If you’ve ever pulled into a campsite thinking, “This feels a little tight… but surely they planned for this?” — only to hear your RV branches-scraping like a horror movie violin — this post is for you.
Hey there, happy campers and campground visionaries. Donna Bordeaux here (your resident CPA, RV enthusiast, and accidental tree-trimmer), and today we’re doing something incredibly important for your business:
✨ We’re judging campsites.
Lovingly. Constructively. And with just enough sarcasm to keep you reading.
Because for entrepreneurs, legacy-builders, and stewards of family businesses, running a campground isn’t just about clean bathrooms and pancake breakfasts. It’s about breathing life into campground ownership, avoiding operations overwhelm, and building a business that supports your big, adventurous life… not the other way around.
And trust me — nothing reveals the truth about a campground faster than watching someone try to make a tight turn with a 45-foot motorhome and a pickup in tow.
Campground owners love to brag about amenities:
“We’ve got a pool!”
“We’ve got pickleball!”
“We have artisanal firewood bundles wrapped in twine!”
Wonderful. But if the roads are too narrow to get to the site without reenacting a three-point-turn choreography routine, your guests won’t remember the pickleball. They’ll remember the panic.
And guess what?
They’ll also remember YOU when their tree branches are still stuck in their slide topper.
Please hear this with love:
Your shrubs are not ambiance if they’re ripping decals off a $350,000 motorhome.
Big rigs need space — width, height, and a clear path that does not require a machete.
If a guest needs to carry loppers just to get to their site?
That’s not rustic charm. That’s a lawsuit with leaves.
Thinking of putting a giant rock “just to keep them off the grass”?
Don’t.
Your job is to minimize damage — not create new ways for rigs to get stuck, scrape, or fall off a pad like a dramatic soap opera moment.
Instead:
✔️ Widen the turns
✔️ Clear the sight lines
✔️ Let the pavement do the work
Press play on your bigger ideas, not on creative obstacle courses.
Most owners only look at a site once — when they build it.
But to create true guest experience magic, you need to walk through it with intention:
Because when owners never miss an opportunity for exploration or understanding, they start noticing things that change everything.
This is just the start.
I’ve got more campsite critiques coming — not to shame owners, but to elevate them. To help you explore options, spark bigger thinking, and turn your campground into a robust, profitable business that works with you, not against you.
There’s more to taxes than being on time.
There’s more to campgrounds than hookups and fire pits.
And there’s definitely more to life than battling low-hanging oak branches.
Stick around — things are about to get inspiring, strategic, and maybe even a little hilarious.
Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Please make sure to check out our blog and our website link below. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell to be notified when we post. You can email me at donna@campgroundaccounting.com.
Donna Bordeaux, CPA with Campground Accounting
Creativity and CPAs don’t generally go together. Most people think of CPAs as nerdy accountants who can’t talk with people. Well, it’s time to break that stereotype. Lively, friendly, and knowledgeable can be a part of your relationship with your CPA, as demonstrated by Donna and Chad Bordeaux. They have over 50 years of combined experience as entrepreneurial CPAs. They’ve owned businesses and helped business owners exceed their wildest dreams. They have been able to help businesses earn many times more profit than the average business in the same industry and are passionate about helping industries that help families build great memories.