New Hampshire topography naturally attracts tourists looking for the outdoor experience. With 1,300 lakes and ponds and 40 rivers and only 137 people on average per square mile, there is plenty of opportunity for the hundreds of NH campgrounds and 12 state parks to thrive.
But campers fall into several categories from those looking to get closer to nature by sleeping in tents to those in RVs to those looking for glamour even in the great outdoors.
According to Kampgrounds of America (KOA), about 25 percent of North Americans say they have camped in the past 12 months, and the number of households owning recreational vehicles is projected to rise to 10.4 million by 2010, a gain of 21 percent.
Because the season is short, peaking between July and September, campground owners are continually working on stimulating growth. Pam Fieldhouse, owner of Cedar Pond Campground in Milan, maximizes the short window of opportunity by offering a discount incentive to encourage visitors to take longer stays of up to seven days. To fuel demand in shoulder seasons, Glen Ellis Campground in Glen promotes local fairs, exhibitions and
sporting events.
For Paul Raymond, owner of Mascoma Lake Campground in Lebanon, which caters to recreational vehicles, the shoulder seasons are when regular customers are either opening up after the winter or closing down for the winter._He says that after September, Our visitors are thinking about Christmas, and it's all over.
Owners are looking for unique ways to raise their profiles such as the Raymond campground that offers free weekends for military personnel.
Family campground Twin Tamarack in New Hampton focuses on a packed program of children's events, family dances and hayrides to attract families. People are also encouraged to bring and leave their campers between Labor Day and Columbus Day, paying only when they actually use their campers.
Camping has changed. Bonnie Gnirk, office manager of Glen Ellis Campground, says expectations change. We try to increase our appeal to customers with tennis courts, a laundromat, a large recreation hall with video games and a library with a reading room, she says.
And campers don't leave their technology behind. Children want TV, and mom wants to access her Blackberry. Mascoma Lake Campground was representative of many NH facilities when it recently added cable TV and Wi-Fi. Use of the Internet by campers has increased considerably in recent years Gnirk says.
Luxury is also in demand, resulting in glamping, or glamorous camping. That became popular when model Kate Moss made headlines as a celebrity glamper.
Those determined to bring sophistication to NH camping are arriving with their designer shades in hand, wellies, or Wellington boots, gourmet food, large compartmentalized tents for entertaining and MP3 players.
People are still wanting to camp in the same way they have always done, but they want convenience, too, says Fieldhouse. We have introduced static campers for rent that are set up with bed linens, coffee makers and toasters, and they are extremely popular. Everything is set and ready to be used without the hassle or cost of hauling to the site.
Given the popularity of the cabins at Twin Tamarack, glampers are looking for a more substantial home away from home, according to owner Laurie Osuchowski.
Recently, I have noticed many of our repeat visitors going upscale when it comes to grilling food, she says. Shrimp, seafood, and higher-end cuts of meat are replacing traditional sausages and hamburgers.
Not surprisingly, fuel prices have had an effect. Families have started coming for longer stays, maybe for three, four or even seven nights at a time and this trend looks set to continue, Osuchowski says. Campers are not touring either but choosing to spend time together on site._People that used to stay in hotels and motels are now choosing to camp during the summer. And the more boisterous youngsters that used to come here are staying put: Some of them can't afford the gas to get here from Boston anymore. Likewise, our regular visitors who used to bring 40-foot motor-homes from Florida are choosing not to.
Raymond sees a shift too and says that by May of last year his campground was 95 percent booked compared with 50 percent this year.
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