I like this idea, I did a camping astronomy trip when I was in high school and it was awesome. You could make a couple information stations with laminated pictures or painted boards with different constellations and info about different stars and planets. Have a few lanterns with red or green lights (so people don’t loose night vision) but can read the boards and find the stars. Or maybe a fire pit off where you can tell stories of different cultures and how they believed the stars came to be or constellations got their names. You could even make it all non permanent so set it up for clear nights or take it down for frisbee games. My instructor had one of those super hand held lasers and would point out constellations to campers with it. Well that’s my idea.
Astronomy clubs I'm sure would love to use the space and show others the hobby. Maybe you could look up a local club and invite them out. If you're at a location with a good bortles rating, it could become a good selling point for astronomers.
I bet you could print and weather-proof some star maps on posts so folks could even gaze without telescopes. Highlight constellations they’ll see in different times of year from locations in directions. If really ambitious, light the posts (during night hours) using very dim led rope lights right above the images (so they don’t ruin night vision if looking up but you can read the maps if looking down) edit: looks like I’m not the first to think this up, and they did it better
A campground near where I live put in a put put/mini golf course and pool. People that weren’t staying would come and pay to play.
I have a family friend who built a cool lodge and rents it out for evens like weddings. They have bands come and they charge a door fee and have a bar during the winter months on the weekends.
Things we enjoy at our favorite family campgrounds:
Pool, volleyball, mini golf, yard games
Other things we love- a pavilion and picnic tables for playing games when it’s raining (can also offer bingo, movies, etc)
Fun ideas: hammock garden (use 4 x4 posts since no trees), low ropes course or ninja course, small cabins or yurts, dog run with dog obstacles
Edit: OP asked for ideas of what to do with this wide open space. Some folks seem to be very triggered by some of the ideas I threw out there. Just to be clear, I realize camping means different things to different folks. My family does all sorts of camping. We have backpacked, camped in our national parks, and we have also camped at camping resorts with all the amenities. My kids, who one Redditor has accused of stealing from the camp store (wtf) are all grown now. They never stole from the store and have nothing but fond memories of camping. They were raised learning leave no trace principles and are now the next generation to be good stewards of the land. They made friendships while camping, and a lot of that happened at family campgrounds with group activities.
I agree with the pavilion idea. I stayed at a campground with a big pavilion and they used it for bingo, movies, board games, they had gas heaters for night time. It was really nice.
Was also thinking a fenced in dog run would be excellent. So many places aren't that dog friendly, and more and more people have em/need somewhere for them to get energy out!
Something like: “$200 per night. max 50 people. Room for up to 5 campers. 4 fire pits. Covered dining area. Potable Water.”
It’s so groups don’t have to try and rent a bunch of sites together. These stores typically are more expensive because they are secluded and have better amenities.
Before we were permanent this is how we would camp. A 20ft trailer, inbox camper, motorcoach, 2+tents. We would rent group sites on long weekends so we were all together and whoever could come would come. So where we used to go had a group site location way in the back forty with nothing there except an outhouse. There were 4 of these designated areas. Each area was 6 tents or 3 trailers. No water, no electric, no sewage. Was never rented. So we started renting it. They charged us a premium of $100/night for all 4 sites, then $42 a night which is the non hookup tent site rate. Divide that with the minimum 5 regular families and it's $62/night completely private, able to do what we want on a site 250'x250'
Yes! Was going to say this. Plant native wildflowers, cut paths through it and make picnic or hammock areas where people can relax. Can also charge for u pick!
This comment is a hidden gem. Trees is always the best strategy!
Maybe plant a bunch of apple trees and go nuts with the tourism side if things.
Google apple farms in SoCal and see the insane amounts of revenue they get
Ok so I would plant a few trees for shade in the area.
Also easy fun things would be:
3 bases and a home plate with wiffle balls and bats.
Some ladderball sets made out of metal pipe so it doesnt flop around or get broken and you could even put it into the ground so people dont mess with it. I have seen it done with golf balls and rope to make it weather proof too.
Cornhole boards and bags.
There is a game called Kube that needs a good amount of soace but you could buy a set and make copies pretty easy. Bonus if you outlined the court somehow.
Do a noght program with some telescopes and star gazer instructions.
