Gay camping is not a poor man's sport. Much goes into a trip to a gay campground whether pitching a tent in a field or rolling in with 60,000 pounds of motorhome. Especially on theme weekends and those that include gay high holidays such as New Years, Mardi Gras and Halloween.
Prepared gay campers arrive stocked with camping gear, costumes, meals and beverages. On settling in they go in search of the important things to fill out their experience. Those important things are the subject of a survey that makes up this piece. Respondents comments contribute to the writing.
Common undercurrents for many gay campers that draws them to gay campgrounds is the beauty of the grounds, socializing in a non-threatening environment, the ability to be free and open with sexuality and the opportunity to be affectionate in public with a partner, to interact with other gays without fear.
The survey included twenty-four gay campgrounds featured in SFGN's Gay Camping 2017: Your Ten Favorite Gay Campgrounds in North America. Respondents chose their favorite campground in each of eleven categories and left a comment about their choice. For results purposes responses without comments were ignored. Fifteen campgrounds had at least one commented response, ten had measurable commented responses and four had most of the commented responses. Responses revealed how each property fared in each category and showed what respondents approved or disapproved of about each property.
Each gay campground earned a score based on the percentage of their total commented responses in each category.
Big players received the bulk of the responses, and many smaller gay campgrounds though not represented are first rate. A complete list of surveyed properties is included.
The top four gay campgrounds by category in alphabetic order are: Freedom Valley Campgrounds, OH; Jones Pond Campground & RV Park, NY; Sawmill Camping Resort, FL; The Woods Campground, PA.
Now, let's take a look at the best gay campgrounds by category.
Ric Reily is a gay camping enthusiast and an SFGN contributing columnist. This Best Gay Campgrounds in North America By Category article is his fifth annual feature about gay camping. Ric Reily is a newly elected member of the Board of Directors of Sawmill Camping Resort in Dade City, FL, and regularly summers at Jones Pond Campground and RV Park near Angelica, NY. The content of this article is primarily taken from respondents comments to a survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2017 and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the writer.
The Woods Campground Builds The Best Facilities, Amenities and Activities
Sawmill Camping Resort Shows Off With The Best Entertainers and Entertainment
Freedom Valley Campgrounds Trims Up the Best Appearance, Accommodations and Community
Jones Pond Campground & RV Park Delivers The Best Fun And Food By The Best Staff
Florida Gay Campgrounds
Camp David
2000 South Bishop's Point Road Inverness, Florida 34450 – campdavidflorida.com
The only clothing optional men's campground in Florida
Camp Mars
326 Goff Road Venus, Florida 33960 – campmars.com
The boardwalk is beautiful through a true Florida swamp
Resort on Carefree Boulevard
3000 Carefree Boulevard Fort Meyers, Florida 33917 - esortoncb.com
Carefree is a lifestyle community where you can be you
Sawmill Camping Resort
21710 US Hwy 98 Dade City, Florida 33523 – flsawmill.com
Where camping meets nightlife
Southern Comfort Campgrounds
50 SE 74th Ave Cross City, FL 32628 - southerncomfortcampground.net
Open everyday to everyone
Vitambi Springs
28280 Etumakee Way Clewiston, Florida 33440 – vitambi.com
Camping in the real Florida wilderness
Gay Campgrounds Listed in the Survey – Less Florida
Bluff Creek Falls
1125 Loop Rd, Steele, AL 35987 - bluffcreekfalls.com
Woodsy and just plain beautiful
Camp Buckwood
8670 Spearsville Rd., Morgantown, IN 46160 - egay.biz/joomla/
Secluded and very welcoming in Southern Indiana
Campit Outdoor Resort
6635 118th Ave, Fennville, MI 49408 – campitresort.com
Always something going on at Camp It, or nearby Saugatuck and South Haven
Circle JJ Ranch
1104 Amsterdam Road, Scio, OH 43988 – circlejjranch.com
Friendly
Crooked Lake Resort
PO Box 358 Horsefly, BC, Canada V0L 1L0 www.crookedlakeresorthorseflybc.com
A year-round backcountry getaway
Freedom Valley Campgrounds
1875 US-250, New London, OH 44851 – freedomvalleycamping.com
The pond surrounded with manicured meadow and beautiful flower gardens
Hillside Campgrounds
948 Creek Road, New Milford, PA 18834 – hillside.camp
Every type of accommodation from vintage trailers to luxury RVs to air-conditioned cabins
In the Woods Campground
142 Casey Ct, Canon, GA 30520 - inthewoodscampground.com
Hike on the trails or dance in the street parties
Joe's Hideaway
928 Valley Rd, Washington, NH 03280 – joeshideaway.com
Growing every year and good shower house
Jones Pond Campground & RV Park
9835 Old State Rd, Angelica, NY 14709, jonespond.com
Aggy Dune, Cosmo parties, block parties, huge shows, beautiful property
Lizard Landing Camp
586 Lizard Lope Rd, Columbia, AL 36319 – lizardlanding.com
Now in the fifth year at the end of the road down by the river
Oneida Campground
2580 East Lake Road, New Milford, PA 18834 – oneidaresort.com
America's original LGBT campground
Oz Campground
50 GA-230, Unadilla, GA 31091 - ozcampground.com
Excellent shows in the bar and an over the top Halloween party
Roseland Resort
925 Nolte Ln, Proctor, WV 26055 – roselandwv.com
This mountain resort is a must go
Roy's Hideaway
268 Catfish Lane, Collins, GA 30421 – royshideaway.com
Beautiful landscapes, relaxing outdoor spaces and a place to live forever
Starlite Trailer Lodge
5955 Globe Roa, Lenoir, NC 28645 - starlitelodge.com
Scenic mountain setting and a beautiful lake
The Rivers Edge
2311 Pulliam Mill Rd, Dewy Rose, GA 30634 – camptheriversedge.com
Checkout the treehouse cabin overlooking the river
The Woods Campground
3500 Forest St, Lehighton, PA 18235 - thewoodscampground.com
Best shower houses in any gay campground in North America
Triangle Recreation Camp
47715 Mountain Loop Hwy, Granite Falls, WA 98252 – camptrc.org
Northwest’s Premier recreational campground that is GLBTQ owned and operated.
