Campground hidden fees are the charges that show up after the nightly site rate: extra people, extra vehicles or tents, pets, golf carts, water-park or activity passes, visitor day passes, early check-in, cancellation penalties, and at some parks a reservation or “resort” fee. None of them are hidden if the campground publishes them. Below is the full list of extra costs to check before you book anywhere, followed by every fee at Walnut Hills Family Campground in Durand, Michigan, so you can see what a complete fee list looks like.
What extra costs come up when booking a campground?
Private campgrounds price a site for a set number of people and a set package of amenities. Most surprises come from one of these buckets:
- Extra people. A rate usually covers a family of four; each additional adult or child is charged per night.
- Extra vehicles and tents. One vehicle per site is standard. A second car or a second tent is often a nightly fee.
- Pets. Some parks charge per pet per night or take a deposit; many don’t.
- Golf carts. Bringing your own cart usually means a nightly pass plus proof of insurance; renting one is a daily rate.
- Amenity passes. Floating water parks, pools at some resorts, and equipment rentals are often pay-per-use.
- Visitors. Day guests pay a visitor or beach pass and must register.
- Timing fees. Early check-in, late check-out, holiday minimum stays.
- Cancellation and change fees. Usually a flat amount or a percentage, with a no-refund window close to arrival.
- Booking, reservation or resort fees. Common at large resort chains and on third-party booking sites. Our guide to camping reservation fees explains how to spot them.
- Deposits. Cabin cleaning deposits, refunded if the cabin is left clean.
- Utilities on long stays. Monthly and seasonal campers usually pay metered electricity.
- Taxes. Lodging or sales tax added at checkout.
Firewood, ice, food trucks and camp-store items aren’t fees, but they are part of the real cost of a weekend, so budget for them.
Walnut Hills Family Campground prices: what the site rate includes
Walnut Hills uses dynamic pricing, so there’s no single nightly number. RV sites start around the high $40s a night on slower dates and go up for holiday weekends and for full-hookup, lakefront and river-frontage sites; tent sites start in the low $40s. Live prices for your dates are on the Walnut Hills rates page, and our campground cost guide explains how the base-rate-plus-demand model works.
Whatever the nightly rate is, it covers:
- 2 adults and 2 children, one vehicle, and a site with a fire ring and picnic table
- The spring-fed swimming lake and beach
- The Wibit floating water park on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (wristbands from the store)
- The Kangaroo Jumper, playgrounds, gaga ball pit, basketball and sand volleyball courts, ball field, horseshoes and the fenced dog park
- Staff-run weekend activities: Saturday crafts, tie-dye, lawn games, trivia, bingo and the DJ dance parties at Pavilion 2
- The renovated bathhouse, dump station, and no-wait check-in through the license-plate gate
What costs extra at Walnut Hills
Here is every add-on, in one place. Amounts are the posted fixed fees; anything dynamically priced says so.
| Extra | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Extra adult | $13 per night | Beyond 2 adults on the site |
| Extra child (ages 3 to 17) | $9 per night | Beyond 2 children; under 3 free |
| Extra tent | $25 per night | Only when your group exceeds 2 adults + 2 children |
| Bring your own golf cart | $25 per night | Electric carts only; proof of insurance at registration; window sticker issued |
| Golf cart rental | Daily rate, dynamic | Reserve online or by phone; multi-day rentals are heavily discounted |
| Wibit wristband, Friday to Sunday | Fee, see rates page | Free for campers Tuesday to Thursday; ages 7 and up; life jacket required; guests under 16 need a parent present; a monitor is on duty |
| Visitor day pass | See rates page | Visitors register at the store; separate day-visit, beach and overnight rates |
| Pavilion rental | $100 per day | One free day for groups that book 25+ sites |
| Camping cabin cleaning deposit | $75 | Paid at check-in, refunded at departure if the cabin is clean |
| Early check-in / late check-out | Flat fee | Only if the site is open; standard check-in 2 p.m., check-out 11 a.m. |
| Second vehicle | Registered and paid at the store | One vehicle per site; extras park in the lot |
Things that are not on the list: a reservation or booking fee, a resort or amenity fee, and a pet fee. Dogs stay free, with no breed restrictions. The one amenity that always carries a weekend charge is the Wibit.
Why does the Wibit cost extra on weekends?
Most campground water parks have one to four pieces and are folded into the site rate. The Walnut Hills Wibit has 14 pieces, which costs far more to put on the lake every year. A campground employee explained that the Friday-through-Sunday wristband fees “only cover our costs of having it every year; it’s not a profit center for the business.” Covering the cost on three days is what lets the campground make it free Tuesday through Thursday, and it’s one reason weekday stays have grown.
What is the cancellation policy?
The same policy applies at all three GatherGrounds parks:
- Cancel more than two weeks before arrival: a $15 or 15% fee, whichever is greater.
- Within two weeks of arrival: no refund and no rescheduling.
- No refunds for early departure, weather or no-shows, and no rain checks on site fees or wristbands.
Halloween and holiday weekends book months ahead and may carry minimum stays, so read the dates carefully before you confirm. See our campground cancellation policy guide for how this compares with state parks and booking sites.
Extra costs for seasonal campers
If you’re comparing seasonal sites, the “hidden” costs are different. At Walnut Hills a seasonal site runs $3,000 to $5,500 for May 1 to October 20, with most sites $3,000 to $4,000. On top of that:
- Metered electricity, billed monthly, so you pay only for what you use.
- Seasonal golf-cart fee: $300 a season at Walnut Hills, which covers the park’s golf-cart insurance (you still carry your own).
- Honey-wagon pump-outs on gray-water-drain sites: $19 each from 2027; most campers need about six a season.
- Optional lawn service: $65 a month for the whole season, or mow it yourself with a loaner mower from the store.
Winter storage on your site is free for returning seasonals, which saves what many parks charge for off-season storage. More in our guide to seasonal vs nightly camping.
How to find hidden fees before you book any campground
- Read the rates page, not just the booking calendar. Extra-person, pet, cart and visitor fees live there.
- Count your people and vehicles against the included number. This is the most common surprise.
- Ask which amenities are pay-per-use, and on which days. Water parks, rentals and day passes vary.
- Check the cancellation window before you pay, and whether holiday weekends have a minimum stay.
- Look for a booking or resort fee in the checkout total. Booking directly with the campground usually avoids third-party fees.
- Screenshot the confirmation with the line items.
We’d rather you know every number before you arrive. If a fee isn’t published, call and ask; our team is happy to walk through it on the phone.
Campground hidden fees: FAQ
Do campgrounds charge for extra people?
Almost all private campgrounds do. Our rates cover 2 adults and 2 children; extra adults are $13 and extra children (3 to 17) are $9 per night.
Is there a fee for pets at Walnut Hills?
No pet fee is listed on our rates page. Dogs are leashed around the park and can run off leash in the fenced dog park, and they’re welcome to swim in the Shiawassee River at the boat launch (the swim lake and beach are for people). Please pick up after them and keep them out of the cabins and store.
Do I pay extra for 50-amp or full hookups?
Not as a separate fee. Full-hookup 50-amp sites simply carry a higher nightly rate than water-and-electric sites. Our full hookup guide covers the difference.
Are there any discounts?
Groups that book 25 or more sites get one day of free pavilion rental. Monthly stays at 25% off nightly rates are offered at our sister park, The Oaks Campground, only. The cheapest dates are May before Memorial Day, the weekend after Memorial Day, the weekends around Labor Day, and October.
