The demographics of camp grounds.

[Shadow Catcher]

Due to responsibilities at home and unexpected expenses (new furnace this spring and transmission rebuild for Nancy's car) we confined our camping to Michigan and Ohio. Ohio has for those of us of a certain age the Golden Buckeye card which means 50% off from Sunday to Thursday at the state parks.
All of our camping this summer was in state parks and each had a 'flavor' with other campers and what they camped in.
Travers City Mi (not close to a major population center) had a range from tents to three families with almost identical large fifth wheels and two Airstreams. Most people looking fit and active. Mohican Oh (not close to a major population center has one of a very few swimming pools) lots of kids out of control on bicycles, some tents lots of big RV's fit looking people. East Harbor (near Sandusky Oh close to Toledo) Mostly large RV's (pull through sites) A lot of folks boating, Cedar Point amusement park close by, fit looking. W.J. Hays state park Mi, fairly close to Detroit, Lansing close to Michigan International Speedway (full on race weekends). few big RV's Lots of tents old small RV's and lots of very un-fit folks.

[wincrasher]

I find the demographics of the state parks more to my liking than any commercial parks.

Commercial parks tend to have snooty people in big RV's with nobody enjoying the outside. Or they are full of down-and-outs using a beat up old RV as cheap housing.

State parks usually have people actually camping - enjoying the outdoors, sitting outside, going on hikes, boating and biking adventures. If there is a big group of tenters, I usually try to camp near them as they are generally the most friendly and open to having a good time.

Now there are always exceptions to this, but these are the trends I've experienced.

[jonw]

I find the demographics of the state parks more to my liking than any commercial parks.

Commercial parks tend to have snooty people in big RV's with nobody enjoying the outside. Or they are full of down-and-outs using a beat up old RV as cheap housing.

State parks usually have people actually camping - enjoying the outdoors, sitting outside, going on hikes, boating and biking adventures. If there is a big group of tenters, I usually try to camp near them as they are generally the most friendly and open to having a good time.

Now there are always exceptions to this, but these are the trends I've experienced.

+1. If it's called an RV Park I try to avoid it, and many (but not all) private "campgrounds" are just sites in a field often with little or no shade or privacy.

About the only positive thing about RV parks is the bathrooms are often clean because nobody uses them (the land cruisers all have built-in bathrooms).

[S. Heisley]

I find the demographics of the state parks more to my liking than any commercial parks.

Commercial parks tend to have snooty people in big RV's with nobody enjoying the outside. Or they are full of down-and-outs using a beat up old RV as cheap housing.

State parks usually have people actually camping - enjoying the outdoors, sitting outside, going on hikes, boating and biking adventures. If there is a big group of tenters, I usually try to camp near them as they are generally the most friendly and open to having a good time.

Now there are always exceptions to this, but these are the trends I've experienced.

+1 Except, I think most KOAs are okay, when you're traveling. Usually, only the KOA workers are allowed to camp full-time; they allow for tents, teardrops, tiny travel trailers, and land yachts and everybody seems to get along. ...Just my experiences. Of course, a KOA is not truly camping; but it's pretty close to it when you need it!

[TheOtherSean]

+1 Except, I think most KOAs are okay, when you're traveling. Usually, only the KOA workers are allowed to camp full-time; they allow for tents, teardrops, tiny travel trailers, and land yachts and everybody seems to get along. ...Just my experiences. Of course, a KOA is not truly camping; but it's pretty close to it when you need it!

I've stayed at KOA's a few times while traveling, and it just isn't the same as staying in a campground inside a forest or park. But they do tend to be reasonably priced, quiet at night, and equipped with clean restrooms you don't have to pay extra to shower in, and that don't close the showers right before you return from that long, sweaty hike. Some even have wi-fi, and free or low cost meal options. It is not the same as awakening at a campground in a national park to find a small herd of elk wandering about your site, or hearing the distant sound of coyotes, nor adequate darkness for gazing up at a near infinite field of stars. But at least they are comfortable and convenient, and the other campers pleasant enough.

They worked well for me this past spring when visiting Arizona. We went while the Sedona wildfire was going, which threw a few wrenches into the gears of our plans (particularly camping and motel reservations). The KOA's in Grant, NM and Holbrook, AZ helped solve that problem.

[Ron Dickey]

+1 Except, I think most KOAs are okay, when you're traveling. Usually, only the KOA workers are allowed to camp full-time; they allow for tents, teardrops, tiny travel trailers, and land yachts and everybody seems to get along. ...Just my experiences. Of course, a KOA is not truly camping; but it's pretty close to it when you need it!

I've stayed at KOA's a few times while traveling, and it just isn't the same as staying in a campground inside a forest or park. But they do tend to be reasonably priced, quiet at night, and equipped with clean restrooms you don't have to pay extra to shower in, and that don't close the showers right before you return from that long, sweaty hike. Some even have wi-fi, and free or low cost meal options. It is not the same as awakening at a campground in a national park to find a small herd of elk wandering about your site, or hearing the distant sound of coyotes, nor adequate darkness for gazing up at a near infinite field of stars. But at least they are comfortable and convenient, and the other campers pleasant enough.

They worked well for me this past spring when visiting Arizona. We went while the Sedona wildfire was going, which threw a few wrenches into the gears of our plans (particularly camping and motel reservations). The KOA's in Grant, NM and Holbrook, AZ helped solve that problem.

I belong to KOA they are becoming more and more a resort and prices are going up. But we see them as a place to pull over and sleep with a good shower, We too have stayed at Holbrook and they were very nice folks. The only bad one we found was an old RV park made into a KOA we never found a place to wash our dishes and we slept next to very big units in a parking lot. But the showers were hot and folks slowed down and looked when they walked past our unit. When we stay we are on our way to or back from a even better stay in a park or gathering.

http://koa.com/why-koa/
this explains the different types we usually stay at journey.
Ron

[mkitchen]

Mo and I look for small campgrounds that lean more towards tent campers. Check out "The Best in Tent Camping" series of books, there are books in this series for many western states. Having said that though, we have stayed at some KOA's and other commercial parks and have had very good luck. I know what you mean though, since we have seen many that look like parking lots with a bathhouse in the center. I have found that even the biggest RV's usually have some nice people in them. You just have to get to know them and say hello.
We were in the Idaho panhandle at a small RV park when two big pushers came in beside us. In the morning when the two ladies were walking around their site, I mentioned that they would have to move their RV's as they made my little teardrop look even smaller. We ended up having all four of them over for coffee and snacks that morning and had a very nice time. Moral of the story; give everybody a chance before writing them off as out of your league.
Mikey