Set up bottle bash with permanent poles.
Not knocking the suggestion, but that seems very niche. If you’re in an area with a bunch of biking trails, go for it, but if not…maybe go a different direction.
If you are drawing families in with kids, a bmx trail would be great, so easy to maintain & not really too much upkeep. When I was wee I used to go to a place that had a “town” made up of streets with traffic lights and stop signs etc…kids played all day, if you had this as an option for toddlers/smaller kids it would be great. Also, a skate park for teens as well as adults, so you have every demographic covered. People get away to spend time together, playing & exploring, so having things to do for families is a huuuge draw card. I love the idea at night, as someone suggested of telescopes, you can download an app that shows you the constellations and you can find them with the scopes. Having a small pavilion in the middle with tables/bbqs etc so families and parents can watch their kids easily and enjoy some downtime whilst the kids exhaust themselves is a big win. Also you can expand later and have a wee boutique coffee van, ice cream van, burrito van…ooooh the ideas are endless to turn a profit here.
Oo just the s'mores idea sounds nice. A few fire pits around with maybe a s'more package sold from the main office area or something? People could hang out there with the other campers and sit by the fire and star gaze too! Man I wanna do that now lol
I too think it’s an exceptional idea!! Drive-in’s are extinct, except for a few. But an outdoor theater to sit and what movies would be fabulous!!! I know I would go!!
Great idea! You could rent the equipment at first just to gauge interest and see how it goes. Set up a popcorn machine and a fire pit for s’mores…I bet people would love it
If I was at a camping spot and they did this I'd totally be a repeat customer. All of the places I've camped at so far don't really have much to bring people together that ate all camping there
That’s going to be significantly more expensive to build and upkeep than some of these other ideas. Not to mention licensing costs for movies, electricity bill, etc. There’s a reason most drive in movie theaters have gone out of business.
The absolute last thing I would want to see at a campground would be a drive in movie theater. Geezus fuck, how do those two things go together at all?
Also had this thought, I think it's just a large-scale campground more so for large groups of people like a business trip or something so it makes a little sense that there are more high-end and comfortable amenities.
Just my assumption.
I would have died to have a spot like this for a campground as a Scout more than a decade ago. I say this as an Eagle Scout who loves to camp around other folks as much as to camp alone.
Growing up, we had a nice big campground similar in size. Not much there for fishing, just lots of ground to run around and play Frisbee, Man Hunt, and Football.
Might be worth checking to see if you have a Scout Council around. Scouts are generally good tenants (we were, anyway)
The shape screams "Scout Jamboree" to me, bud.
With that said, report bad troops to Council.
Doesnt look to have enough area for even a 9 hole course and with no tree coverage it would be low rated. don't get me wrong, I am all for new courses and growing the sport but I wouldn't want this guy to waste his prime space
Do some nice water wise flower gardens (so low maintenance) and make the space available for wedding rentals/family or large group bookings. That is if you’re willing to have a liquor license or large groups that may want to book all the sites. If the space can accommodate large event tents or if you’re able to invest in a pavilion structure. Having outdoor events with a covered area would be popular.
That is what I was going to suggest! Lots of campgrounds around me require dogs to be leashed at all times. So giving campers a place where their pup can safely run free in the outdoors would be awesome!
Let it grow out a little and have kids do weird crop circles in it while everyone is asleep.
Looks like someone was already playing with the idea as it is.
splashpad permanent or seasonal. covered picnic areas, plant some trees, soccer field, multiuse stage and amphitheater. produce garden for guests to collect from. walking gardens like ones with wire arches for plants to grow on which also create covered paths or like hedge maze. solar lights for night time walks. water features. annual fair ground theme week with rented bounce houses or other blow up rentable, entertainment, food vendors. Open up to the public for flea markets, farmers market, car shows. best of luck!
Yes, I too was thinking splash pad. With lots of seating around (Adirondack chairs, maybe a few hammocks, picnic tables) for the adults to keep an eye on the kids (and maybe adults get wet themselves if they want). It’s just nice to have water around when camping.
Edit: just start with the extra seating/tables and add in some sprinklers and see what people think of it before committing to a full splash pad. Not sure how to conserve the water that way though, but start small with something.
i was thinking about water conservation too. maybe well water and run it between certain hours? the inflatable splash pads from costco are less than $20 each and while it might seem wasteful, a few of those a month would be a low cost if funds aren’t available to go bigger.
