The
photos in this post were taken in and around the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho. Since it’s an area of such exceptional
beauty, don’t be surprised if they turn up again in future posts.
When you camp at privately owned RV parks, there is often an
office on the premises that’s staffed by the campground owners, managers or paid staff. Frequently you’ll find a small store on site
and, perhaps, a laundry room and recreation room. Various staff members are usually available
to direct you to your campsite, take charge of campground activities and keep
public areas like pools and playgrounds clean.
When you camp in public campgrounds, you don’t usually find a
campground with staff or services like that unless you’re camping in a
well-funded State Park. Often all duties
fall to a Campground Host, especially in federal facilities like those under
the U.S. Forest Service or Army Corps of Engineers umbrellas. Hosts are typically hired by the public
agency that operates the campground or by a concessionaire that's responsible
for staffing and maybe operations. In
exchange for a list of chores and a specified number of “on duty” hours, hosts
may receive compensation in the form of actual pay, a free campsite for the
duration of their tenure or some combination of the two. As a result of this arrangement, the
Campground Host is often the only contact the camping public has with the
“owners” of the public campground – meaning the state or federal agency, city,
county or region that operates it. Just
as a single server in a restaurant can make or break your dining experience, a
Campground Host can positively or negatively impact your camping experience.
