What is the difference between an RV Park and a Campground?

[Edmund]

All of the explanations given are good IF you are the camper. I will tick some people off with what follows. If you are working there it is a world of difference. We have worked in both RV parks and campgrounds. Never again in a campground!! The one where we worked was loaded with tents and pop-ups on the weekends and , boy could they mess up the bathrooms. We had to clean them twice/day on the weekends and it was never pleasant. This rarely, if ever occurred, in RV parks where we worked. I don't understand people who have no respect for things they don't own. I bet their bathrooms at home weren't this messy.

[jkoenig24]

$$ vs $$$$$

[K9JCA]

I'm surprised no one has asked for the difference between a RV Park and a RV Resort.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Ron045

Also, we really like the sites with concrete pads. Is there a simple way to find places like this or is it just hit or miss with searching?

Unfortunately, there's no good way other than visiting individual web sites for the parks and reading reviews.

I generally use a combination of Google Maps and campgroundreviews.com for finding RV parks (and campgrounds).

It's a tough one- I've been at Army Corps of Engineers (COE) parks that had paved pads but were water + electric only. And I've been to RV "Resorts" that where grass spots. And everything in between.

Even the KOAs that were mentioned, I don't often frequent them but I've been to a couple that were not paved. Even two that were barely level.

[crystalspin]

Originally Posted by rlocicero

About 30 bucks a night.

True in much of the US!

[camaraderie]

Well...once you know where youre headed...check out campgroundreviews.com and you will find all the campgrounds/parks in the area AND a full description of roads and sites including surfaces.

[RVBuff]

I don't think there's any rule at all. It's just whatever the owner wants to call it.

[monte]

IMHO what used to be a campground is now an RV park and what used to be an RV park is now an RV resort. Name change and price increase is the only change.

[Dpelaez]

RV parks have more ammenities. Campgrounds are more spacious but more bare bones. Rv parks with slabs are hit and miss while campgrounds never. Mixing it up is always best. Scenery could be nice at either and you'll generally find nice people everywhere.

Happy trails!

[KellyG]

[QUOTE=Ron045;1854072]Whats is the difference? Also, we really like the sites with concrete pads. Is there a simple way to find places like this or is it just hit or miss with searching?

RV Park: caters to RVs: trailers, 5-ers, Class A/B/Cs.

Campground: (also) has a significant tent-camping presence or space.

This was alluded to by one previous answer, but I think this is the most succinct difference. Some RV Parks may *allow* tent camping, but all campgrounds are set up for that. Another indicator: campgrounds tend to expect a higher use of the bathhouse facilities.

Notice how most KOAs have a fair space set aside for tents? That shows that they are campgrounds.

We've used both (TT now that we're older, but a fair amount of tenting when kids were younger). I personally am fine with a mixture.

[Scott V.]

We've only been doing this 5 years but we've found that:
RV resort = full hookups, pool, spa, concrete pad, maybe even a restaurant on site, no tent camping allowed
RV park= full/partial hookup, concrete/gravel pad, paved roads, manicured setting like you would expect in a "park", might have designated tent areas
RV campground= partial hookup, dump station, dirt/gravel road roads, no pad (park as you can) dirt campsite, no amenities, tents allowed anywhere and everywhere
Campground= forget trying to find a site for anything bigger than 25'; made primarily for tent camping, no hookups, no dump station, no hookups
Boondocks= side of the road by a creek with logging trucks kicking up dust all day
KOA= kids kingdom, playground,arcade room, pool, too expensive, who wants to "camp" there

[RVBuff]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not aware of any rule that describes the amenities of a "campground" as opposed to a "park." In our many years of camping, both tent and in a succession of three trailers, we have stayed at multiple places called "campgrounds" that had full hookups and other amenities. One of the places we visit regularly calls itself a "family campground." It has concrete pads as well as tent spaces, a store, food service, a large meeting facility, miniature golf, a water park and a game room. People should look at a facility's website to see what amenities it has, and not rely simply on the name the place uses.

[Ron045]

Thanks all for the informative and hilarious replies.

Sent from my XT1575 using Forest River Forums mobile app

[Evereddie]

4 letters.

[marinerjoe]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

4 letters.

These four? "C O S T"

[formerFR]

in all our travels(84,000 miles over almost 4 years, and all across this country, the great North, and Alaska), we've found NO difference...it's all in the 'name' that the owner wants to give it. There's no 'law' or rules that state how it must be named, or what amenities it must have, or services it must offer.... it's just up to the owner : /

Now, we've seen some campgrounds that are really for 'camping', and not so much for 'RVing', if you get my drift(low limbs, tight sites, rustic dirt environment, no hook-ups, WAY off the beaten path, etc), AND we've seen 'RV Resorts' that are really just a 'campground', and yet we've stayed at Campgrounds that are more like RV Resorts with ALL of the expected, and unexpected, amenities, like hot tubs and restaurants and full hook-ups with concrete pads.

There is no 'difference', and yet there can be a BIG difference, depending on your own definitions!


travel, stop, enjoy, have fun! : )

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by marinerjoe

These four? "C O S T"

OK that works too.

[timfromma]

Call it whatever you want. I call it home for the length of my stay.

[scrappypappy]

Originally Posted by DreiHunde

Dude that is classic!!!

[RandyN]

Mostly you have to search for the concrete pads. We have a number of state parks here in OK that have concrete pads but often it is a specific campground within a particular state park. Get a phone app for campgrounds (I use RVParky) and also do some internet searching on the mainframe at home to help.


Most of all, enjoy!