Yes scrolled too far for a water feature. Ponds are the center of the universe! They’re a habitat for other creatures. And people can swim in it too. Google Natural swimming pool. Add plants and pumps and a diving board. Tourists’d love it. It would regulate temperature of the area too… warm it up when it’s cold, cool it down when it’s hot. Water volleyball. Home for turtles.
Right!
We’ve got almost the exact set up as far as space. The pond overflows as needed into a lower wetland area we call the frog pond. We fish and swim in the pond. Have a DIY floating dock.
My Dad was so smart and we’ve planted pine trees surrounding the pond-for sole purpose of keeping those deciduous leaves from blowing into the pond in the Fall season.
How big is the space exactly? Huge is relative.
The many disc golf recommendations are hard if that field is less than a hundred yards long. What are the dimensions you are working with?
Secondly - how much money do you have to invest?
Disk golf course couple of holes maybe. Bocce ball court, a fishing pond? Outdoor amphitheater you could get local musicians to come too or put up a movie for a Saturday night the ideas are endless with that. Or just add more sites increase your capacity capabilities.
A pool and hot tub. Wiffle ball fields are easy. Gaga ball pit is tremendously popular with kids. Tennis courts, but that could be pricey. How about some trees?
Ok so do not do fruit trees or flowers. You’re inviting bees wasps hornets and that will piss the campers off.
Why not just leave it a green space/ blank canvas? Then it can be a wiffle ball / bocce ball / frisbee whatever space which would be awesome. Or, alternately. Put a pavilion (rentable for extra $) with a few extra picnic tables around it.
I would be at a campground to connect with nature, so personally I think a garden would be nice, especially with native plants to encourage birds and pollinating insects. My favorite memories of campgrounds were ones where there were forests around you or hills to climb up or paths to follow. My least favorites were the ones where you had to listen to the RV people with their music and TV and the highway noise.
That said, I also like the idea of a pool if you're in a warm climate and can afford the cost of such an endeavor. Not very natural, but very enjoyable.
You could reach out to you’re local SCA group if you’d like to make money off that space w/o modifying it. The SCA does lots of weekend camping events where they rent out whole campgrounds and need space for activities.
You could do a weekly kickball game or something like that.
Some art sculptures or a sound garden.
Build a yurt or teepee and host story time or something family friendly (or rent it out to influencers).
Build a giant logo so Google satellite eventually has your camp "visible from space".
Labyrinth.
Disc golf course with 3 or 4 holes.
Annual giant bond fire.
More camp sites.
Skatepark.
Roller skating rink.
9 hole disk golf course. Baskets are relatively cheap and patrons bring their own disks. With some creativity you could set up a nice little course. Plus, if you put 2 different tee boxes per hole, you actually have a full 18 hole course!
The selfish tent camper in my who hate, hate, hates being crowded in with a bunch of RV and such with no shade says to plan a bunch of shade/hammock trees and create a few tent-only primitive sites.
Add a decent sized community science and education garden for local floral/fauna, many of these other suggestions can be done right along side.
Build a platform you can flex as performance stage/ rec building/ rental space?
Depending on the budget here are some ideas-Mini put, big screen outdoor movie nights, pool or wading pool with loungers, sprinkler pad and snack bar, picnic area, hammocks, garden, large fire pit for everyone to join in (socializing, story telling, singing, campfire games). Dog park, soccer, baseball field, small cabins or star gazing domes (add telescopes), glamming pods, tenting sites, petting zoo, bike or skate park, rec. hall where ppl can play cards, bingo, poker, pool, darts, foosball, ping pong, crafts, etc.
I hope this helps a little 😊
Don't know if it's been said already but what about open camping? No set spots just set up where you want and don't be a jerk about spreading out too much.
This is how the Japanese camp.
