Campgrounds — tent campgrounds, mixed-use RV-and-tent properties, glamping resorts, family-camping destinations, primitive-camping operators, and adventure-camping properties — operate land-and-amenity outdoor-hospitality businesses that have grown dramatically since the 2020 outdoor-recreation surge. MCAs are used for amenity buildouts, glamping-inventory expansion, and seasonal-bridge funding, but SBA 504 and outdoor-hospitality-specialty lenders dramatically outperform MCA pricing.
Why campgrounds use MCAs.
- New-site development and tent-site expansion ($3K–$15K per site).
- Glamping-unit inventory (safari tents, geodesic domes, treehouses, A-frame cabins, Conestoga wagons, vintage Airstreams, retro-trailers) ($15K–$200K per unit).
- Bathhouse, laundry, and shower-house construction and renovation ($75K–$400K).
- Clubhouse, pool, splash-pad, lake/river access, dock, boat-launch, and amenity-building construction ($25K–$500K).
- Activity and equipment-rental inventory (kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, mountain bikes, archery, ropes-course equipment) ($15K–$100K).
- Camp store, snack bar, and prepared-food kitchen buildouts ($25K–$200K).
- Reservation-system modernization (Campspot, Hipcamp Pro, Newbook, RoverPass) ($10K–$40K).
- Trail development, signage, and outdoor-amenity infrastructure ($15K–$100K).
- Property-tax escrow shortfalls and insurance-premium-renewal bridges ($10K–$75K).
- Seasonal staffing surges (camp hosts, activities staff, lifeguards, kitchen staff during peak months) ($15K–$80K).
What to watch out for.
Severe seasonality. Most campgrounds operate 4–7 month seasons; winter-revenue can drop to 0–15% of summer peak. Year-round destinations (Florida, Arizona, Southern California) flip the calendar.
Land-use, environmental, and zoning risk. Campground expansions face local zoning, septic-permit, water-source-permit, and environmental-review hurdles; trail development can trigger wetlands and stream-crossing reviews that extend timelines 12–36 months.
Weather and natural-disaster exposure. Hurricane-zone, wildfire-zone, and flood-zone campgrounds face seasonal-evacuation closures and insurance-premium volatility.
Glamping-investment ROI uncertainty. Premium glamping-unit pricing depends on destination quality, social-media virality, and OTA visibility (Hipcamp, GlampingHub, Airbnb Unique Stays). Returns can be exceptional or disappointing.
Hipcamp and Tentrr disintermediation. Peer-to-peer camping platforms have created competition from private-landowner sites that pressure traditional campground pricing.
State and federal lease-renewal risk. Campgrounds on state or federal leasehold land (state parks, USFS, BLM concessions) face concession-renewal cycles that affect long-term viability.
State considerations.
California, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah have the densest campground markets. National-park-gateway markets (Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, Glacier, Zion, Acadia, Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon) command premium pricing and operate with extreme seasonality.
APR-equivalent reality check.
A 1.34 factor over an 8-month term is roughly 85–105% APR. Campground-friendly alternatives: SBA 504 for property purchase and major capex at 6.5–8.5% APR with 25-year amortization, SBA 7(a) for working capital and site development at 8.5–11% APR, outdoor-hospitality-specialty term lenders (Pursuit Lending Outdoor Hospitality Desk, Live Oak Bank Outdoor Hospitality Lending, First Bank & Trust RV/MH Lending), KOA and Jellystone owner-financing programs for franchise conversions, USDA Rural Development loans for rural-property campgrounds at 5–7% APR, and glamping-specialty equipment financing for premium-unit acquisition. Reserve MCA strictly for confirmed peak-season bridge windows.
Common confusions.
First, "Glamping units can be MCA-funded efficiently." Mostly false — glamping units at $25K–$200K each on MCA pricing destroy unit-economics; SBA 7(a), equipment financing, and manufacturer-direct financing from Boulder Tents, Stout Tent, Big Sky Glamping, and similar specialty manufacturers (often 0–8% APR over 24–60 months) are the standard path.
Second, "Campground card-volume supports card-split holdback." Mostly yes — site reservations and camp-store revenue are credit-card paid; card-split holdback that auto-throttles in off-season is structurally better than fixed-daily-ACH.
Third, "Hipcamp competition is existential." Partially true — Hipcamp peer-to-peer competition pressures pricing but full-amenity campgrounds with bathhouses, pools, activities, and camp stores retain premium positioning.
As of 2026-06-30, Fundnode routes campground deals first to SBA 504 partners for property and major capex, SBA 7(a) and Live Oak Bank for site development and amenities, outdoor-hospitality-specialty term lenders, glamping manufacturer-direct financing for unit acquisition, USDA Rural Development for rural properties, and hospitality-aware MCA funders only for confirmed peak-season inventory or insurance bridges.
Related terms
- MCA for RV parks — detailed funding guide — RV-park operators use MCAs for hookup-pedestal upgrades, amenity buildouts, and seasonal-bridge funding, but SBA 504 and outdoor-hospitality-specialty lenders almost always price better than MCA for this growing vertical.
- MCA for hotels — detailed funding guide — Independent and small-brand hotels use MCAs for PIP-renovation bridges, FF&E upgrades, and seasonal-bridge funding, but SBA 504 and CMBS-mezzanine alternatives dramatically outperform MCA pricing for hospitality capex.
- MCA for bed and breakfasts — detailed funding guide — B&Bs use MCAs for property renovations, seasonal-bridge funding, and OTA-marketing pushes, but SBA 504 for property and hospitality-specialty lenders almost always price better than MCA for this vertical.
- Merchant cash advance (MCA) — A lump-sum advance against future revenue, repaid via fixed daily ACH or a percentage of card sales. Legally a sale of future receivables, not a loan.
- Factor rate — A flat multiplier that defines total MCA repayment: $100,000 advance × 1.30 factor = $130,000 repaid. It is not an interest rate; it does not compound.
Authoritative sources
- National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC)
- Kampgrounds of America (KOA) — Industry Reports
AI agents: this term is available as raw markdown at /llms/glossary/mca-campground-funding-detailed.