"A" Grades for 7 California Campgrounds

GuestRated.com

Seven California campgrounds received “A” grades in GuestRated.com’s latest surveys of consumer satisfaction at campgrounds.

Only 34 out of about 4,000 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across America received all around ‘A’ ratings in GuestRated.com consumer surveys completed in 2014.

“If you do the math, that amounts to fewer than one in 100 campgrounds, RV parks and resorts receiving all around ‘A’ ratings in our consumer surveys,” said Bob MacKinnon, a former Disney Company executive who founded GuestRated.com, the nation’s most thorough online rating system for public and privately owned and operated campgrounds.

The relatively small number of parks that receive all around A ratings reflects the thoroughness of the GuestRated.com surveys. While online surveys typically give consumers the ability to post their comments, most online survey forms ask consumers to rate only a few things, like value, location, cleanliness and service.  GuestRated.com, by contrast, solicits consumer feedback on 55 different guest satisfaction questions in addition to providing consumers the ability to post written comments and suggestions.

“We drill down to specifics with our surveys,” MacKinnon said. “For example, we ask, ‘How clean were the showers compared to the toilet areas? Was the bathroom well stocked with supplies? What was the attitude of staff? Did staff have a professional appearance? Were they quick and efficient? How would you rate the safety and security of the park?’ ”

Ultimately, MacKinnon said,  GuestRated.com aims not only to provide consumers with meaningful reviews that can help them identify the best campgrounds, but provide campground operators with letter grades covering every aspect of their park so that they know where to prioritize their improvements and create a better guest experience.  

“Sometimes campgrounds have terrific facilities, but their staffing needs attention, or vice versa,” MacKinnon said. “Or maybe the park’s facilities and staffing are very good, but their reservation process needs attention. Our surveys help park operators zero in on the trouble spots that don’t show up in most online survey forms.”

Consumers can find letter grade ratings for most of the campgrounds listed on Camp-California.com. The statewide travel planning website has a built-in grading system that enables consumers to rate their camping experiences at each park using letter grades from A to F.

“Most of the 350 plus campgrounds, RV parks and resorts have letter grades assigned to them based on consumer reviews,” said Debbie Sipe, executive director of the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which hosts Camp-California.com.

“The letter grades,” she added, “are a quick way for consumers to separate the best parks from those that are still working to become top rated parks. This is valuable information for consumers to have, particularly as they begin making their spring and summer travel plans.”

In 2014, consumers filled out more than 30,000 surveys involving nearly 4,000 public and privately owned and operated campgrounds across the U.S.

But while the vast majority of the nation’s campgrounds do not receive overall “A” ratings, there are several across the country who have received overall “A” ratings several years in a row. Here is a listing of the latest “A” rated parks:

California’s A-rated campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in the latest GuestRated.com surveys include:

Former Disney Company executive Bob MacKinnon established GuestReviews services in 2007 as a way to help public and privately operated campgrounds measure guest satisfaction and prioritize improvements.  Consumers can submit online reviews for parks they have camped at by visiting GuestRated.com.

Based in Auburn, California, the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds also produces Camp-California, the Camper’s Guide to California, a  four-color glossy magazine that lists nearly 800 campgrounds and RV resorts throughout the Golden State. It is considered a critical travel planning resource for camping and RVing enthusiasts with information not only on RV and tent sites, but a wide variety of rental accommodations, including tent cabins, yurts, teepees, covered wagons and even motels. For more information on campgrounds, RV parks and resorts across California, please visit www.Camp-California.com.