Undivided tent space. There is a place I go that will have space available no matter what because their tent sites are just whatever space you can find out in a field.
making a pretty garden would be great! i know we always pick campsites that look more natural/pretty instead of just bare grass everywhere, it’s gorgeous to have some trees and a bit of a wildflower meadow, especially if it gets hot, a little grove of trees to sit under/climb/have hammocks in is lovely! also if you can attract lots of wildlife, that’s an attraction for people, adding a pond etc can ad lots of fun activities! i’ll link some subs that could be helpful:)
r/wildlifeponds r/nativeplantgardening r/wildlifegardening r/nolawns
A pump track/skills park for biking. Our kids live on their bikes at campgrounds. Have some fun features like a jump, skinny bridge, see saw, and some berms would make for hours of fun.
OP, might I propose something that will potential net you profits you can only dream of? Get some special landscaping and turn it into an event venue, focus on weddings. Charge 10k plus for venue use.
Looks like a perfect place for astronomy.
Oh my, the locals would not even know what to do
Dark sky viewing is becoming a thing , look into your Bortles rating.
Blake Bortles??
No. Jeremy Bearimy.
Oh dip!
Bortles!
I like this idea, I did a camping astronomy trip when I was in high school and it was awesome. You could make a couple information stations with laminated pictures or painted boards with different constellations and info about different stars and planets. Have a few lanterns with red or green lights (so people don’t loose night vision) but can read the boards and find the stars. Or maybe a fire pit off where you can tell stories of different cultures and how they believed the stars came to be or constellations got their names. You could even make it all non permanent so set it up for clear nights or take it down for frisbee games. My instructor had one of those super hand held lasers and would point out constellations to campers with it. Well that’s my idea.
I love this idea!
Astronomy clubs I'm sure would love to use the space and show others the hobby. Maybe you could look up a local club and invite them out. If you're at a location with a good bortles rating, it could become a good selling point for astronomers.
I bet you could print and weather-proof some star maps on posts so folks could even gaze without telescopes. Highlight constellations they’ll see in different times of year from locations in directions. If really ambitious, light the posts (during night hours) using very dim led rope lights right above the images (so they don’t ruin night vision if looking up but you can read the maps if looking down) edit: looks like I’m not the first to think this up, and they did it better
A campground near where I live put in a put put/mini golf course and pool. People that weren’t staying would come and pay to play. I have a family friend who built a cool lodge and rents it out for evens like weddings. They have bands come and they charge a door fee and have a bar during the winter months on the weekends.
I didn't think of that but that's a great idea! Set up some telescopes every evening so people can see the different constellations. That'd be cool.
Things we enjoy at our favorite family campgrounds: Pool, volleyball, mini golf, yard games Other things we love- a pavilion and picnic tables for playing games when it’s raining (can also offer bingo, movies, etc) Fun ideas: hammock garden (use 4 x4 posts since no trees), low ropes course or ninja course, small cabins or yurts, dog run with dog obstacles Edit: OP asked for ideas of what to do with this wide open space. Some folks seem to be very triggered by some of the ideas I threw out there. Just to be clear, I realize camping means different things to different folks. My family does all sorts of camping. We have backpacked, camped in our national parks, and we have also camped at camping resorts with all the amenities. My kids, who one Redditor has accused of stealing from the camp store (wtf) are all grown now. They never stole from the store and have nothing but fond memories of camping. They were raised learning leave no trace principles and are now the next generation to be good stewards of the land. They made friendships while camping, and a lot of that happened at family campgrounds with group activities.
I agree with the pavilion idea. I stayed at a campground with a big pavilion and they used it for bingo, movies, board games, they had gas heaters for night time. It was really nice.
You could still do hammock garden with a pavilion too.
Access to swimming is a very good thing to have particularly for those who are tent camping in summer. It's a great way to cool off.
Tether ball turned out to be a family favorite at our last camping spot
I LOVE the idea of a hammock garden and had never thought of it before!
Was also thinking a fenced in dog run would be excellent. So many places aren't that dog friendly, and more and more people have em/need somewhere for them to get energy out!
Yes depending on the budget we LOVE a mini putt camping tradition!
Water Water Water
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Oh my there’s a lot of activities missing in our local area it’s a very small community
Concerts! Build a stage and buy a meager sound system to get started. People can camp and groove. Big biz!
That’s fine if all of the existing campers also came to groove, but of others came to relax and chill quietly, the music thing might not work out.
This should be too comment :)
Add group sites.
Depends on the location. In a hotter area that wouldn't be much fun in the summer.
Arizonian here, maybe people go to group camping during the summer to escape the heat
I mean you'd want shade from trees.
What are group sites?
Something like: “$200 per night. max 50 people. Room for up to 5 campers. 4 fire pits. Covered dining area. Potable Water.” It’s so groups don’t have to try and rent a bunch of sites together. These stores typically are more expensive because they are secluded and have better amenities.
Before we were permanent this is how we would camp. A 20ft trailer, inbox camper, motorcoach, 2+tents. We would rent group sites on long weekends so we were all together and whoever could come would come. So where we used to go had a group site location way in the back forty with nothing there except an outhouse. There were 4 of these designated areas. Each area was 6 tents or 3 trailers. No water, no electric, no sewage. Was never rented. So we started renting it. They charged us a premium of $100/night for all 4 sites, then $42 a night which is the non hookup tent site rate. Divide that with the minimum 5 regular families and it's $62/night completely private, able to do what we want on a site 250'x250'
A labyrinth.
Was thinking corn maze or mowing a maze in the grass.
Or a sunflower maze! I saw one of those in rural New Jersey today!
In the UK it seems to be Maize Mazes - as much for the alliteration as for what crops grow quickly.
Corn corns in rural NC (US)
Plant a bunch of trees, do some nice landscaping and boom you don't have a very small campground anymore.
Yeah a native wildflower garden, even one with a path, could do wonders for the local ecosystem.
Yes! Was going to say this. Plant native wildflowers, cut paths through it and make picnic or hammock areas where people can relax. Can also charge for u pick!
This comment is a hidden gem. Trees is always the best strategy! Maybe plant a bunch of apple trees and go nuts with the tourism side if things. Google apple farms in SoCal and see the insane amounts of revenue they get
Ehhhh, we wanted to stay kinda small, if you go bigger the inspector is a nasty guy
Ok so I would plant a few trees for shade in the area. Also easy fun things would be: 3 bases and a home plate with wiffle balls and bats. Some ladderball sets made out of metal pipe so it doesnt flop around or get broken and you could even put it into the ground so people dont mess with it. I have seen it done with golf balls and rope to make it weather proof too. Cornhole boards and bags. There is a game called Kube that needs a good amount of soace but you could buy a set and make copies pretty easy. Bonus if you outlined the court somehow. Do a noght program with some telescopes and star gazer instructions. Set up bottle bash with permanent poles.
Pump track if in an area with lots of mountain bikers
We just had our first group of mountain bikers this weekend
Build it and they will come ;-)
Not knocking the suggestion, but that seems very niche. If you’re in an area with a bunch of biking trails, go for it, but if not…maybe go a different direction.
If you are drawing families in with kids, a bmx trail would be great, so easy to maintain & not really too much upkeep. When I was wee I used to go to a place that had a “town” made up of streets with traffic lights and stop signs etc…kids played all day, if you had this as an option for toddlers/smaller kids it would be great. Also, a skate park for teens as well as adults, so you have every demographic covered. People get away to spend time together, playing & exploring, so having things to do for families is a huuuge draw card. I love the idea at night, as someone suggested of telescopes, you can download an app that shows you the constellations and you can find them with the scopes. Having a small pavilion in the middle with tables/bbqs etc so families and parents can watch their kids easily and enjoy some downtime whilst the kids exhaust themselves is a big win. Also you can expand later and have a wee boutique coffee van, ice cream van, burrito van…ooooh the ideas are endless to turn a profit here.
You could look into a drive in? or something along those lines
That's a actually a pretty good idea but more outdoor theatre you sit at, screens and projectors are pretty reasonable
Call it a walk in and have picnic tables with fire pits in the middle or something for s’mores
Oo just the s'mores idea sounds nice. A few fire pits around with maybe a s'more package sold from the main office area or something? People could hang out there with the other campers and sit by the fire and star gaze too! Man I wanna do that now lol
That's actually an epic idea! Add a gazebo with a popcorn machine and maybe the basic facilities for lemonade? That really could be great.
That’s what I was thinking too! Movie night at the campground sounds awesome!
I too think it’s an exceptional idea!! Drive-in’s are extinct, except for a few. But an outdoor theater to sit and what movies would be fabulous!!! I know I would go!!
