As another camping season approaches, campground owners everywhere are doing what they always do: planning projects, ordering supplies, hiring staff, and preparing for what spring will bring.
There’s a lot of talk this time of year about getting ready operationally. But another kind of preparation matters just as much and gets talked about far less, because running a campground is not light work.
As Joan Holz of Holiday Camping Resort once said:
“People think, ‘Oh, you just ride around on a golf cart and have fun.’ No. You plunge toilets. You dig fire pits. You cut firewood. You work hard.”
That line lands because it’s true. Campground ownership is physical and constant. It’s being the person everyone looks to when something goes wrong, whether that something is a broken water line or an unhappy guest at 9:30 at night.
And for many owners, spring arrives before they’ve fully recovered from the last go-around.
During peak season, park owners often run on momentum. There’s always something that needs attention, and each day is shaped by whatever comes up next. This pace can be energizing, but it’s also demanding.
When one campground owner was asked what she loves most about her job, she paused and replied, “You asked me that on the wrong day.” This wasn’t a complaint. It was an honest reflection of how consuming the season can be when everything happens at once.
That’s why early-season preparation is a good time to think about how you want this season to feel, not just how you want it to run. The decisions you make now tend to show up later in how much patience you have left at the end of the day, how quickly frustration builds, and how present you're able to be with guests and staff.
When things are in full swing, it can be hard to step back and know where your limits are. Most days are shaped by whatever is right in front of you, which makes it easier to keep saying yes when you’re stretched thin.
You might find it helpful to ask yourself:
Having these answers in mind ahead of time gives you something to come back to on the days when everything feels urgent.
Busy seasons have a way of crowding out anything that is not already protected. Self-care doesn’t need to be elaborate to be effective, but it does need to be consistent.
That could be:
Putting this on the calendar before the season begins increases the chance it actually happens.
If you live where you work, it’s easy to feel like you’re always on duty. Over time, that constant vigilance takes a toll.
Before the season starts, consider:
Clear expectations, even informal ones, can make a noticeable difference once the pace picks up.
Campground ownership is hands-on, physical, and demanding, layered on top of long hours.
As the season gets closer, you might want to:
Your body carries you through the season. Taking care of it now helps reduce wear and tear later.
During busy months, it can start to feel like you’re only the owner, the manager, or the problem-solver.
Before guests arrive, take time to reconnect with the parts of yourself that exist outside the campground: the interests, relationships, and routines that help you feel grounded.
That sense of balance is often what helps owners stay steady when things get hectic.
Spring will come soon. Guests will arrive. The pace will pick up. The days will be long.
Taking a moment to check in with yourself now can help you head into the season with more clarity and resilience. Campground ownership demands a lot. Paying attention to your own well-being helps you meet those demands without losing yourself in the process.
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