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April 2026 RV Park & Campground Market Snapshot

Campgrounds, Mobile Home Parks, News, RV Parks

Park Brokerage Services | Industry & Investment Update | April 2026

April 2026 RV Park & Campground Market Snapshot

April's outdoor hospitality news highlighted sustained camping participation, growing interest in upscale nature-based accommodations, and continued investment in manufactured housing communities. For independent park owners and institutional investors alike, the underlying message is clear: demand matters, but disciplined property-level underwriting remains essential.

1. Outdoor Hospitality Demand: Camping Remains a Major Travel Category

RV park and campground accommodations illustrating outdoor hospitality demand in April 2026
RV parks and campgrounds remain an important part of the broader outdoor travel economy. Illustrative image.

On April 14, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) released its 2026 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report. The report found that more than 52 million North American households camped during 2025, above pre-pandemic participation levels. KOA also estimated $66 billion in local community spending associated with outdoor hospitality, an increase of $5 billion from 2024.

52M+North American households camped in 2025
$66BEstimated local community spending
31%Planned more camping nights in 2026

KOA also reported that 29% of camping experiences in 2025 involved glamping and that 31% of first-time campers chose glamping accommodations. These findings suggest demand is broadening beyond traditional RV and tent camping, although national participation figures should not be confused with individual property occupancy or revenue growth. Source: KOA, April 14, 2026.

What this means for owners & investors: Owners should compare these broad demand trends against their own monthly occupancy, average rates, and guest mix. Investors should assess local competition, seasonality, and the durability of each property's income rather than assuming sector-wide participation growth benefits every asset equally.

2. Investment Activity: Transactions Across Different Scales

April's reported activity illustrated the breadth of the investment market, from smaller community acquisitions to major institutional financing.

RHP Properties: $830 Million Manufactured Housing Portfolio Financing

On April 20, Newmark announced that it had arranged $830 million in financing on behalf of RHP Properties and an institutional capital partner for the acquisition and refinancing of a 36-property manufactured housing portfolio. The portfolio contained 8,340 pads, and Wells Fargo provided the financing. The $830 million figure represents financing, not a disclosed purchase price. Source: Newmark, April 20, 2026.

FG Communities: Two Asheville-Area Acquisitions

On April 2, FG Communities announced the acquisition of two manufactured housing communities in Asheville, North Carolina, totaling 45 homesites. The announcement reflects continued acquisition activity in smaller communities, alongside the larger portfolio transactions that often attract national headlines. Source: FG Communities, April 2, 2026.

What this means for owners & investors: Both individual properties and institutional portfolios can attract acquisition capital, but buyers evaluate each opportunity on its own merits. Site count, operating history, infrastructure, occupancy, local demand, and achievable net operating income remain central considerations. These transactions do not establish market-wide cap rates.

3. Glamping: Traditional Hospitality Brands Expand Outdoors

Glamping accommodations illustrating upscale outdoor hospitality investment trends
Premium outdoor accommodations can broaden a property's guest offering, subject to construction costs and operating economics. Illustrative image.

On April 14, WorldHotels, part of the BWH Hotels portfolio, announced WorldHotels Backdrop, a collection of upscale glamping retreats and outdoor-inspired accommodations. The initial concept includes properties such as Zion Wildflower near Zion National Park and other nature-oriented lodging experiences. Source: BWH Hotels, April 14, 2026.

For existing campground operators, premium cabins, glamping tents, and similar accommodations may create opportunities to diversify income. However, higher advertised nightly rates do not necessarily produce stronger net operating income after staffing, housekeeping, utilities, maintenance, and replacement reserves.

  • Evaluate incremental development cost against realistic stabilized revenue.
  • Review permitting, utility capacity, and seasonality before expansion.
  • Measure accommodation-level operating margins, not just gross rental income.
What this means for owners & investors: Glamping can be a compelling value-add strategy at the right property, particularly near established recreational destinations. Expansion should be supported by a realistic capital budget and demand analysis rather than an assumption that premium accommodations always generate premium returns.

4. Manufactured Housing: Recurring Income and Operational Discipline

Manufactured housing community representing recurring site-rental income investment properties
Manufactured housing communities generally have different demand drivers and operating characteristics from transient RV resorts. Illustrative image.

Capright's April 7 manufactured housing market update described continuing investor interest in the sector, supported by affordability demand, constrained new supply, and recurring rental income. Its analysis reported 91.0% average occupancy, 8.0% revenue growth, and 8.5% net operating income growth for public manufactured housing REITs. Those figures describe the REIT group analyzed and should not be applied to privately owned communities without separate underwriting. Source: Capright, April 7, 2026.

Unlike transient RV resorts, manufactured housing communities generally depend more heavily on longer-term residential occupancy and recurring lot rent. Investors should distinguish resident-owned homes from park-owned homes and carefully assess roads, water and wastewater systems, utility billing, community rules, and applicable regulation.

What this means for owners & investors: Stable collections and occupancy can strengthen the investment story, but infrastructure liabilities and deferred maintenance can materially affect pricing. Well-organized financial records and a clear understanding of home ownership mix help buyers evaluate risk.

5. Operating Fundamentals: What Buyers Need to See

Whether an owner is considering a sale today or several years from now, consistent financial and operating records help buyers distinguish proven performance from projected upside. The most useful starting point is often a set of monthly profit-and-loss statements with revenue broken out by category, paired with monthly occupancy reports by site or accommodation type.

  • Revenue: Separate transient RV, monthly or seasonal stays, cabins, glamping, storage, and ancillary income.
  • Occupancy: Track utilization by site type and by month to identify seasonal patterns.
  • Expenses: Maintain clear reporting for payroll, utilities, insurance, repairs, marketing, and property taxes.
  • Capital expenditures: Document major improvements and distinguish recurring operating costs from one-time investments.
  • Net operating income: Reconcile reported income and expenses so prospective buyers can evaluate sustainable cash flow.

6. PBS Investment Outlook: What This Means for Owners & Investors

Outdoor hospitality resort amenities illustrating investment positioning and property value considerations
Location, amenities, operating history, and infrastructure all influence the investment positioning of outdoor hospitality assets. Illustrative image.

April's developments point to a broadening outdoor hospitality market, but investment performance remains property-specific. A well-located, independently owned RV park may appeal to a different buyer group than a destination glamping resort or a stabilized manufactured housing portfolio.

For independent owners

Focus on accurate monthly reporting, occupancy trends, site mix, and the condition of utilities and other infrastructure. These fundamentals can help establish realistic pricing expectations and make a property easier for buyers to evaluate.

For institutional and portfolio investors

Consider the scalability of operations, the quality and consistency of net operating income, capital expenditure exposure, regional demand, and the opportunity for disciplined value creation. Larger transactions illustrate available capital, but do not replace asset-level underwriting.

As the industry approaches the summer travel season, Park Brokerage Services will continue following acquisitions, operating trends, outdoor hospitality development, and investment conditions affecting RV parks, campgrounds, glamping resorts, and manufactured housing communities.

Considering Buying or Selling an RV Park or Campground?

Whether you own a single property or manage a portfolio of outdoor hospitality assets, Park Brokerage Services provides market insight, strategic guidance, and transaction expertise to help you evaluate your options.

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Expert Guidance for RV Parks, Campgrounds & Outdoor Hospitality Assets.

Sources & Further Reading

Market commentary is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a property-specific valuation. Figures attributed to third-party sources reflect their respective methodologies. Photographs are illustrative and do not depict the transactions discussed unless expressly identified.