Winners of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds’ (ARVC) annual Awards of Excellence were announced during the association’s conference held in Raleigh, North Carolina this week.
Outstanding ARVC member parks and individuals were honored at the 2021 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo (OHCE) with awards presented under categories, namely: Park of the Year, State Directory of the Year, Supplier of the Year, and Plan-It Green Friendly Park, and more.
The Park of the Year category has four subcategories: Small (1-100 sites), Medium (101-250 sites), Large (251-499 sites), and Mega (500 or more sites). The award honors ARVC member RV parks or campgrounds that go the extra mile to deliver exceptional guest experiences. Each year, nominees are considered according to their performance in all facets surrounding marketing, operations, customer service, professionalism, and involvement in the industry.
2021’s Small Park of the Year was awarded to Aspen Grove RV Park. The Tremonton, Utah park is open to accommodate campers year-round. Aspen Grove RV Park goes the extra mile in providing outstanding service with amenities such as EV charging stations, clean facilities, and more.
This year, ARVC gave the Medium Park of the Year award to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort Quarryville, Pennsylvania. The 100-acre country park features tent sites, RV sites, cabins, and cottages, as well as an array of offerings such as jumping pillows, Pic-A-Noc Basket food truck, Yogi Bear’s Water Zone, and more.
Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve was presented with the Large Park of the Year award. The self-sustaining California park offers camping, cabin rentals, fishing, boating, playgrounds, walking trails, facility rentals, special events, and approximately 230 bird species. Santee Lakes is owned and operated by Padre Dam Municipal Water District.
Clay’s Park Resort in Lawrence, Ohio reaped the Mega Park of the Year award. The 500-acre resort boasts an adventure water park, campground, Wet Willie Water Slides, ziplines, and more.
“We’re excited to announce that we’ve been recognized by the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) and have won the Mega Park of the Year award! Thank you to our spectacular staff and our amazing campers who made this possible — this award is for you!” the park said in a Facebook post.
Other award winners were Pennsylvania for Large State Association Directory and Maine for Medium State Association Directory. Kampgrounds of America CEO Toby O’Rourke received the Stan Martin award. According to ARVC’s website, this award is the highest honor and recognizes industry leaders “whose tireless commitment to the RV park and campground sector of the outdoor hospitality industry is evident in their involvement, leadership, creativity, and dedication.
Each year, ARVC recognizes an industry supplier that exudes excellence in innovation, product solutions, customer service, and customer support. The Supplier of the Year award was granted to Utility Supply Group, a nationwide supplier to RV Parks and Campgrounds.
ARVC member RV parks or campgrounds registered in the Plan-It Green Friendly Park program are considered for the Plan-It Green Friendly Park award every year. The award has two subcategories—Small/Medium (0-250 sites) and Large/Mega (251 or more sites)—that seek to honor nominees with leadership, innovation, and commitment to running a green park. This year, Large Park of the Year Awardee Santee Lakes also received the Plan-It Green Friendly Park award for large parks. The park has seven pristine recycled water lakes stocked with sport fish year-round. Two million gallons of water each day is recycled at one of Santee Lakes’ water reclamation facilities.
This year, Guadalupe RV Park & Campgrounds won the Plan-It Green Friendly Park award for the small park sub-category. The park offers Texas-sized RV sites, tubing, and views of the beautiful Guadalupe River.
Large Park of the Year Awardee Santee Lakes also received the Plan-It Green Friendly Park award for large parks. The park has seven pristine recycled water lakes stocked with sport fish year-round. Two million gallons of water each day is recycled at one of Santee Lakes’ water reclamation facilities.
ARVC’s Awards of Excellence is held annually to honor and recognize ARVC member-parks and individuals for their commitment to going above and beyond in serving their guests in the outdoor hospitality industry.
The 2021 Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo took place from November 8 to 11 at Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina.