Categories: CampingGuides & hacks

5 Tips for Boosting Family Bookings

Camping with kids can be an epic adventure. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.

 

Getting out of the house to do anything with three kids under the age of six is a feat—let alone going camping, where you basically need to bring the contents of your entire home to make sure everyone is safe, fed, and having fun.

That’s why campsites like Gypsy Heart Mountain Retreat happen to be my most favorite. Not only is this place pure magic, but it takes all the hard work out of camping with littles. So here are a few tips to make your site more family-friendly and tap into that elusive adventurous family market.

 

1. The easier the better

Anything you can have ready to use for your campers will make mom’s life that much easier. Communal kitchens, board games, bathrooms, fire pits, activities for the kids, and for the love of all things camping, have that French press out and ready for brewing. The parents will thank you (probably more than a few times). Gypsy Heart Mountain Retreat also has an on-site chef so you can wake up to the smell of a campfire breakfast without any of the mess.

 

 

 

2. Make it relaxing

Hammocks, easy-access trails on site, and recommendations for local family-friendly hiking/swimming/adventuring are key! And since we had to ditch our extra cooler for the kids’ new scooters, knowing the location of the closest family-friendly brewery was a major bonus for us. Extra points if they serve pizza.

 

3. Dream up a new experience

Here in San Diego, you can book beach camping seven months out and the sites are still sold out within minutes. Although we love waking up to the crashing waves, we already know what to expect at those beach sites. Offer something to differentiate yourself from all those other campgrounds. Camping at Gypsy Heart Mountain Retreat will be up there with the most memorable of our camping trips because it was so unique.

 

 

Aside from all the love they pour into every aspect of their camp, they also have horses. I mean, you simply unzip your tent and see the most beautiful horses staring back at you. My kids thought they were still dreaming every morning. I’ve honestly never seen them spring out of the tent that early—that is, without the promise of a campfire breakfast.

 

 

4. I feel bad even saying this because, well, it’s camping…but…bathrooms

 

 

Honestly, with littles, bathrooms are now higher up on our priority list than I care to admit. Bonus for showers or extra facilities, but truly—just a compost toilet is huge!

5.  Go the extra mile

Camping with children is a ton of work. But nothing is as rewarding as seeing our kids beam from spending a beautiful day outside. Any extra effort you put into making our little ones smile will have us booking your site year after year. Even throwing a dad joke or two our way will do. When my kids laugh more, play more, and get dirtier than I’ve seen in a very long time, I know we’ve found the perfect site for our little family!

 

 

Kelsey is a mama first, always. Camping, adventuring, photography and writing come in at a close second.

Hipcamp is an online marketplace where you can list, discover, and book campsites and accommodations on private and public land. Hipcamp is your go-to guide to getting outside. If you’re a landowner, Hipcamp creates new revenue streams for your business, which can help conserve your land and keep it wild. #FindYourselfOutside #LeaveItBetter

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