Selling a campground is not like selling a house. You are selling land, utilities and buildings, and you are also selling a working business with seasonal campers, staff, bookings and a reputation you may have spent decades building. This guide walks through the steps most owners go through, from deciding what you want to handing over the keys.
It is written by GatherGrounds, which owns and operates three family campgrounds in Michigan and Ohio. We buy parks to run them, so we see sales from the buyer’s side of the table. We have tried to make this guide useful whether you sell to us, to another buyer, or through a broker. If you would like to talk with us, see how to sell your campground to GatherGrounds.
Start with your goals
Before you call anyone, write down what a good outcome looks like for you. Most owners weigh four things:
- Price and terms. The headline number matters, but so do the cash at closing, any seller financing, and what you keep after fees and taxes.
- Timing. Do you want to sell before next season, after it, or whenever the right buyer comes along?
- Legacy. Does it matter who runs the park next, whether it stays a campground, and how your seasonal campers and staff are treated?
- Your role afterward. Some owners want a clean exit. Others are glad to stay on for a season to help with the handover.
Your answers shape every later decision, including how you sell and which buyers fit.
Step 1: Get a realistic value
Most buyers value an operating campground mainly on its income. The key number is net operating income (NOI): the park’s revenue minus its normal operating expenses, before loan payments, depreciation and income taxes. Buyers divide NOI by a capitalization rate, or cap rate, that reflects how much risk they see in the park. A higher cap rate means a lower price.
For a sense of the market, Newmark’s 2026 North American market survey, as reported by BVWire on March 11, 2026, put going-in cap rates at about 8.0% for Class A and B RV parks and about 9.0% for Class C parks. MMCG Invest’s outlook of August 1, 2026 estimates 11% to 12% for value-add parks that need work. These are broad averages. Your park’s rate depends on its location, condition, revenue mix and how well its records hold up.
Illustrative only, not an offer. A park with $300,000 of verified NOI, valued at an 8% cap rate, works out to $3.75 million ($300,000 divided by 0.08). At 9%, the same income works out to about $3.33 million. One point of cap rate moves the value by hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is why clean books matter so much.
Comparable sales and, for some deals, a formal appraisal round out the picture.
Step 2: Gather your records
A buyer’s confidence in your numbers affects the price as much as the numbers themselves. Start pulling together:
- Three years of profit-and-loss statements and tax returns, with personal expenses separated out
- Your seasonal camper list or rent roll, with rates, terms and renewal history
- Occupancy and reservation reports by site type and month
- Utility bills, and how you bill campers for electric if you do
- Permits and licenses: campground license, health department, well and septic, pool or food permits
- A site map showing sites, utility lines, buildings and easements
- A list of capital improvements with dates and costs
Step 3: Prepare the property
Buyers walk the park with a notebook. Anything that looks like deferred maintenance becomes a deduction from their offer, often a bigger one than the repair would have cost you. Focus on what affects safety, revenue and inspections: electrical pedestals and service, water lines and wells, septic or sewer, restrooms and showers, roads and drainage. A pre-sale septic and well inspection can surface problems while you still have time to fix them or price them in.
You do not need to renovate for a buyer. Fix what is broken, document what you have improved, and be ready to explain anything you are leaving as it is.
The type of park matters too. Long-term and monthly RV sites, seasonal campers and resort-style amenities each change what buyers ask for and how they value the income.
Step 4: Choose how to sell
There are three common routes. Each suits some owners and parks better than others.
Hire a broker
A specialist campground broker values the park, prepares marketing materials, reaches a wide pool of buyers, screens them, runs the negotiation and keeps the deal moving to closing. A broker usually makes the most sense when:
- Your park is large, or you are selling several parks together
- The property is unusual and hard to price, so you want the market to set the number
- You want the widest exposure and competitive bidding among several buyers
- You would rather have a professional manage the process than run it yourself
Commissions vary and can be negotiated, so ask each broker what the fee covers and how long the listing agreement lasts.
List it yourself
Some owners list on online marketplaces or sell by word of mouth. You save the commission but take on the marketing, buyer screening and paperwork, with your attorney’s help.
Sell directly to an operator
Some owners approach a campground operator directly. A direct sale can mean no listing commission, a quieter process with fewer showings, and a buyer who already runs campgrounds and understands seasonal campers, utilities and permits. The trade-off is less price discovery: with one buyer at the table, you do not see what a competitive process might have produced, so it is wise to get an independent opinion of value first.
Step 5: Market confidentially and qualify buyers
Word that a park is for sale can unsettle staff and seasonal campers. Most sellers keep things quiet until a deal is well along. Common practices include a short anonymous summary that describes the park without naming it, a confidentiality agreement before any financials change hands, and site visits scheduled at quiet times.
Before you share detailed records, ask each buyer who they are, how they plan to pay (cash, bank loan, SBA-backed loan or seller financing) and whether they have owned or run a park before. Proof of funds or a lender’s letter is a reasonable request.
