Case Study: How Winding River Campground Grew Revenue 14% and Reservations 30% in a Year

In Northern Michigan, 30 minutes from Traverse City and seven minutes from Lake Michigan, sits a family-owned campground spanning roughly 11 acres with 2,000 feet of river frontage. It had welcomed guests since 1968. Generations spent summers along the water, fishing and sitting around campfires.

Over time the campground began to show its age. Infrastructure needed updating, sites needed repurposing, and the park lacked the amenities that attract the modern camping consumer.

New owners, an old legacy

In September 2023, Jacob Lee and his longtime friend and business partner Kyle Reynolds, along with a small investment group, purchased the campground. They rebranded it as Winding River Campground, a 100-plus site RV park.

Inheriting the property was both exciting and daunting. It was not just real estate: it was a place steeped in tradition, with generations of loyal campers who considered it their happy place. Running it, they quickly learned, was not as simple as opening the gates.

The challenge: an unsupported legacy system

The campground's legacy system, Campground Master, was no longer supported. Reservations were possible only by phone or walk-in, and everything was tracked manually. That meant no real-time occupancy visibility, no efficient way to scale, and heavy reliance on word-of-mouth marketing.

Occupancy sat below 50%, even for prime riverfront sites, and the office had to be staffed at all times to handle bookings.

The turning point

I looked at your demo, and given where we were, your ability to transfer data and create an informative website was a game-changer.

RoverPass transferred the existing reservations and set up a website designed to attract campers. Jacob praised the implementation team as organised and informative. With real-time visibility, he could log in daily to monitor reservations, payments and performance from anywhere, and coordinate with on-site staff.

Results after one year

276 repeat guests in 2024. Camping revenue up 14%, driven by dynamic pricing, OTA integrations and add-ons like firewood and kayaking trips. Approximately 1,500 reservations in 2024, a 30% increase. Over 55,000 marketplace views after launching on RoverPass in March 2024.

Guests took to the streamlined booking process, while Jacob made use of dynamic pricing and integrations with Hipcamp and Airbnb through the channel manager. The system removed the risk of double bookings, widened their audience, and lifted average daily rates by 8 to 10%.

A revived legacy

Winding River now combines natural charm with modern amenities. Cabins, a Grey Wolf Miniloft and repurposed A-frame chalets are listed on Airbnb, and guided fishing trips and kayaking on the Betsie River round out the guest experience. What began as a fading legacy has become a working modern retreat.

Thinking about a similar transition? Book a demo or read how campground reservation software handles a migration from a legacy system.