Texas Campgrounds, RV Parks and Discount Camping

CROWLEY, Texas, Sept. 30, 2009 – Texas campground and RV park occupancies and revenues during the first nine months of this year have largely kept pace with last year’s figures, despite the recession.

And while parks in central Texas lost some of their summer business due to unusually hot weather and a persistent drought, which lowered lakes below boat dock levels and made rivers less enticing for tubing and kayaking enthusiasts, other parks reported significant gains in both occupancies and revenues.

“The private park industry in Texas has fared quite well this year, despite the challenges posed by the recession and the drought,” said Brian Schaeffer, executive director and CEO of the Texas Association of Campground Owners (TACO).

Here’s a sampling of year-to-date business levels and occupancies reported by independently owned campgrounds and RV parks across the Lone Star State:

n Caney Creek RV Park in Sargent: This five-year-old, 35-site park, located in the Gulf Coast fishing town of Sargent, roughly an hour south of Houston, saw its occupancies increase 20 percent over last year’s figures, said park owner Dan Sallee.

n Guadalupe River RV Park Campground and Nature Trails LLC in Spring Branch: This Hill Country park experienced declines in occupancies and revenue this year due to the drought. “When the river flows dwindle, summer visitors can’t tube, canoe or kayak, so they seek other places to do that,” said Guy Anderson, the park’s general partner.

n Hatch RV Park in Corpus Christi: “Year to date, we’re probably doing a little bit less than we did last year, but not much – maybe a couple thousand dollars less in gross revenue. But the last several years have been banner years for us,” said park owner Mac McLaughlin.

n Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy: This Hill Country park saw a 13 percent increase in occupancies during the first eight months of this year compared to last year, which park owners Teri and Mark Blaschke attribute to their “go the extra mile mentality” for their guests.

n La Hacienda RV Resort in Austin: This park has doubled its gross sales over 2008 figures, despite the drought and low water levels on neighboring Lake Travis. “The lake is down 50 feet and most public boat ramps were closed by August. But in spite of these conditions, we were able to double our gross sales and still have a quarter remaining in the year,” said park owner Ken Butschek.

n Parkview Riverside RV Park in Concan: This Hill Country park has seen a 2 to 3 percent decline in year to date occupancies, largely because of the drought, which has caused the Rio Frio River to fall to levels that were too slow and too shallow for river tubing, said park owner Doug Shearer, who also serves as president of the Texas Association of Campground Owners.

n Rayford Crossing RV Resort at The Woodlands: This park reported a 6 percent increase in occupancy for the six months ended June 30, compared to the same period last year. July occupancies were largely unchanged from 2008 figures, largely because of hot and dry weather conditions, said park owner Gwen Craig.

n Rusk KOA in Rusk: This park has doubled its occupancy levels, while achieving a 50 percent increase in registration revenues over 2008 figures, said park co-owner Carol Preble. “We’re thrilled with the year we’ve had,” Preble said, adding that the park is having success with its growing roster of special events. Its recent Potjie Festival, which featured South African food, drew more than 500 guests, compared to 300 last year.

n Sunset Point RV Resort in Marble Falls: This 50-site park has experienced a 26 percent jump in revenues during the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period last year, according to park manager Ed Robinson. “We were completely sold out for 4^th of July weekend by June and had to turn down over 100 requests for camping sites,” he said, adding, “Between the 4^th and Labor Day we built five new sites, which were reserved for Labor Day before they were completed. Even with these new sites in place, we were still forced to turn down over 50 requests for camping sites. We believe this trend will continue, and with this in mind we have started construction on additional supersites with extended patios, complete with outdoor kitchens and privacy walls, which will be just a few steps from the shore of the lake.”

n Surfside R.V. & Resort in Port Aransas: “The business this year so far has shown itself to be slightly better than 2008,” said park owner Charles Rhea, adding, “I have been experiencing requests for more long-term stays with RVs or trailers.”

n Timber Ridge RV Village at The Woodlands: This park, which is also owned by Gwen Craig, experienced a 10 percent increase in occupancy during the first six months of this year, compared to last year’s figures. The park currently has a 96 percent occupancy rate. “We purchased this park in 2008 and have structured it to accommodate more weekly and monthly visitors rather than daily guests,” Craig said.

n Caney Creek RV Park in Sargent, Dan Sallee, (832) 969-4900 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Guadalupe River RV Park & Nature Trails LLC in Spring Branch, Guy Anderson, (830) 885-7200 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Hatch RV Park in Corpus Christi, Mac McGlauglin, (361) 883-9781 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Hidden Valley RV Park in Von Ormy, Teri and Mark Blaschke, (210) 623-6737 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n La Hacienda RV Resort in Austin, Ken Butschek, (512) 266-8001 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Parkview Riverside RV Park in Concan, Doug Shearer, (830) 591-3899 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Rusk KOA in Rusk, Carol Preble, (903) 683-6641 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Rayford Crossing RV Resort at The Woodlands, Gwen Craig, (281) 298-8008 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Sunset Point RV Resort in Marble Falls, Ed Robinson, (830) 798-8199 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

n Surfside R.V. & Resort in Port Aransas, Charles Rhea, (361) 749-2208 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Timber Ridge RV Village at The Woodlands, Gwen Craig, (281) 356-1928 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Based in Crowley, the Texas Association of Campground Owners represents more than 400 private campgrounds and RV resorts. For help locating industry sources, statistics and other information about camping trends in Texas, please contact Brian Schaeffer at (817) 307-0129 or visit TexasCampgrounds.com. Contact information for the parks referenced in this release is provided below: