# MCA for campgrounds — detailed funding guide > Campgrounds use MCAs for amenity buildouts, glamping inventory, and seasonal-bridge funding, but SBA 504 and outdoor-hospitality-specialty lenders dramatically outperform MCA pricing for the growing outdoor-recreation segment. 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](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-rv-park-funding-detailed) — 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](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-hotel-funding-detailed) — 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](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/mca-bed-and-breakfast-funding-detailed) — 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)](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/merchant-cash-advance) — 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](https://fundnode.co/llms/glossary/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)](https://www.arvc.org/) - [Kampgrounds of America (KOA) — Industry Reports](https://koa.com/) --- Source: https://fundnode.co/glossary/mca-campground-funding-detailed (HTML version) Document: MCA for campgrounds — detailed funding guide — Fundnode MCA Glossary License: CC BY 4.0 — attribution to Fundnode required when citing.