Top 10 Campground and RV Park Revenue KPIs

Direct Answer

Why Campgrounds Measure Differently

Campgrounds and RV parks are not hotels, and they are not real estate developments—they are a unique hybrid. A hotel has one primary revenue stream (room rental) with limited ancillaries (minibar, parking). An RV park has multiple, often complex revenue streams: nightly/daily/weekly/monthly site rentals, utility fees (electric, water, sewer), store sales, activity fees (kayak rentals, guided hikes), and pet fees.

This mix requires a different set of KPIs than a standard hospitality business.

Another key difference is site mix. A hotel has rooms that are largely identical in revenue potential (a standard king vs. A suite).

An RV park might have 50 full-hookup pull-through sites, 30 tent sites, and 20 seasonal sites. Each type has a different price point, length of stay, and cost to service. A single "occupancy rate" across all sites is misleading.

You need to track occupancy by site type, and by season.

Finally, length of stay varies wildly. A hotel guest stays 1-3 nights. An RV park guest might stay 2 nights (transient), 2 weeks (vacationer), or 6 months (snowbird).

This changes everything about how you price, how you staff, and how you measure revenue. A monthly site might generate $800/month at 100% occupancy, while a transient site might generate $1,200/month at 70% occupancy but with higher turnover costs (cleaning, check-in/out labor). Standard hotel KPIs like RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) fail to capture this nuance.

That's why the industry uses RevPAS (Revenue Per Available Site) and ADR (Average Daily Rate) segmented by site type.

The Most Important KPIs to Track

1. Occupancy Rate (by Site Type)

Definition: The percentage of available sites that are occupied during a given period, broken down by site type (full-hookup, tent, seasonal, monthly, etc.).

Formula: (Occupied Site Nights / Available Site Nights) × 100

Why it matters: A single overall occupancy rate hides problems. You might have 80% overall occupancy, but your premium full-hookup sites might be at 95% while your tent sites are at 40%. This tells you to adjust pricing or marketing for tent sites, or to convert some tent sites to hookups.

Benchmark: Industry average for private campgrounds is 50-65% overall. Top operators hit 75-85% during peak season. Seasonal sites should target 90%+ occupancy for the contracted season.

Tool: Campground Master (starting at $49/month) provides occupancy reports by site type. Newbook (starting at $89/month) offers real-time occupancy dashboards.

2. Average Daily Rate (ADR) by Site Type

Definition: The average revenue earned per occupied site night, segmented by site type.

Formula: Total Site Revenue / Number of Occupied Site Nights

Why it matters: ADR is your pricing power. If your full-hookup ADR is $65 but your competitor across the highway is at $85, you have room to raise rates. If your tent site ADR is $35 but your costs to service them (cleaning, trash) are $20/night, your margin is thin.

Benchmark: National average ADR for full-hookup RV sites is $45-$75/night. Premium resorts (e.g., Jellystone Park locations) hit $80-$120/night. Tent sites average $25-$45/night.

Tool: RoverPass (starts at $29/month) tracks ADR and occupancy automatically. Campground Booking (starts at $25/month) also provides ADR reports.

3. Revenue Per Available Site (RevPAS)

Definition: The total site revenue divided by total available site nights. This is the campground equivalent of RevPAR in hotels.

Formula: Total Site Revenue / Total Available Site Nights

Why it matters: RevPAS combines occupancy and rate into one metric. It tells you how much revenue each site is generating, regardless of whether it's occupied. A site that is empty is generating $0 RevPAS. A site that is occupied at a low rate might generate $40 RevPAS, while a site occupied at a high rate might generate $80 RevPAS.

Benchmark: For a mid-range private campground, RevPAS of $25-$40 is average. Top performers hit $50-$70. For a seasonal site, RevPAS might be lower per night ($15-$25) but with near-100% occupancy for the season.

4. Ancillary Revenue per Guest (ARPG)

Definition: The average non-site revenue earned per guest per stay. This includes store sales, activity fees, equipment rentals, pet fees, and event tickets.

Formula: Total Ancillary Revenue / Total Number of Guests

Why it matters: Ancillary revenue is high-margin. A bag of ice costs $0.50 and sells for $3.00. A kayak rental costs $10 to maintain and rents for $40. Increasing ARPG from $5 to $10 can double your profit without adding a single new site.

Benchmark: Industry average ARPG is $8-$15. Top operators (e.g., Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park resorts) hit $25-$40 by offering multiple activities and a well-stocked store.

Tool: Square (2.6% + $0.10 per transaction) or Clover (starts at $14.95/month) for point-of-sale. Campground Master integrates with Square to track per-guest spending.

5. Length of Stay (LOS)

Definition: The average number of nights a guest stays.

