Tolland, CT. I'll bet you won't get out of the truck.
docj
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
paulcardoza wrote:
Really? Well, the place is easily one of the best CG's I've ever been to and I would much rather that they keep it in pristine condition then let is become a camper salvage yard, like many other CG's with seasonal programs I have seen. Normandy Farms is in the top 1% of CG's I have stayed at.

docj wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:

You are inspected periodically and you must be INVITED back the following year.

Thanks for identifying the CG in question; it sounds like just the kind of place I would want to avoid. If I have to have an invitation for the privilege of making a reservation, that is at least one level of pretentiousness more than I can stomach.

At $70-80/night I would like to hope it's really nice. That's a bit too pricy for our budget no matter how nice it is. We have stayed at full hookup campgrounds in some of the most beautiful national parks in the US and Canada for a lot less than that. Somehow anything man-made can't compete, in my mind, with what nature can provide. To each his own, JMO.
paulcardoza
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
Really? Well, the place is easily one of the best CG's I've ever been to and I would much rather that they keep it in pristine condition then let is become a camper salvage yard, like many other CG's with seasonal programs I have seen. Normandy Farms is in the top 1% of CG's I have stayed at.

docj wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:

You are inspected periodically and you must be INVITED back the following year.

Thanks for identifying the CG in question; it sounds like just the kind of place I would want to avoid. If I have to have an invitation for the privilege of making a reservation, that is at least one level of pretentiousness more than I can stomach.
rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Aug 06, 2013
All depends on what type of scenery you like to see when you wake up after pulling in late into a CG the previous night!
Bigdog
Explorer
Aug 06, 2013
docj wrote:
paulcardoza wrote:

You are inspected periodically and you must be INVITED back the following year.

Thanks for identifying the CG in question; it sounds like just the kind of place I would want to avoid. If I have to have an invitation for the privilege of making a reservation, that is at least one level of pretentiousness more than I can stomach.

X2:B