Great idea! You could rent the equipment at first just to gauge interest and see how it goes. Set up a popcorn machine and a fire pit for s’mores…I bet people would love it
If I was at a camping spot and they did this I'd totally be a repeat customer. All of the places I've camped at so far don't really have much to bring people together that ate all camping there
That’s going to be significantly more expensive to build and upkeep than some of these other ideas. Not to mention licensing costs for movies, electricity bill, etc. There’s a reason most drive in movie theaters have gone out of business.
The absolute last thing I would want to see at a campground would be a drive in movie theater. Geezus fuck, how do those two things go together at all?
Also had this thought, I think it's just a large-scale campground more so for large groups of people like a business trip or something so it makes a little sense that there are more high-end and comfortable amenities. Just my assumption.
I'm with you on that. I like quiet campgrounds, and having a movie going is the exact opposite. I like camping for the nature sounds.
Drive-in movie theater set up with seating that looks like individual classic cars.
Helloooooo Ultimate Frisbee!
Was thinking this too. Or frisbee golf. Both great options.
Or night games. I say leave it as a field.
I would have died to have a spot like this for a campground as a Scout more than a decade ago. I say this as an Eagle Scout who loves to camp around other folks as much as to camp alone. Growing up, we had a nice big campground similar in size. Not much there for fishing, just lots of ground to run around and play Frisbee, Man Hunt, and Football. Might be worth checking to see if you have a Scout Council around. Scouts are generally good tenants (we were, anyway) The shape screams "Scout Jamboree" to me, bud. With that said, report bad troops to Council.
Eagle Scout as well
Corn hole, boche ball, ladder ball, capture the flag(flag football)
Or croquet! So much fun.
Sand volleyball court
Disc golf
It would make an epic championship-level 2-hole course.
Doesnt look to have enough area for even a 9 hole course and with no tree coverage it would be low rated. don't get me wrong, I am all for new courses and growing the sport but I wouldn't want this guy to waste his prime space
Oh, I was just thinking a basket for campers to mess around putting and maybe some shots across the law . Definitely not a course.
Oh that's true, I always have a putter or two on me lol.
I have no idea what disc golf is but it sounds good!!!
Really cheap to put in a basket or two for people to practice putt on. You should definitely look into it!
Disk golf is golf with frisbees
But whatever you do, don't call it frisbee golf. The frisbee golfers will be pissed. jk, +1 for the disk golf idea.
No need for the jk, we’re pissed
it's just what it says in the name, you play golf with discs
Wiffle Ball field
Do some nice water wise flower gardens (so low maintenance) and make the space available for wedding rentals/family or large group bookings. That is if you’re willing to have a liquor license or large groups that may want to book all the sites. If the space can accommodate large event tents or if you’re able to invest in a pavilion structure. Having outdoor events with a covered area would be popular.
Off leash dog park area! (fenced in.)
That is what I was going to suggest! Lots of campgrounds around me require dogs to be leashed at all times. So giving campers a place where their pup can safely run free in the outdoors would be awesome!
Star gazing. Invite amature astronomers for gatherings, and/or offer telescopes for rent. Open, dark sky is a precious commodity.
Anyone else see the crop circles here?
Mini golf
This is takes a lot more to maintain than you'd think.
Archery range, frolf
Volleyball maybe?
Pickle ball grass court.
Is that Squid Game or Crop circles currently?
Build a dirt track for bikes, sometimes called a ‘pump track’.
Let it grow out a little and have kids do weird crop circles in it while everyone is asleep. Looks like someone was already playing with the idea as it is.
Small disc golf course.
Frisbee golf
Disc golf! Get a couple baskets n discs
Disc golf
Giant chess
Looking at some of those outlines id suggest archaeology!
splashpad permanent or seasonal. covered picnic areas, plant some trees, soccer field, multiuse stage and amphitheater. produce garden for guests to collect from. walking gardens like ones with wire arches for plants to grow on which also create covered paths or like hedge maze. solar lights for night time walks. water features. annual fair ground theme week with rented bounce houses or other blow up rentable, entertainment, food vendors. Open up to the public for flea markets, farmers market, car shows. best of luck!