Formula: Total Occupied Site Nights / Total Number of Bookings

Why it matters: Longer stays mean lower turnover costs (cleaning, check-in labor, marketing spend). But longer stays also mean lower ADR (monthly rates are discounted). The sweet spot varies by park. A transient-heavy park might have an LOS of 2.5 nights. A seasonal park might have an LOS of 90 nights.

Benchmark: National average LOS for private campgrounds is 3-5 nights. Monthly sites average 28-30 nights. Seasonal sites average 90-180 nights.

Tool: Newbook provides LOS reports. Campground Master also tracks this.

6. Utility Cost Recovery Rate (UCRR)

Definition: The percentage of utility costs (electric, water, sewer, trash) that are recovered through guest fees.

Formula: (Total Utility Fees Charged to Guests / Total Utility Costs) × 100

Why it matters: Utilities are a major variable cost for RV parks, especially electric. A single Class A motorhome can draw 50 amps and cost $10-$15/day in electricity. If you're not charging for electric (or charging a flat fee that doesn't cover costs), you're losing money.

Benchmark: Target 90-110% recovery. If you're below 80%, you're subsidizing guest utility usage. If you're above 120%, you're overcharging and risking complaints.

Tool: Campground Master can track utility meter readings and calculate charges. Newbook has a utility billing module. Some parks use Utility Manager (starts at $20/month) for standalone tracking.

7. Booking Lead Time (BLT)

Definition: The average number of days between when a booking is made and when the guest arrives.

Formula: Sum of (Arrival Date - Booking Date) for all bookings / Total Number of Bookings

Why it matters: A short BLT (e.g., 7 days) means you're relying on last-minute bookings, which is risky. A long BLT (e.g., 60 days) means you have predictable revenue and can plan staffing and inventory.

Benchmark: For a destination park, BLT of 30-60 days is healthy. For a transient park near a highway, BLT of 3-7 days is normal. For seasonal sites, BLT is often 6-12 months.

Tool: RoverPass and Newbook both track BLT. Campground Master provides a booking lead time report.

8. Direct Booking Percentage (DBP)

Definition: The percentage of bookings made directly through your website or phone, versus through an OTA (Online Travel Agency) like ReserveAmerica, KOA.com, or Hipcamp.

Formula: (Direct Bookings / Total Bookings) × 100

Why it matters: OTAs charge commissions of 8-15%. Every direct booking saves that margin. A high DBP means you own your customer relationship and can market to them again.

Benchmark: Industry average DBP is 40-60%. Top operators hit 70-80% by using a strong website, a loyalty program, and email marketing.

Tool: RoverPass offers a direct booking website with no commission. Newbook also provides a direct booking engine. Campground Master integrates with ReserveAmerica but also supports direct bookings.

9. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) by Channel

Definition: The total cost of acquiring a new guest from a specific marketing channel (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook, OTA, referral).

Formula: Total Marketing Spend for Channel / Number of New Guests from that Channel

Why it matters: If your Google Ads CAC is $25 but your OTA CAC is $15 (after commission), you might think the OTA is cheaper. But the OTA guest has a lower lifetime value because they are less loyal. You need to compare CAC to LTV (Lifetime Value).

Benchmark: For a mid-range park, a reasonable CAC is $10-$25 per booking. For a premium resort, CAC can be $30-$50.

Tool: Google Analytics (free) + Campground Master booking data. HubSpot (starts at $20/month) can track marketing attribution.

10. Net Promoter Score (NPS) per Site Type

Definition: A measure of guest satisfaction and likelihood to recommend, segmented by site type.

Formula: (Promoters - Detractors) / Total Respondents × 100 (Scale 0-100)

Why it matters: NPS correlates with repeat bookings and word-of-mouth referrals. A low NPS for tent sites might indicate poor facilities (e.g., dirty bathrooms, noisy location). A high NPS for full-hookup sites means you're delivering on your promise.

Benchmark: Industry average NPS for campgrounds is 40-60. Top operators (e.g., KOA) score 70-80.

Tool: SurveyMonkey (starts at $25/month) or Typeform (starts at $25/month). Campground Master has a built-in survey module.

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Real Operators

Case Study 1: Lake George RV Park (New York) This park uses Campground Master and tracks RevPAS by site type. They found that their "premium waterfront" sites had a RevPAS of $85, while their "standard interior" sites had a RevPAS of $45. They converted 10 interior sites to waterfront by adding a small pond and landscaping, increasing RevPAS on those sites to $70.

The project cost $15,000 and paid for itself in 6 months.

Case Study 2: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Lazy River (Virginia) This franchise uses Newbook and focuses on ARPG. They added a mini-golf course ($5 per person), a splash pad (included in site fee), and a camp store with branded merchandise. Their ARPG went from $12 to $28 in one year.

They also track DBP and achieved 75% direct bookings by offering a 10% discount for direct reservations.

