Optimism Reigns at Capitol KOA

By Reed Hellman, Staff Writer



Camping.

For many people, the word conjures up images of cramped pup tents, musty sleeping bags and barely edible freeze-dried food. But at the Capitol KOA Kampground in Millersville, the concept of camping reaches a completely different level.

"The campers that are traveling these days are very diverse," said Brian Goddard, Capitol KOA's general manager. "We have the snowbirds - retired people that travel from north to south and back again when it gets too cold up north or too hot down south. Then we have the popular image of "New Age" people roughing it in pup tents. But nowadays, we also have everything in between."

Capitol KOA (acronymic for "Kampgrounds of America") covers 50 acres of rolling Anne Arundel County countryside, offers "pull-through" sites for recreational vehicles up to 70 feet long and smaller sites for tent camping.

Capitol's accommodations also include camping "kabins," or cottages, that accommodate from two to eight people and are simply set up for sleeping with few amenities and no running water; and a lodge which is equipped with a television, a bathroom, a shower and a full kitchen.



Converts to Camping

"We also have people who normally stay at a Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn, but decided to try camping," said Goddard. "They rent one of our kabins [or lodges and] get the camping experience without sleeping on the ground. Some that rent the lodge have changed now to renting them more often."

Capitol's other amenities include a pool with lifeguard, a playground, horseshoes, badminton, outdoor billiards and ping-pong, a pavilion, a camp store, propane, firewood and ice, free Wi-Fi, free outdoor movies and a nature trail. Kids enjoy the lollipop hunts and a full schedule of special events on summer weekends.

The campground has positioned itself as an ideal "base camp" for visiting Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Annapolis.

"Most people come to Capitol KOA campground to visit Washington, D.C.," said Goddard, "but we do get some local people looking for a quick, inexpensive getaway for the weekend. The last two weeks of October are 100% local people coming out for our Halloween weekends."

Bus tours to Washington leave directly from the campground, with three-day and two-evening events to choose from. The campground also offers shuttle service to the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore transit systems.

Capitol also caters to reunions and is capable of accommodating groups of up to 150 people, complete with food service and organized activities on and off the grounds.

Franchised Camping

The Capitol KOA is one of nearly 500 KOA franchises serving some 12 million recreational vehicles currently on American roads. KOA ranked 24th among the top 400 franchise brands in the 2009 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards.

Despite the current economic downturn, Goddard sees ample reason for a positive outlook.

"As a whole, last year the camping industry took some large hits," he said, "but the campgrounds that catered to the local people, within 100 miles or so from home, actually did very well. Tourist-type campgrounds were hit the hardest. That is why we like a diverse mix here at Capitol, so that if one area is suffering we can cater to the other area to try and pick up the loss of revenue."

"As far as the future for Capitol KOA Campground, I see growth," Goddard said. "Last year, with gas prices so high and nobody knowing when it was going to stop, we [experienced] a large downturn in business, but so did the entire camping community across the [country].

"With a new president in the White House and now gas prices dropping again, mom and dad are saying, 'Let's go see Washington, D.C.' Business is picking back up, but people are waiting to the last minute to make their reservations [because] they are looking for deals."