112. Campgrounds

·18 min·1 clip

A former lobbyist risked everything—including his 401k—to buy a campground after a midlife reset.

Zachary Crockett opens with Mark Lemoine's midlife pivot story: after 24 years in Michigan politics and lobbying, Lemoine and his wife sold their house, second car, and furnishings in 2016 to buy a KOA campground in Benton Harbor, Michigan for $1.6 million -- investing their entire 401k in the process. This framing sets up a thorough examination of the campground business. The US has approximately 27,000 campgrounds with over 2 million campsites, split roughly half-and-half between public (government-run) and private operations. Public campgrounds typically recover only 50-75% of operating costs and depend on tax subsidies, justified by the Park Service's estimate that every tax dollar invested in national parks returns $10 in local economic activity. Private campgrounds, on the other hand, must generate profit. Building a new 100-site campground requires $15,000-$25,000 per site in infrastructure (water, sewer, electric) plus land costs, putting a mid-sized operation at $2.5M or more before the land. Buying an established campground with 100 sites in a good location runs $4-6M. KOA (Campgrounds of America), the most recognized campground brand in North America, operates more than 520 franchise locations. Franchisees pay 8% royalties on registration revenue plus 2% for marketing, but gain substantial brand recognition and reservation system access. In 2023, KOA franchises collectively generated around $500M in campsite revenue -- under $1M average per location. The episode covers seasonal demand volatility, the rising dominance of RVs over tent camping, the economics of glamping (yurts, cabins, treehouses, train cabooses), and the significant electrical costs of running a modern campground. Lemoine's role is both practitioner and industry executive, giving the episode an unusually detailed insider perspective.

As heard by us

A campground story that turns into a lesson in brand costs, occupancy, and financial strain.

Campgrounds are treated less like scenery and more like a working business, and that is where the episode has real traction. Once it gets into land, royalties, utility bills, and occupancy, the logic is easy to follow.

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Why you'd press play

Campgrounds turn into a business case fast when the land, royalties, and occupancy math show up.

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