PENNSYLVANIA RV PARK

    Pennsylvania RV Park Feasibility Study

    Pennsylvania has one of the strongest camping and RV cultures in the country, anchored by the Poconos, the Laurel Highlands, and the Pennsylvania Wilds, with added workforce-lodging demand in the shale counties. A bankable RV park study has to read both the seasonal demand pattern and the regulatory path, because the Act 537 sewage-planning requirement is almost always the central feasibility gate for campground and glamping projects. We prepare lender-grade studies for RV parks, campgrounds, and glamping projects across the state's tourism regions.

    Key Pennsylvania market indicators

    7,972,917

    annual NPS recreation visits in Pennsylvania

    Source: National Park Service 2024 Visitor Spending Effects (2024)

    $425.1 million

    NPS visitor spending in Pennsylvania gateway regions

    Source: National Park Service 2024 Visitor Spending Effects (2024)

    $49.9 billion

    visitor spending in Pennsylvania

    Source: Pennsylvania Tourism Office (VisitPA) (2024)

    13,059,432

    Pennsylvania residents as of July 1, 2025

    Source: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 (2025)

    $1,024,206 million

    Pennsylvania nominal GDP

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024)

    Why RV parks are different in Pennsylvania

    The defining features are a deep camping culture and the sewage gate. Demand is broad and well-established across the mountain and lake regions, supported by drive-to leisure from the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York metros, and concentrated in the warm-weather and foliage seasons. On the approval side, Act 537 sewage planning is the central gate for new sites, since water and wastewater capacity often govern the maximum site count, and Municipalities Planning Code zoning and Clean and Green rollback on converted land also apply. The study has to match revenue assumptions to the seasonal pattern and the permitted capacity of the specific site.

    Financing a Pennsylvania RV park project

    USDA Business and Industry financing reaches most campground and glamping sites, since they sit in rural areas by definition, under the OneRD framework (7 CFR Part 5001), with the over-one-million-dollar independent feasibility requirement at 7 CFR 5001.306 applying to new businesses. SBA 7(a) is also common for owner-operated parks. Under SOP 50 10 8, effective June 1, 2025, the SBA may request a feasibility study based on enumerated risk factors, and a study is commonly expected for ground-up outdoor-hospitality projects.

    The Pennsylvania regulatory layer for RV parks

    The binding items are Act 537 sewage planning, which often governs the maximum site count, DEP stormwater and water permitting, Municipalities Planning Code zoning and conditional-use review, and Clean and Green rollback where the parcel was enrolled farmland. Water withdrawals in much of the state are overseen by the Delaware River Basin Commission or the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. We map the binding approvals for the specific site before setting revenue assumptions.

    Pennsylvania markets we cover

    We prepare RV park and campground studies across the state's tourism regions: the Poconos, the Laurel Highlands, the Pennsylvania Wilds and Pine Creek Gorge, the Lake Erie region, South-Central Pennsylvania and the Gettysburg area, and the rural Northern Tier and ridge-and-valley counties.

    What a Pennsylvania RV park study includes

    Each study documents the seasonal demand pattern, the supply of competitive parks and campgrounds, achievable occupancy and site rates, ancillary revenue, the Act 537 sewage and water-capacity path, the zoning path, and full financial projections prepared to the standard the lender requires.

    Built to the lender's standard

    Every study is an independent, third-party document built to satisfy the party that approves the loan. We document the market, the demand, the competitive supply, the regulatory path, and the financial projections to a standard that holds up under lender scrutiny.

    Frequently asked questions

    Demand is anchored by the Poconos, the Laurel Highlands, and the Pennsylvania Wilds, supported by drive-to leisure from the Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York metros and a deep statewide camping culture. We model the seasonal demand pattern for the specific region.

    Act 537 is the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act. New campground and glamping projects generally require an approved sewage facilities planning module, and water and wastewater capacity often govern the maximum site count, which makes it the central feasibility gate. We address it directly in the study.

    USDA Business and Industry financing reaches most campground and glamping sites since they sit in rural areas, and SBA 7(a) is common for owner-operated parks. We prepare studies for the relevant program.

    Water and wastewater capacity under Act 537 often set the practical limit on site count, alongside zoning and conditional-use approvals. We address permitted capacity directly in the study.

    Act 537 sewage planning, DEP stormwater and water permitting, Municipalities Planning Code zoning and conditional-use review, Clean and Green rollback on converted farmland, and river-basin-commission oversight of water withdrawals where applicable. We map the binding path before setting assumptions.

    Timelines depend on the region, the program, and the permitting diligence required. We scope each engagement individually and give a clear delivery schedule at the start. Reach out through our contact page to discuss timing.

    Ready to move forward?

    Discuss your Pennsylvania RV park project with our team.