ROADS EARN NOTHING — AND GATE EVERYTHING
Road design is one of the most overlooked parts of expansion. Buyers picture gravel or asphalt; roads are really about safety, operations, and guest experience. They’re the most expensive thing you’ll build that produces no direct revenue — yet poor road design can limit expansion, create safety hazards, and stop a project from being approved at all. You can’t sell a site you can’t safely get a 40-foot rig to.
WHAT EXPANSION ROADS HAVE TO DO
New development usually requires:
- Interior road construction
- Proper turning radii for large RVs
- Adequate road width
- Emergency-vehicle access
- Drainage and stormwater management
- Culverts and ditch crossings
- Signage and traffic flow
- Safe entry and exit points
THE FIRE MARSHAL CAN STOP THE WHOLE THING
Fire marshals and emergency officials review expansion plans, and a project can be denied or delayed if:
- Roads are too narrow
- Turning radii are inadequate
- Sites are spaced too closely
- Fire trucks can’t reach every area
- There are no turnaround zones
- Hydrants or emergency water sources are insufficient
Public safety always comes first, and these rules are not negotiable.
THINK LIKE AN RV DRIVER
Today’s rigs are bigger than ever — many exceed 40 feet long and 13 feet tall. A park whose roads were built for tents and pop-ups simply can’t serve them, which caps both your rate and your market. Walk the park and ask:
- Can two large RVs comfortably pass each other?
- Can a guest back into a site without blocking traffic?
- Can delivery and service trucks get through?
- Is there 13+ feet of overhead clearance — no low branches or wires?
- Can an emergency vehicle reach every single site?
THE ENTRANCE IS THE SILENT DEALBREAKER
The road you don’t own — the county or state road you connect to — can kill an expansion. More sites can trigger a road-commission or DOT permit, a turn lane, a traffic study, or sight-distance and culvert requirements at the entrance. You don’t control it, and it can cost more than the sites.
A golf-cart path or a lighter lane can reach land a 40-foot rig never could — and that “stranded” back acreage becomes glamping tents, cabins, walk-in tent sites, a trail, or a lakeside pavilion. Different uses need different access. The cheapest path can unlock the most expensive view. Don’t just ask where RVs can go — ask what a cart, a bike, or two feet could reach, and what you could put there.
GOOD ROADS ARE PART OF THE GUEST EXPERIENCE
Well-designed roads don’t just satisfy inspectors. They improve traffic flow, reduce accidents, cut down on dust and mud, drain properly, and make the whole park feel calmer and safer — which shows up directly in reviews and repeat stays. Good infrastructure keeps paying you back long after construction is done.
A ROAD IS AN OPERATING ASSET — NOT A ONE-TIME COST
Here’s the part first-time buyers miss: a road isn’t built once and forgotten. It’s a long-term operating asset with an annual bill. Before you buy — or build — ask:
- How often will gravel need to be regraded or replaced?
- What happens to these roads after heavy rain?
- Will snow removal be required?
- Is asphalt worth the higher upfront cost for lower long-term upkeep?
- What will road maintenance cost every year?
And inspect what’s already there: miles of worn-out gravel or cracked asphalt is deferred maintenance you’ll inherit — a quiet six-figure capital expense. Price it into your offer the same way you would a tired roof.
LAYOUT IS PROFIT
Finally, how you arrange roads and sites decides how many sites fit per acre and how much road you have to build, plow, and maintain forever. A smart layout earns more from less pavement; a bad one wastes land and money. Pull-through sites command a premium but eat more space — design for the guest and the math at the same time.
Roads are more than transportation — they’re your campground’s infrastructure, safety plan, and guest experience all at once. Design for tomorrow’s campers, not yesterday’s equipment, and remember every mile is an asset you’ll maintain for decades. The best roads are the ones guests never have to think about.
“Don’t just think about roads for RVs. Think about a golf-cart path to the glamping tents, a trail down to the water, a way to use the corners of your property a big rig will never reach. Some of the best income I’ve ever seen came from land everybody else wrote off as useless — because the owner found a way to get people to it. The road is a tool. Use it to open up your whole property, not just the easy part.”