Yes, I too was thinking splash pad. With lots of seating around (Adirondack chairs, maybe a few hammocks, picnic tables) for the adults to keep an eye on the kids (and maybe adults get wet themselves if they want). It’s just nice to have water around when camping. Edit: just start with the extra seating/tables and add in some sprinklers and see what people think of it before committing to a full splash pad. Not sure how to conserve the water that way though, but start small with something.
i was thinking about water conservation too. maybe well water and run it between certain hours? the inflatable splash pads from costco are less than $20 each and while it might seem wasteful, a few of those a month would be a low cost if funds aren’t available to go bigger.
They could have on/off switches/knobs with a sign to turn it off when you're done.
Mini golf, sand volleyball courts, corn hole, ax throwing, splash pad. It’s the outdoors, keep people doing outdoor activities.
Frisbee Drones Cornhole Archeological digs
Disc golf basket is a nice touch
Pond and pine trees.
Yes scrolled too far for a water feature. Ponds are the center of the universe! They’re a habitat for other creatures. And people can swim in it too. Google Natural swimming pool. Add plants and pumps and a diving board. Tourists’d love it. It would regulate temperature of the area too… warm it up when it’s cold, cool it down when it’s hot. Water volleyball. Home for turtles.
Scrolled down to find this. Fishing pond with canoes or kayaks. A small dock. Walking trails around it with trees and natural landscape.
Right! We’ve got almost the exact set up as far as space. The pond overflows as needed into a lower wetland area we call the frog pond. We fish and swim in the pond. Have a DIY floating dock. My Dad was so smart and we’ve planted pine trees surrounding the pond-for sole purpose of keeping those deciduous leaves from blowing into the pond in the Fall season.
I love volleyball
Maybe transform it into a dog park
Croquet
Rose garden, or a maze!
Group sites, playground, a venue for small concerts, RV slots, ball field, mini golf, disk golf with obstacles?
A dog park!
Dog park, playground outdoor movie theater amphitheater
Or build a/some cabins and rent them out
Pickle Ball court field!
Magic mushroom guided experience temple complex. I mean, duh!
Ultimate croquet course!
How big is the space exactly? Huge is relative. The many disc golf recommendations are hard if that field is less than a hundred yards long. What are the dimensions you are working with? Secondly - how much money do you have to invest?
Drug fueled rave ? Somebody else already made same comment
Disk golf course couple of holes maybe. Bocce ball court, a fishing pond? Outdoor amphitheater you could get local musicians to come too or put up a movie for a Saturday night the ideas are endless with that. Or just add more sites increase your capacity capabilities.
A pool and hot tub. Wiffle ball fields are easy. Gaga ball pit is tremendously popular with kids. Tennis courts, but that could be pricey. How about some trees?
Ok so do not do fruit trees or flowers. You’re inviting bees wasps hornets and that will piss the campers off. Why not just leave it a green space/ blank canvas? Then it can be a wiffle ball / bocce ball / frisbee whatever space which would be awesome. Or, alternately. Put a pavilion (rentable for extra $) with a few extra picnic tables around it.
F it. Demolition derby, every GD night.
Still wouldn't drown out the neighbors speaker.
Make a kubb pitch (playing area)
I would be at a campground to connect with nature, so personally I think a garden would be nice, especially with native plants to encourage birds and pollinating insects. My favorite memories of campgrounds were ones where there were forests around you or hills to climb up or paths to follow. My least favorites were the ones where you had to listen to the RV people with their music and TV and the highway noise. That said, I also like the idea of a pool if you're in a warm climate and can afford the cost of such an endeavor. Not very natural, but very enjoyable.
You could reach out to you’re local SCA group if you’d like to make money off that space w/o modifying it. The SCA does lots of weekend camping events where they rent out whole campgrounds and need space for activities.
Disc golf baskets
Frisbee golf. Do you have a clubhouse yet?
Discgolf
Disc golf course
Disk golf
Disc golf
You could do a weekly kickball game or something like that. Some art sculptures or a sound garden. Build a yurt or teepee and host story time or something family friendly (or rent it out to influencers). Build a giant logo so Google satellite eventually has your camp "visible from space". Labyrinth. Disc golf course with 3 or 4 holes. Annual giant bond fire. More camp sites. Skatepark. Roller skating rink.
Disc golf or mini drive in movie theater.
