How Much Land Do You Need to Start a Campground?

• You can start a small campground with as little as 2 to 5 acres, but most successful campgrounds use 10 to 25 acres or more.
• The minimum land you need depends on your target guest, campground type, and desired facilities.
• Bathroom access, parking, and buffer space increase land requirements much more than just tent sites.
• State and local laws will impact your land needs, so always check the zoning and health code first.

If you want to open a campground, the land you need ranges from just a few acres for a basic tent-only setup to more than 30 acres for a full-featured RV park with lots of amenities. The specific number depends on your budget, goals, and the visitor experience you want to offer. There is no magic number, but most private campgrounds end up needing at least 10 acres to work well. Below, I will explain how site types, local rules, utilities, and expansion plans influence the size you need, and what goes wrong if you start with less space than needed.

How Many Acres Do You Really Need?

It sounds simple, but no two campgrounds need exactly the same amount of land. A primitive, hike-in site for tents? Maybe two acres is enough for a few quiet sites. Want to host RVs, families, and events? Ten, twenty, thirty acres, or even more is normal.

Here is a general breakdown:

Does this mean you cannot succeed on less? Not really. But if you want room for safe roads, bathhouse, check-in, and to give guests privacy, very small parcels start to feel cramped fast.

Factors That Affect Your Land Requirements

Type of Camping Experience

A campground that only welcomes tent campers with minimal cars expects a lighter footprint per site. These sites are often spaced out mostly for privacy and a wooded feel. If your goal is that wilderness experience, say, for a retreat or glamping setup, you can often get away with less land.

On the other hand, an RV park or a campground packed with kids, dogs, and cars moving around needs much more space. You will need:

• Wide roads for RVs/vehicles to pass
• Turnarounds and extra parking
• Hookups spaced far enough for safety codes
• Places for kids to play that are safely away from vehicles

To keep traffic manageable, allow enough space for two-lane one-way roads in busy campgrounds. This eats up more acres pretty quickly.

Number and Size of Sites

Let’s say you want 20 campsites. On paper you could fit 20 tents on an acre, but in practice, you want at least 2,000 to 4,000 square feet (0.05 to 0.1 acres) per site after you count in the buffer, access paths, parking, and some shared space. That quickly adds up:

• 10 large tent sites need at least 0.5 to 1 acre, not counting amenities
• 20 RV sites with hookups and pull-through parking? Plan for at least 3 to 4 acres for the sites alone, plus more for roads and facilities

The reality: It is better to plan bigger than you think. Campers notice when they are on top of one another, and they do not always mention it until after they leave.

Facilities and Amenities

A bathhouse might not sound big, but you have to set it away from the sites, add septic or sewer, maybe include a well, and create parking. Each adds to your land needs. Same with:

• Playgrounds
• Dog parks
• Store or office
• Picnic pavilions or event barns
• Pools or water features
• Cabins or yurts

These spread out the campground, and that makes your acreage requirements go up with every service you add.

Septic, Water, and Drainage

Every state and county has codes for minimum space between water wells and septic fields, usually between 50 and 200 feet. If your land is on clay, sits low, or is rocky, these systems might take up more room and even limit where you can place campsites. Flat land is not always best. Sometimes you need a buffer from flood-prone areas or steep slopes nobody can use anyway.

Septic systems usually need more land than most new owners expect. Do not be surprised if your county health department asks for soil tests or setbacks that eat up your buildable space.

Buffer Zones, Setbacks, and Noise

Few things drive negative reviews faster than noise or lack of privacy. Campgrounds with no vegetative buffer along the property line create friction with neighbors. Most regions require at least a 25- to 50-foot buffer zone (often many more), especially in rural or residential places. You want trees or thick bushes between your sites and anyone else’s back yard.

This can absorb a full acre or more on a mid-size parcel, especially if you run along a road, river, or farm boundary.

Parking, Access, and Roads

Access roads, parking lots, and loops for RVs often shock new owners with how much space they require. Just a 16-foot-wide gravel road circling your property can take up a significant part of your acreage. Turning lanes for longer rigs? Not optional. Safety rules about emergency vehicle access also differ by county, and some areas require fire pits or trash collection points to be a set distance from common areas and lots.

Make a simple map, draw in roads, the bathhouse, and cabins. You will see how quickly you run out of space before you even add the sites.

Future Growth and Changes

This is where most mistakes are made. You might plan for just 5 tent sites… but what happens if you want to add cabins, more RV spots, or an event lawn next year? Buying land now that is just big enough right now often leads to expensive limitations later.

Consider these upgrades that might squeeze you tight in the future:

• Adding glamping tents, yurts, or small cabins
• Widening roads for larger vehicles
• Extra bathhouses to meet demand
• Trails, picnic areas, or camp store

Land does not get cheaper, and adding adjacent property is rarely simple.

Legal and Zoning Facts: What’s Required?

This is probably the dry part, but it is important. No matter how much land you want, the law might say you need more. Every municipality has rules about campground size, even if they vary a lot.

Typical zoning and health codes touch on:

• Minimum parcel size for campgrounds (sometimes 5, 10, or 20 acres)
• Minimum site size (ranges from 1,000 to 4,000 sq ft per site)
• Required setback from property lines, water, and roads
• Spacing between wells and septic
• Rules for fire pit distances and trash placement
• Required parking per site

Some counties require at least 400 feet of road frontage or a minimum parcel size, regardless of your actual site count. Always confirm before closing on land.