Step 6: Negotiate the letter of intent and purchase agreement
Serious buyers usually start with a letter of intent (LOI). It is a short, mostly non-binding document that sets out the price, deposit, due diligence period, financing, closing date and key terms. It is far easier to settle the big points here than to argue about them later.
Points worth thinking about early: what equipment and personal property are included; how seasonal camper deposits and prepaid reservations are credited at closing; whether you will offer any seller financing; how long you will help after closing; and whether the deal is a sale of assets or of your company, which affects taxes and liability. Your attorney then turns the LOI into a purchase agreement.
Step 7: Due diligence and closing
During due diligence the buyer checks everything: books and bank deposits, title and survey, zoning and permits, environmental reports, wells and septic, electrical systems, contracts and insurance. Expect questions and document requests. Quick, organized answers keep a deal on track. Surprises are what lead to renegotiation.
Common sticking points include zoning that does not match the current use, unpermitted structures, easement questions and septic capacity.
Step 8: Plan the handover
The handover is where a campground sale differs most from other real estate. Plan for:
- Staff: when and how they are told, and what the buyer intends for their roles
- Seasonal campers: how contracts, deposits and next year’s rates carry over, and who tells them
- Reservations: moving your booking system, website, phone number and online listings
- Vendors and accounts: propane, trash, internet, insurance and utilities
- What only you know: where the shutoffs are, which sites flood, who plows the road
If something about staff or campers matters to you, say so early and get it written into the purchase agreement.
Taxes to plan for
Taxes can change what you take home more than almost anything else, so bring in a CPA early, ideally a year or more before you sell. Concepts to understand:
- Capital gains: tax on the increase in value of the land and business since you bought it.
- Depreciation recapture: buildings, utilities and equipment you have depreciated over the years can be taxed differently from land when sold.
- Purchase price allocation: how the price is split among land, improvements, equipment and goodwill affects both your taxes and the buyer’s.
- 1031 exchange: if you reinvest in other investment real estate, you may be able to defer tax. Replacement property must be identified within 45 days and received within 180 days (IRS Instructions for Form 8824, 2025).
- Installment sale: if you carry a note for the buyer, part of the tax may be spread over the years you receive payments.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Talk to your CPA and attorney about your situation.
How long it takes to sell a campground
There is no standard timeline. It depends on how ready your records are, how the park is priced, how the buyer is paying and what due diligence turns up. A sale that needs a bank loan, a new survey, an environmental review or permit fixes takes longer than one that does not. The calendar matters too: many buyers want to see a park open and operating, and many owners would rather not close in the middle of summer.
Talking with GatherGrounds
GatherGrounds owns and operates Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand, Michigan, which we have run since 2022; Ridge Ranch Campground in Newton Falls, Ohio, acquired in September 2025; and The Oaks Campground in Munith, Michigan, acquired at the end of 2025. We are a family-owned operator, not a broker or a fund. We buy parks to run them for the long term and we reinvest in them: new sand beaches and floating water parks, renovated restrooms, a new playground and an Amish-built pavilion at Ridge Ranch, an underground power upgrade under way there, and online booking and license-plate gate systems.
GatherGrounds looks at campgrounds and RV parks with 130 or more sites in Michigan, Ohio and other Great Lakes states, and parks that need work, such as deferred maintenance or dated infrastructure, are welcome.
A first conversation is confidential, and we will sign an NDA on request. We are open to seller financing. After a purchase, we aim to keep the existing staff and honor existing seasonal camper agreements, looking at each park case by case.
Talking with us does not obligate you to sell, and it can be a useful comparison even if you decide a broker is the better route. You can start a confidential conversation on our Sell Your Campground page.
Questions
Do I need a broker to sell my campground?
No. Owners can sell through a broker, list the park themselves, or sell directly to a buyer such as an operator. A broker is often the better choice for large parks, multi-park sales or owners who want competitive bidding. Whichever route you take, use your own attorney and CPA.
How do I find out what my campground is worth?
Start with your net operating income for the last three years, then compare it with current cap rates and recent sales of similar parks. A broker’s opinion of value or a formal appraisal can confirm the range.
When should I tell my staff and seasonal campers?
Most sellers wait until a deal is well along, often after due diligence, so people are not unsettled by a sale that may not happen. Agree with the buyer ahead of time on when and how the news is shared.
Can I stay involved after I sell?
Often, yes. Some sellers agree to help for a season with training, introductions and the handover. Any role after closing should be spelled out in the purchase agreement, including how long it lasts and whether it is paid.
What taxes will I owe when I sell?
That depends on your situation. Capital gains, depreciation recapture and how the price is allocated all play a part, and tools such as a 1031 exchange or an installment sale may defer some tax. Talk to your CPA and attorney well before you sign anything.
Thinking about selling, now or in a few years? Talk with us confidentially through the form on our Sell Your Campground page, with no pressure either way.
