GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted January
    4th, 2020

    What Makes a Campground
    Great?

    Happy Camper Blog

    It takes the
    right combination of location, amenities, and, of course, exceptional
    customer service to make a campground stand out above the rest. Just ask the
    experts. Each year, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
    (ARVC) honors four campgrounds with its prestigious “Park of the Year” award.
    Here are the winners for 2019, chosen for the extraordinary guest experience
    they deliver. Once you learn more about them, you just may want to add one or
    more of them to your camping plans for 2020:

    Big
    Meadow Family Campground

    Townsend, Tennessee
    Small Park of the Year

    This family-owned campground will celebrate its 25th anniversary
    in 2020. It’s hard to beat its location–it sits on the banks of the Little
    River near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This secure,
    gated campground offers large back-in sites overlooking the river as well as
    level, pull-through premium super sites and RV storage. The campground is
    family- and pet-friendly and includes a splash pad, playground and fenced dog
    park, and guests are treated to real “mom and pop” hospitality from the
    owners, the Johnson family. They even wish their guests happy birthday!

    Learn more about Big Meadow at Bigmeadowcampground.com

    Shelby/Mansfield
    KOA Resort

    Shelby, Ohio
    Medium Park of the Year

    It’s hard to resist a campground where employees are trained and
    reminded that their job is to make guests happy. And if you check
    Shelby/Mansfield KOA’s reviews, you’ll see that they succeed. There’s a lot
    to love about this campground, starting with the wide choice of accommodations
    that include RV sites, tent sites, deluxe cabins and glamping tents and
    yurts.  There’s plenty to do onsite, including mini golf, pedal
    karts, fun boats, playgrounds, horseshoes, basketball, sand volleyball, Gaga
    ball, a jumping pillow and swimming in the heated pool. And many attractions,
    such as Cedar Point Amusement Park, Amish Country, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car
    Course and Summit Motorsports Park, are within an hour’s
    drive.

    Learn more about Shelby/Mansfield KOA at Koa.com/campgrounds/shelby

    Yogi
    Bear’s Jellystone Park Mammoth Cave

    Cave City, Kentucky
    Large Park of the Year

    This campground’s location just minutes away from Mammoth Cave
    National Park makes it easy to explore that natural wonder. And there’s
    plenty to do at the campground, too, including a jumping pillow, a 300’
    waterslide, mini-golf, two pools, a splash pad and a 2.3 acre lake with a
    sandy beach. A favorite lake activity for guests is racing in Corcis, small
    boats that look like upside-down Frisbees. For accommodations, the campground
    offers RV, camper and tent sites along with 94 air-conditioned cabins. The
    owners are continually adding improvements to the park and they welcome
    suggestions from guests on ways to make their family camping experiences even
    more enjoyable.

    Learn more about Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Mammoth Cave at Jellystonemammothcave.com

    Lakewood
    Camping Resort

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
    Mega Park of the Year

    You might think that campers could get lost in the shuffle of a
    campground described as a “mega park,” but nothing could be further from the
    truth at Lakewood Camping Resort. Somehow, this spacious park that covers a
    square half-mile of beachfront property manages to create a small community
    feel. It’s something that keeps its loyal base of customers coming back again
    and again. And, of course, the campground’s jam-packed list of amenities and
    activities keep them coming back, too. They include a half-mile beach, a
    full-sized water park, two pools, an 18-hole mini-golf course, biking, pedal
    boats, canoeing, kayaking and much more. For accommodations, Lakewood offers
    approximately 1,300 full hookup sites for RVs, tents and trailers. The park
    also offers the convenience of a Play & Pay wristband system, which
    uses lightweight neoprene wristbands and RFID technology to allow guests to
    access all the free activities Lakewood offers. It also acts as a wallet,
    making it possible for guests to enjoy a completely cashless experience. They
    can simply use the wristband to pay for any “extras,” from food and drink to
    souvenirs.

    Learn more about Lakewood Camping at Lakewoodcampground.com