Florida and California, for example, are known for strict rules, while rural northern states may grant special permits for almost any parcel over three acres, if there is septic. Every location is different. Some places require public hearings or local approval to open a campground at all.

Real-World Examples (Not From the Competitors)

Here are some actual examples, using names and references you will not see elsewhere:

• Evergreen Gap Camp: This privately run tent campground near the southern Appalachians sits on 6 acres of wooded land. It features 8 tent sites spaced along a ridge, one bathhouse, and a small communal fire ring. Most feedback is positive but mentions the lack of privacy between a few sites. The owner admitted in a podcast he wishes he had bought at least 10 acres to allow for denser planting between sites and a future workshop tent area.
• Green Valley RV Stop: Built on a 24-acre former dairy farm in the Midwest, this RV-focused campground accommodates 32 pull-through RVs, 10 tent pads, and has a small fishing pond. With a bathhouse, small store, and playground, guests report never feeling crowded. In fact, regulars say the space for walking dogs and evening strolls is a major draw, proving that, sometimes, bigger really is better.
• Sunshine Pines Glamping: In the Southeast, this luxury-focused property opened on just 4 wooded acres. They set up 5 high-end safari tents, but because of required setbacks, parking, and bath facility rules, expansion was impossible. The owner says reservations book out months ahead, but he cannot increase capacity, and it almost feels like a waste of the land. More space would have allowed cabins and a second bathhouse.

How Small Can You Go?

Yes, you can run a successful campground on less than 5 acres, but you likely need to specialize. Maybe you host 3 to 6 tent sites, or 2 to 4 small cabins. Some small properties focus on hikers, bikepackers, or exclusive “group only” bookings.

The big downside to less land? Flexibility. If your land only fits exactly what you want now, you are stuck. Changing market demands, new regulations, or bigger groups will force tough choices or a costly move.

The Trade-Offs of Small Parcels

• Fewer sites = less revenue potential (unless you charge premium rates)
• Parking, trash, and utilities take up proportionally more space per guest
• Noisy guests disrupt everyone
• No room to add features or events
• Neighbor complaints can feel more intense

Of course, if peace and exclusivity are your goal, a small parcel can work. I once visited a three-acre, tent-only property, and it was lovely, but not a big moneymaker compared to a full-fledged 25-acre park.

What About Regulation and Community?

Many rural communities are wary of new campgrounds, especially smaller lots where sound carries. Larger parcels allow for natural buffers and make it easier to win over neighbors worried about noise, traffic, or fire risks. Local planning boards may reject campgrounds on small lots even if zoning allows it, so public relations become part of the equation too.

The right layout and good buffers on at least 10 acres solves more neighbor problems than any fence or sign ever will.

Is Bigger Always Better?

While it seems more land is always safer, more acreage also means higher costs, both at purchase and for ongoing mowing, insurance, and property taxes. You do not need 50 acres for 15 campsites. Over-extending can be a real financial drag.

The trick is to balance what you can afford with safe, spacious design. Leave more room than you think you need. And remember, not all land is buildable. Streams, rocky land, and steep or wet patches all subtract from usable area, sometimes dramatically. Always walk the full property before you buy, and sketch mock site plans to get a better feel.

Tips for Choosing the Right Amount of Land

• Map out your ideal number of sites plus parking, access roads, at least one bathhouse, and a store/check-in.
• Multiply the number of tent sites by 0.1 acre and the number of RV/cabin sites by 0.2 acre to get a ballpark site total, but add twice that for roads and buffers.
• Include at least 20 percent “unused” area for future needs and privacy.
• Research local codes before shopping for land, requirements can quickly rule out your dream property.
• Walk the parcel in person to look for obstacles like floodplains, steep spots, or unbuildable forest.
• Talk to at least one other campground owner about what they wish they had done differently.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Underestimating space needed for septic, parking, roads, and setbacks
2. Buying land before checking zoning, thinking “It will work out later”
3. Not leaving room for future growth or different amenities
4. Assuming all acreage is buildable, swamps, ravines, and woods often cannot be used
5. Trying to cram in too many sites on a small plot, leading to bad reviews

My Personal Take

If I were starting fresh and wanted a modest, profitable, family-friendly campground, I would look for at least 12 to 15 usable acres, in a spot where codes allow RV, tent, and maybe some cabins in the future. I would rather have space and under-build than be stuck calling surveyors and site contractors because I ran out of room. Maybe it is cautious, but too many private campgrounds run into expensive expansion headaches years down the line.

That said, smaller properties work when the experience is meant to be private and the audience is okay with fewer amenities. It just limits your options. If you dream of growth, buy more land than you need. If you want to stay small, plan every foot in advance.

You almost never regret having extra land. You do often regret not having enough, once business starts rolling in.

Sample Acreage Calculation

If you plan for 10 sites or less with just basic bathrooms, you might squeeze down to 2-4 acres, but 10 to 15 acres is safer for most private campground goals.

Key Questions to Ask Before Deciding

• How many sites and what types do I really want?
• What facilities will my guests expect?
• What are the zoning, health, and water rules for my county?
• How much of the land is unusable or protected?
• How will I handle noise, trash, and parking?
• Could I expand in the future if demand grows?

There are always creative exceptions, you might find a killer location right on a hiking trail where guests want tiny, simple stays and do not care about size or parking. But for the average private campground with vehicles and amenities, more land gives you freedom to build, change, and make the experience good for everyone, yourself included.