What Campers Say They Want: Level, Shaded and Secluded Sites

What are the two questions every first-time caller will likely ask if they haven’t been to your campground?

1. Are the sites level?

2. Will my RV be packed like a sardine between two adjacent sites?

Lisbon, Ohio’s Lock 30 Woodlands RV Resort says: “No one camps in front of you and no one camps behind you.” There are no rows of campers, lined up side by side, cookie cutter matched driveways, aligned with electrical pedestals. Indeed we are not the typical campground. That doesn’t automatically make us better in the eyes of every camper, but it does make us different.

We are deep in the woods. Our full hook up sites is private, secluded and shaded —many as long as 100 feet and wide enough to accommodate three slide-outs. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but for campers wanting comfort, yet seclusion in the woods, we provide it.

It’s true. When you’ve never visited a particular campground, you have no idea what surprises will await you. You are at the mercy of websites, representations made by whomever answers the phone, and your vivid imagination. Now that can be scary.

First, let’s talk about websites. Technology can pretty much create whatever photo and impression your heart desires. Tight shots of fashion models posing in front of fire pits can glamorize away the mud and the after- hours noise; you can Photo shop away the clutter and the lawn mower sheds and the weeds. So what is a first-time camper, solely dependent on a website, to believe?

Second, many campers, while appreciative of attractive amenities, first and foremost want level, shaded and private sites, large enough that a family can camp in comfort. But short of paying a visit to the campground, what is a first-time camper to believe other than whatever the person taking the reservation says?

That’s why , at Lock 30 Woodlands, we try to strike a balance between the Internet convenience of photos and online reservation requests and the personal, attentive services of a telephone “ hostess” who’s trained to match what a camper wants and what Lock 30 Woodlands has to offer.

How does a camper increase the likelihood that the site he imagines, will be the site he’s assigned? First, if he has Internet access, he can get a bird’s eye view of the campground. Go to Google Maps, Second, he can look at independent, industry ratings, which are updated every year when representatives from Woodalls, for example, make timely visits to campgrounds. Third, a camper should access the campground map to see where his site is located in relation to the facilities he will use. (http://www.ohiorvcamp.com/). At many campgrounds, including ours, he can request specific sites, or at least general sections of the park.

Lastly, and probably most important of all, every camper needs to know what matters to his family. With hundreds, possibly thousands, of parks and campgrounds in this country, there’s a campground to match every camper’s taste and budget.

If you don’t need an Olympic size pool, there’s no need to pay for one. If you want to fish, look for a campground with a fishing lake or riverfront access. Know what matters to you and what your style of camping requires.

Lock 30 Woodlands has a 68 acre, unique configuration of one closed camping loop, a finger-like projection with all amenities, facilities and buildings within the interior, vast green area. That affords every site a private “back yard”. We advertise that “no one camps in front of you and no one camps behind you.” We mean it. Some of our sites are 100 feet long; most are over 30 feet wide. Indeed Google Earth shows that every site opens to forest, overlooks riverfront or is privately tucked in the woods.

There are no rows of campers at Lock 30 Woodlands. That’s what we’re known for and why more than 90% of our campers are “returns”. But, not every camper wants what we have to offer.

We’re committed to providing current, relevant information on our website. Often we invite first time campers to select whatever site is open. Always we invite the curious to drive through the park, ask questions, determine what works for them. We work to exceed every camper’s expectations.