A Camp and Charge Report analyzing 504 campgrounds across the United States and Canada, released in June 2026, reveals that campground location and proximity to public charging networks are the strongest predictors of a property’s EV policy.
As more guests choose to tow with electric vehicles, utility costs and grid capacity have become central operational concerns for private park owners.
The data shows a clear split in how properties manage this infrastructure demand, with 15% of parks allowing charging directly at the campsite, 46% installing dedicated on-site EV stations, and 39% prohibiting the practice altogether.
The operational impact falls heaviest on private owners, where approximately 45% of campgrounds currently ban EV charging due to the financial and physical strain on existing electrical pedestals, compared to just 1% of public parks that publish a refusal.
Proximity to Public Infrastructure Drives Guest Demand
For operators located far from public charging infrastructure, a clear EV policy can be a competitive advantage. Remote parks are increasingly capturing specialized, high-value bookings from EV travelers who plan routes around power availability.
Nick, the founder of Camp and Charge, an independent directory tracking these policies via an interactive color-coded map, notes that location directly dictates operator behavior.
“The strongest predictor of whether a park lets you charge isn’t the state, the chain, or the size of the electrical service. It’s the distance to the nearest public fast charger. Parks that allow charging at the campsite sit a median 16 miles from a public DC fast charger. Parks that forbid it sit at 8 miles. The parks saying yes are mostly the ones with no charger up the road to point a guest toward,” Nick explained.
Balancing Grid Capacity and Equipment Protection
For many park owners, older electrical infrastructure is the biggest barrier to allowing EV charging.
According to the full study, which gained widespread industry attention following coverage by InsideEVs in early June 2026, more than half of the operators who restrict charging do so to safeguard their equipment from continuous, high-amp draws.
Nick stated, “The concerns we hear sort into a clear order. Of the parks that refuse, 52% cite electrical capacity, pedestal design, or risk of damage. That’s the core. A pedestal spec’d for RV duty sees a hard draw on arrival and then a long idle. An EV ignores that pattern and pulls 32 amps flat for hours.”
To mitigate this risk without enforcing a total ban, some operators allow charging exclusively on standard 120-volt household outlets, which prevents excessive utility spikes while still accommodating multi-day guests.
Turning Electrical Overhead into a Revenue Stream
Uncapped electrical consumption poses an immediate threat to profit margins, but metered billing is helping operators turn electrical overhead into a revenue line. In regions with high utility rates reaching $0.45 per kilowatt-hour, a single full charge for a large electric truck can cost an operator nearly $100 in raw power. Rather than banning the practice, successful operators are adopting structured fee models to recoup costs.
For instance, Kings River RV Resort in Kingsburg, California, protects its grid by providing a separate metered 50-amp plug specifically for EVs alongside standard RV plugs at every site. Other properties, like Hunters Friend Resort in Branson, Missouri, utilize free Level 2 stations as an advertised amenity to boost occupancy, while Sunset View Campground in New Brunswick utilizes a hybrid model by offering a centralized Level 2 station while strictly prohibiting pedestal charging.
Immediate Operational Steps for Park Owners
As EV towing grows, operators who define and publish a clear policy now will be better positioned to protect their infrastructure and attract this segment. Operators should immediately define and publish their policy online, as transparency prevents awkward operational friction at check-in while attracting guests actively searching for a place to plug in.
Once a policy is established, park owners can list or update their status directly with the Camp and Charge directory to ensure accurate visibility. If an operator chooses to allow charging, implementing a flat per-stay fee or transitioning to metered billing provides a predictable way to offset utility overhead and turn electrical infrastructure into a sustainable business asset.