How to write a great campground review

Maybe I shouldn’t write this post. It’s not like I’m an expert on campground reviews. That said, I sure have read a lot of them over the past 5 years. (Yup—Campnab has been around for almost that long.)

In that time, I’ve come to appreciate a truly useful park/campground review. Sure, I have my personal biases, but I think you’ll likely agree with my take on this matter. If you disagree or think I’ve missed something, send me an email and tell me I’m wrong. (Seriously, I welcome any criticisms.)

The building blocks of a good park review

There’s a lot of content on the web that’s of limited value. ChatGPT is bound to make that even worse. No one needs you to reiterate what’s already been said. That’s why original reviews are the bomb.

Continuing on that point: your voice matters! Write your review as you speak. This will make your review uniquely yours, and nice for other campers to read. 20+ years ago, I read The Filthy Critic’s review of Blair Witch 2. It has stayed in my mind since—because it’s written in a way that only The Filthy Critic could. (I find the pinecone part particularly amusing.)

I hate to say that size matters, but sometimes it does. A three-word, “It was great!” doesn’t tell prospective visitors much. If you write a longer park review, you’ll probably get into specifics. I’m not suggesting that you should write a long-winded review, but it’s nice to give yourself enough room to cover the important bits.

Attributes we consider important

When I look at park reviews I often see four specific attributes common to good reviews.

Quality: Sure, quality is subjective, but you generally know it when you see it. One trick for writing a high-quality review is to pretend you’ve never visited that park before. Ask yourself: “Which information would help me make my decision to visit?” Then write down that information.

Detail: This part takes some added effort, but it sure does help other campers out. Identify which campsites are most desirable. Note what your cell signal was like at the park. Spotted local wildlife, unique vegetation, weird campground attributes? What about local trivia? All of that information could help another camper make their decision about that campground.

Tips: Are there trails nearby that visitors should check out? What about notable landmarks in the area? Good eats on site? Ice cream cart? Are the pads level? Should visitors pack extra bug spray? Is there a better campground nearby? Would you visit again? If you have tips to share, they can go a long way. 👍👍👍

Fun: This one isn’t necessary, but it can be nice. Just like Mr. Filthy’s reviews, it’s sometimes refreshing to read something with a playful headline or clever note. Some have more of a knack for this than others, but hey… if you’ve got it, flaunt it.

Photos add context to reviews

You can tell us all about a place, but your photos might say more about it. We, humans, are a visual sort. So, if you took some photos at the park, we’d love to see them!

Nobody wants to look at a fuzzy photo that’s the size of a postage stamp. So, if you have crisp, high-resolution images, they’ll be a treat! It’s great to be able to zoom in on a photograph and see some real detail there.

What do campers want to see photos of? Well, I like seeing photos of the campsites. These give me a sense of how much space there is, the pad type, and how level the site is. It’s also nice to see photos of the buildings, beach, amenities, vegetation, and trails at the park.

Anything that helps the prospective visitor get a sense for that park is a gift!

Our points rationale

If you’re participating in The Camping Games, you know that we offer points for reviews. At the end of the month, we tally up these points and award prizes to those with the three highest totals. (You can see who’s currently winning on the leaderboard.)

Points are awarded based on the length of the review. You can also earn points by posting photographs you took at the park. Oh, yes, and then there are bonus points. We award these based on the following attributes: quality, detail, tips, and fun.

Admittedly, there’s some subjectivity to how we award points. I suppose that’s inevitable. It isn’t that big of a deal, though. If you contribute helpful reviews, you’ll see it reflected in the points you earn.

The above is largely a set of suggestions. Write your park reviews as you wish. What’s most important is that we help fellow campers make better decisions—and discover parks that they’ll enjoy!

Happy camping!

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