Let’s go camping

In addition to not being able to have certain activities open, campgrounds must implement stringent cleaning requirements that include sanitizing the campground twice a day and during peak usage times, such as peak bathroom usage times.

Campground owners across the county are eager to adapt to the state’s requirements to open up their campgrounds and provide family fun to people who want to get out and start camping.

“We are diligently following the rules of the health department,” said Craig Gilmore, the owner of Kokosing Valley Camp & Canoe. “We are very happy to get an opportunity to open up. People want to return to normalcy during this crisis and we are happy to provide that at least in this phased re-opening of campgrounds. We will be following the strict disinfecting guidelines and have signs that express the verbiage of social distancing. Campers must be patient with us, though. This is a phased reopening. Pools, for example, will not be open yet. We are a family business and it’s hard to tell our long-time customers to wait to go camping.”

One of the main adaptations to the phased campground reopenings during the COVID-19 crisis is the addition of campgrounds using pre-pay or curbside registering options to limit the interaction between the campground worker and the camper to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“We have the necessary safety precautions in order to be able to open our campground,” said Jenny Guthrie, the co-owner of Mohican Wilderness Campground. “We have clear dividers at our registers and our customers will be able to pre-pay so that they don’t have to interact with the staff inside of the registration building. We have two sinks outside of the office building for customers to sanitize their hands before coming into the office building. At our 600-acre campground, social distancing isn’t as much of an issue. People have ample space to practice social distancing.”

Guthrie said Mohican Wilderness Campground has a cleaning crew that sanitizes the campground twice a day.

The COVID-19 crisis has impacted their business to the extent that they will not be able to offer usual recreational activities such as mini-golf, archery, rifle shooting, canoeing, volleyball, basketball and the playground.

Even though communal activities such as game room games, canoeing and other activities are still not available at campgrounds, the owners of the campgrounds are excited to provide people and families with a more simplified camping experience that only at-side camping can provide.

“Everyone is concerned about safety with this phased re-opening of campgrounds,” said Frank Biffath, the owner of Rustic Knolls Campground. “We have the necessary precautions put in place at our campground. Our style of camping is going back to a much simpler version of camping since our lake, common areas and game rooms are closed. People are still permitted to fish in the lake, though.”

Biffath said there are sneeze shields at registers and markers that tell people to stay six feet away from each other. They have curbside check-in to make the registering process even more safe and sanitary for the camper and the worker. Restrooms are cleaned “more than what is mandated,” Biffrath said, and added, “we are following all of the governor’s mandates.”