Should the swimming pool be open to the public or just to the people camping? My personal feelings are that if I go camping, I don't want to see half of the townies show up at the pool with their loud children. I like to camp during the week, when the park is less crowded. I like to sit at the pool, relax & read a book. I'm curious to see how others feel & I'd like to hear from park owners to see how their liability insurance is.

I have to think about this one. I think I've been to one campground that the pool was/is open to the public, and there was no problem. I would assume that having the pool open to the public (for a fee) would help offset operating costs so that the campsite rental is not too expensive.

I am interested in replies to this.

As long as the campground operator understands he/she may have to remove someone they go to church with, it should be ok. In this economy, owners have to do whatever they can to survive and if that means opening the pool to the public than so be it. Campers should be allowed certain hours that the pool is open only to them. I for one would not be too happy if I went to a campground in July and could not use the 20'X30' pool because it was full of local residents.

Even with us being a small campground we have enough people in the pool without opening it to the public. The pool here is 18x40 and many times we had so many campers in it that no one could really swim or even play games. It was more a matter of people just trying to stay wet and cool. The owners tell me that the insurance would be higher if they allowed the public to use it. That also brings in the problem of parking for those swimming and also bathroom facilities for them.

Yes, I see it could be a sticky situation if you're having to boot your neighbor out of the pool. However, if you are in the RV business, your RVers should be the 1st priority.

I know swimming pools pose a HUGE liability to CG owners.

Thanks for all your comments. I agreed with everyone's opinion...I stayed at a small park last summer & the owner would have the locals call her before coming to the pool. If there were even 5 people in the pool, she'd tell them not to come. I really appreciated it as since I was on vacation, I would spend the day lounging at her pool with my book.

Interesting subject and I see both rationalS, namely, be the pool for RVers only or open to the public. My first reaction would be, if it is part of the camp like the SPA, TENNIS COURT or other facilities promoted in the brochure, it should be available only to campers since in the RVer cost per day, per month or.. etc... is already calculated that extra cost and allowing the public access against payment, in my opinion it is a double Deeping…..
Furthermore, if you do open the area to everyone that wish to come, you may limit the access to some campers because the pool is overpopulated, too noisy and in need of an extra maintenance since when more people is bathing there, there is more chances to find someone with weak bladder etc.. , having mentioned the above and in order to maintain the facility in a top healthy condition, the owners should increase the cleaning frequencies and disinfecting more often which I am convinced that they are not going to spend extra money for it.
Having considered the above, my answer will be….NO ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC UNLESS THEY ARE PART OF THE CAMPERS

Campers only! Enough Said!

JJ

We stayed at a KOA in Virginia where the pool was open (w/o charge) to locals in the community. The pool was unusable from my standpoint...crammed with kids from Natural Bridge doing "cannonballs" into the water, all while their parents watched. We would never stay at this park again and resented paying increased RV site fees, in part, for a pool that we could not use.

I don't swim in pools because of a sensitivity to high levels of chlorine, but I do like going and sitting near the pool and read a book or watch others swim. To tell you the truth, I would have no idea whether the swimmers are campers or locals, LOL...don't pay much attention to it. But, if the locals pay a fee to swim, I don't see them as being any different than visitors of campers who pay a fee to use the pool as well.

I am sorry BBear, this is only my opinion but, I cannot agree with you, the point at issue is not based on who's swimming but by the number of people with access to the swimming pool. If you peruse through some previous statements on this issue , you will hear that places that have been open to the public were crowded, therefore, in need of more cleaning and disinfecting and in need of maintenance etc…which I don’t think that the camp owner is spending extra money because of it, consider that if most of the people bathing is got on some suntan cream or someone with a weak bladder….., you are going to swim in that soup; I know that the same thing may happens with the camp resident too but at least it will not be so many…...
I wish to go back to your point that, if they pay the ticket… etc…, in my opinion the camp facilities are part of the rent that you pay while you live there and if you are not able to enjoy it, because of the crowd, you are not receiving the service that you paid for.
Other subject that was raised by another member of this forum is that with the access of outsiders there will be an increased number of cars clattering the area etc..
No, I shall never go, knowingly, to spend my winter months in places where the facilities are not reserved for RV campers only.

You're entitled to agree or disagree with whatever you wish, however, "the point at issue" I responded to was the original poster's first question of his post, "Should the swimming pool be open to the public or just to the people camping?". And, if a place is open to the public and they overcrowd the pool that bothers the campers, I would wonder if the camper is also upset if the overcrowding is also due to campers who bring visitors into use the pool as well.

I frequent a fairly large park in Ocean City, Maryland that has a waterpark that is included in the price of the camping site for campers, i.e., they don't have to pay extra like many other parks that offer the same, however, they are also open to the public. Yes, it's rather crowded during the summer, and yes there are some campers who complain of the crowds, however, the majority of campers don't complain because they know that the added revenue generated from the public is the main reason why they don't have to pay an extra fee to use the waterpark. They also have a pool in the park that is only for the camper's use and it's just as crowded during the summer with camper's only and "their guests".