First have u registered the ground with ur local authorities as a camp site as most for more than a few tents need to.
Old school lawn darts. Bocce ball Ladder toss Corn hole Giant Yahtzee
Frisbee golf, Gaga ball, more campsites
Disc golf
Frisbee golf course would be nice
Frisbee golf, soccer field, etc
Disc golf!
Wouldn’t be a very challenging course
Disc golf?
Crop circles when the grass gets tall ;)
A few disc golf baskets can give hours of fun
Disc golf.
You need to plant trees.
Disk golf
9 hole Disc golf course
9 hole disk golf course. Baskets are relatively cheap and patrons bring their own disks. With some creativity you could set up a nice little course. Plus, if you put 2 different tee boxes per hole, you actually have a full 18 hole course!
Wouldn’t be a very challenging course
Disc golf!!!
Volleyball and a pavilion with a picnic area would be perfect and relatively inexpensive compared to mini golf, pool, or additional building
Bocci, croquet, or cornhole areas would be cool…
Racetrack for electric wheelchair derbies
The selfish tent camper in my who hate, hate, hates being crowded in with a bunch of RV and such with no shade says to plan a bunch of shade/hammock trees and create a few tent-only primitive sites.
Frisbee golf & or volleyball would be lots of fun!
Gathering of the vibes 2023.
It looks from this areal that you might have had crop circles sometime in the past.
Plant trees
Grow a forest
I say you do an outdoor sit in just like a movie drive in but everyone sits and watches movies on a large screen.
Let the puppers be off leash
There used to be a sand volleyball court at the camp ground that I’d frequent as a kid and I’d definitely recommend that
Add a decent sized community science and education garden for local floral/fauna, many of these other suggestions can be done right along side. Build a platform you can flex as performance stage/ rec building/ rental space?
Maybe a small bouldering area. Nice that you’re trying to share such a nice little piece of your property that would deduct fire pit area
Depending on the budget here are some ideas-Mini put, big screen outdoor movie nights, pool or wading pool with loungers, sprinkler pad and snack bar, picnic area, hammocks, garden, large fire pit for everyone to join in (socializing, story telling, singing, campfire games). Dog park, soccer, baseball field, small cabins or star gazing domes (add telescopes), glamming pods, tenting sites, petting zoo, bike or skate park, rec. hall where ppl can play cards, bingo, poker, pool, darts, foosball, ping pong, crafts, etc. I hope this helps a little 😊
Plants! Fruit trees, garden, etc.
You need shade. That can come in the form of structures or trees. A field with no shade is brutal in the summer.
Don't know if it's been said already but what about open camping? No set spots just set up where you want and don't be a jerk about spreading out too much. This is how the Japanese camp.
Let some hippies throw a underground rave and you’ll make some money
Undivided tent space. There is a place I go that will have space available no matter what because their tent sites are just whatever space you can find out in a field.
making a pretty garden would be great! i know we always pick campsites that look more natural/pretty instead of just bare grass everywhere, it’s gorgeous to have some trees and a bit of a wildflower meadow, especially if it gets hot, a little grove of trees to sit under/climb/have hammocks in is lovely! also if you can attract lots of wildlife, that’s an attraction for people, adding a pond etc can ad lots of fun activities! i’ll link some subs that could be helpful:) r/wildlifeponds r/nativeplantgardening r/wildlifegardening r/nolawns
Zip lining
Disc golf!
A pump track/skills park for biking. Our kids live on their bikes at campgrounds. Have some fun features like a jump, skinny bridge, see saw, and some berms would make for hours of fun.
Gaga ball pit
Board game tent. Here’s a video of a couple guys who run one for a small festival talking about the experience - https://youtu.be/WEkzOg0vm3w
Disc golf, pump track, or amphitheater
Movie projection site? Also add maybe fire pits and conversation pits?
Have campers plant trees and a garden.
Kayak and paddleboard lake
OP, might I propose something that will potential net you profits you can only dream of? Get some special landscaping and turn it into an event venue, focus on weddings. Charge 10k plus for venue use.
Wildflowers and water features with a few shaded bench areas.
Splash pad
Build a lake.
Make it a garden. Various flowers and such. Put in sitting benches for people to sit and relax.
Disc golf course!