Privately owned and operated campgrounds across New York experienced record occupancies during the 2021 camping season, operators reported. Business levels are up 15% to 20% at many privately owned parks.
“We consider 2021 to be the busiest in the history of New York’s camping business,” said Donald G. Bennett, Jr., the president and CEO of Campground Owners of New York. “Some of our members saw their business levels increase by as much as 45 percent over last year’s figures.”
Bennett’s park, Conesus Lake Campground in the Finger Lakes Region, experienced a 16% percent increase in business over 2020.
Some campgrounds have been so full they do not have room to take any more campers.
“We were 100 percent full this year, which was the same as last year,” said Grant’s Vacation Park co-owner Carroll Grant. “If I had double the number of sites, I could probably rent them.”
Many campground operators affiliated with CampNewYork.com said they had sufficient campsites, cabins and other rental accommodations to increase business this year.
Patty Jarnot, owner of Dream Lake Campground in Warsaw, said her business was up 15% to 20% this year. Business was up 45% at Whispering Pines Campsites and RV Park in Greenfield Center, with business being fueled by the lifting of Covid restrictions and the reopening of nearby venues, such as the Saratoga Race Track and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, park owners Scott and Kimberly Foro said.
Pat Green, owner of Ledgeview RV Park in Lake George, said business was up 3% at her 213-site park, which her family has owned for 37 years. She said empty-nesters fueled her weekday business, with families wanting to stay from Thursday to Sunday or Monday.
“Thursdays felt like Fridays this season,” Green said, noting that she often had more check-ins on Thursdays than Fridays. “(We) finally had great numbers for midweek stays.”