To each his own, if you don't want to stay at a place that's open to the public, then don't. It doesn't bother me because I'm used to sharing facilities of parks with the public. A lot of the state parks I go to have shared use lake and pool areas and some even have "camper only" beaches. Doesn't make a difference to me if a private/commercial park would offer the same.

When the subject happens to call for opinions, any opinion is as valid as any other, even if different from most. To criticize one post because you don't agree is discourteous. Express your differing opinion by all means, but don't tell someone by name that they are wrong. If it is their opinion, that was what the post requested and it is right and proper, even if all others have a different opinion. Lets keep names out of posts.

We don't often use the pool in RV parks where we stay, but my wife will never use one that is open to the public, so I almost never do either and we don't stay in a park with a pool open to the public, if we know that will be the case before we get there. On the few cases where there has been a pool open to the public, we have never gone back. I doubt very much that we will in the future either.

Thanks Kirk !

Sorry, but I don't see who did this. I see where one poster replied to another by name and stated that he did not agree with them, but he did not say they were wrong and it did not sound like he criticized them.



This is all that has happened. Several posters have expressed their different opinions. Each gave valid reasons for his point of view and each seemed to express his opinion politely.

So what am I missing?

Texasrvers, I'm trying to figure out what's missing as well. Galli did mention me by name, but only to disagree with my opinion and state their own. I didn't see it as being a criticism in the least nor were they pointing out I was wrong.

We are currently negotiating on the purchase of an RV Park, but have to choose the best one of three in our state. 2 of the 3 do not have a park pool. If we purchase the smaller one of those two we have decided we would not put in a pool and here is why. That park is situated in a small town that has its own pool. The community holds annual events to raise money to maintain that pool. We would prefer to support those efforts than to spend the money to build one for the park. In this park, we could purchase pool passes for our guests at no extra charge to them, to use the town pool thus, supporting the community. The 2nd park is in a larger town with both indoor and outdoor public pools available. Those don't require community support so we wouldn't offer any passes for our guests. We would give guests info on the locations, times and prices. The 3rd park that does have a pool - also has a town pool. We would NOT want to offer the park pool to the public for free or fee. It would strictly be for our guests at no additional charge. If those guests have guests, then the extras would have to pay a reasonable fee. Change of subject but similar concern . . . in all three of our choices there is no off-leash fenced area for dogs nor is there any such facility in each town. One of the first improvements we will make in the final selection is a nice sized fenced dog park. Of course this will be free to guests but should we make it available to the public for a small fee ($1 per dog per visit)? The revenue would afford upkeep of the lawn and additional improvements like agility equipment, shelters, etc. I would appreciate any thoughts on this - thanks!

Well.... I would not be happy with a campground that advertised something along the lines of "access to pool", and then I show up and there is no pool - except somewhere in the local town.

Interesting but, unless we know where you are planning to open your business and to what type of market you are aiming to, it is difficult to provide an opinion.
If this sounds like patronizing, I apology but in my point of view a swimming pool , a tennis court or SPA or...etc.. become adamant for the type of RVers. you are planning to attract.
I am a winter snowbird and I would not stay in a campsite without these facilities and Internet; yes it is true, I am paying a little bit more than the average but I feel very comfortable.
However and notwithstanding the above, there are many, many campers that don't need all these extras and are willing to compromise in order to pay a bargain price.
If I may add, first decide what type of market you are aiming to then whether you are intending to accommodate RVers during the winters too and from that you may decide what type of resort would be best suitable for your business.

I have 2 small children (6 and 3) and want a pool at the campground, not nearby. I also stay at very family oriented campgrounds that are crowded during the summer, so I don't think the pool should be opened to the public. There are already enough campers to make the pool crowded.

Just my 2¢.

Consider having a pool at your campground. Like others, I would not be happy being told to drive to the pool across town and have to pay for it. Have your own pool that you maintain and control to your customers liking.

The dog park is an awsome idea. Being pet friendly will go a long way. I would keep it private to the campground as a few dogs will tear it up. Research types of grasses that grow well in your area and look for a strong (not stiff) blade that can be kept short (2"max) and can handle acidic soil. Be sure to have a well draining area. One problem with dog parks is you need to clean/check it 2-3 times a day to keep the humans happy. Nobody will apreciate your work if they are stepping in poop at the gate.

This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. We own a campground. We could make alot more $$ if we allowed the public (day use) in to use the pool. However, we have decided not to allow day use as it is our opinion it is not fair to our campers. With day use the facilities are crowded and no one has any fun.

When we travel in the winter, in the sun belt, I always ask if the facilities are open to day use and if they are I continue to look for a campground that does not allow it.

I know that in many small towns this may be the only access to a pool for many children. Perhaps they should have set days/hours for day use and let the campers know when it is so they can plan their schedule around it.