Many times we see the word “Destination” when viewing listings or advertisements covering campgrounds. So what exactly makes a park a destination? I guess a campground is either a destination, a seasonal (also a destination, but usually has some permanent park type model trailers) or a transient park. The later would be a site that offers a good stop over, perhaps located near a busy highway. Though these parks may well have campers that stay for extended stays, many do not. A destination park is a property where people stay as their final destination, many times near popular attractions or high tourist areas.
There are properties that fall into both categories and, of course, park owners that believe their property is mainly a destination site whereas, it may not be. Destination parks generally are priced higher. This price difference appears to be driven by the proximity to popular attractions, while the transient sites compete with the short overnight travelers expecting lower rates.
Can you save money by staying a little further out in a lower priced transient campground? Maybe, but not without some sacrifices. First, you will probably have to drive a bit further from the site to the attractions. Additionally you will find the early morning and late evening a little more disruptive as travelers arrive and depart at all hours. So be prepared for the early diesel engine wakeup call. Security may not be as good at some of these locations due to the type of turnover experienced in busy transient locations.
How much can be saved by staying in a more distant transient park? Well, that depends as there are many variables that may skew any one rule of thumb. But, I checked one out to see the difference, and the following is what I found.
The attraction was a major theme park. The destination park, a brand name chain, is within a 25 minute drive. The seasonal/transient park, also a well known chain, is about 37 minutes drive, or 12 additional minutes. Amenities were about the same and neither offered a pool. I priced out a full service site with 50 amp service. The “Destination” property charged $70 per night on season. The other park, 12 miles further from the theme park, was $50. That is $20 per day more. So, to eliminate an extra 12 minutes each way, or 24 minutes, it would cost about 40% more. Seems to be well worth the drive.
In my estimation both parks were fairly similar in comfort and feel. The staff and services were also comparable. Both were country-like settings with no noticeable differences that would justify such a price variance. It certainly seems it is all about location, location.
So, if you are looking at stretching your RV vacation dollar, it may be worth checking out. Search out your destination area for the best location deal.
A Saving View – Lug_Nut – Peter Mercer