Case Study 3: A private RV park in Arizona (name withheld) This park had a UCRR of 60%—they were losing money on electric. They installed submeters (cost: $200 per site) and switched to a usage-based billing model. UCRR went to 105%. The submeters paid for themselves in 18 months.

Failure Modes

Failure Mode 1: Ignoring Site Mix Tracking only overall occupancy leads to bad decisions. If you raise rates across the board, you might price out tent campers while leaving money on the table for premium sites. Solution: Segment every KPI by site type.

Failure Mode 2: Not Tracking Utility Costs Many parks include electric in the site fee, especially for monthly guests. This is a direct profit drain. Solution: Install submeters and charge for usage, or at least track UCRR monthly.

Failure Mode 3: Over-Reliance on OTAs If 80% of your bookings come from ReserveAmerica or KOA.com, you're paying 10-15% commission on most of your revenue. Solution: Invest in a direct booking website and a loyalty program. Track DBP and set a target of 60%+.

Failure Mode 4: Ignoring Ancillary Revenue A park that only sells sites is leaving 20-40% of potential revenue on the table. Solution: Add a store, activities, and pet fees. Track ARPG and set a target of $15+.

Failure Mode 5: Seasonal Pricing Blindness Charging the same rate in July and October is a mistake. Solution: Use dynamic pricing based on demand. Tools like RoverPass and Newbook allow seasonal rate adjustments.

Reporting Cadence

Weekly (Peak Season):

• Occupancy Rate (by site type)
• ADR (by site type)
• RevPAS (overall and by site type)
• Booking Lead Time
• Direct Booking Percentage

Monthly (Year-Round):

• Ancillary Revenue per Guest
• Utility Cost Recovery Rate
• Customer Acquisition Cost (by channel)
• Net Promoter Score

Quarterly:

• Length of Stay (by season)
• RevPAS trends (compare to prior year)
• CAC vs. LTV analysis

Annually:

• Full KPI review
• Budget vs. Actual
• Capital expenditure planning based on site performance

30-60-90 Day Plan

First 30 Days: Data Foundation

• Set up a property management system (PMS) if you don't have one. Campground Master or Newbook are good choices.
• Configure site types and rate codes.
• Begin tracking Occupancy Rate, ADR, and RevPAS by site type.
• Install utility submeters if needed.
• Set up a simple POS system (e.g., Square) to track ancillary revenue.

Days 31-60: Metric Implementation

• Calculate your baseline for all 10 KPIs.
• Set targets for each (e.g., Occupancy 70%, ADR $60, ARPG $15, UCRR 100%).
• Train staff on data entry (e.g., recording utility meter readings, entering store sales).
• Start a weekly KPI review meeting.

Days 61-90: Optimization

• Analyze KPI data and identify the biggest gap. For example, if UCRR is 60%, focus on utility billing.
• Implement one change (e.g., dynamic pricing, a new activity, a direct booking discount).
• Measure the impact within 30 days.
• Create a dashboard in Google Data Studio or Microsoft Power BI (free tier available) to visualize KPIs.

FAQ

Q: What is the single most important KPI for a new campground owner? A: RevPAS (Revenue Per Available Site). It combines occupancy and rate into one number, giving you a clear picture of site performance. Aim for $25-$40 initially, then push toward $50+.

Q: How do I calculate RevPAS for seasonal sites? A: For seasonal sites, treat the entire season as one booking. If a seasonal site is rented for 90 nights at $800/month ($2,400 total), the RevPAS is $2,400 / 90 = $26.67 per night. This is lower than a transient site, but the occupancy is near 100%.

Q: Should I charge for electric separately? A: Yes, if you have submeters. The industry standard is to charge a flat fee (e.g., $5/night) or a per-kWh rate (e.g., $0.12/kWh). Track UCRR to ensure you're not losing money.

Q: How do I increase my Direct Booking Percentage? A: Offer a 10% discount for direct bookings. Use a professional website with online booking. Collect guest emails and send a follow-up with a "book direct" offer. Use RoverPass or Newbook for a commission-free booking engine.

Q: What is a good Net Promoter Score for a campground? A: 40-60 is average. 70+ is excellent. If your NPS is below 40, survey guests to find out why (e.g., dirty bathrooms, noisy sites, poor Wi-Fi).

Q: How often should I review my KPIs? A: Weekly during peak season (April-October for most parks). Monthly for financial planning. Quarterly for strategic decisions.

Sources

• Campground Master - Property Management Software for RV Parks & Campgrounds
• Newbook - Campground & RV Park Management Software
• RoverPass - Campground Booking Software & Reservation System
• Kampgrounds of America (KOA) - Industry Reports & Benchmarking
• National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) - Industry Data
• Square - Point of Sale for Campgrounds
• Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park - Franchise Information
• ReserveAmerica - OTA for Campgrounds
• Hipcamp - OTA for Unique Camping
• SurveyMonkey - Guest Satisfaction Surveys

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