RV park revival: Two Montana sites win top ranking from international pool
By BETSY COHEN of the Missoulian
There's no glitzy banquet or star-studded gala that comes with the 100 Top-Rated Good Sam RV Parks 2008 Award of Excellence, but for the western Montana businesses that receive the honor, it's a bit like winning an Oscar.
The award is a certificate that arrives in the mail with little fanfare - but the recognition is worth more than gold.
For Jellystone Park in Missoula and Eagle Nest RV Park in Polson, the award means they are ranked best-of-the-best out of more than 1,650 such parks in the United States and Canada.
No one knows if and when a Good Sam inspector is on the premises - they arrive unannounced and leave the same way, taking with them notes on the quality of the facility, cleanliness of the restrooms, aesthetics of the landscaping and services offered, such as laundry and recreation, said Marsha Monico, director of the Good Sam Network, which is the largest RV trailer life directory with more than 1 million members.
Steve Marshall tends to the landscaping at Jellystone Park west of Missoula on Monday afternoon. Jellystone was recognized as one of the top 100 RV parks in the country by the Good Sam Club. Photo by MICHAEL GALLACHER/Missoulian
“It's a very significant accomplishment and we have a pretty tough rating system,” Monico said. “These parks put a lot of time and effort, a lot of care and pride into the upkeep of their parks. And to keep them up is not easy.”
At time when the nation's fuel prices have reached an all-time high, the award is welcome appreciation for the hard work RV park operators have put into their businesses to keep attracting travelers.
Despite the high cost of fuel, RV parks in the area have been busy this summer.
What is different this season is who is on the road on what they are driving, said Tom Mahlum, operator of Jellystone Park, which sits just off U.S. Highway 93 at the Wye west of Missoula.
“We have noticed a significant decrease in the large motorhomes - around a 15 percent decrease in the big diesel pushers, and an increase in small family trailers - more pop-ups and many more tenters,” Mahlum said.
At both of the award-winning parks, a lot of effort has been devoted to improving infrastructure, such as creating attractive landscaping and offering recreational opportunities.
At Jellystone, two pools, a miniature golf course, a horseshoe pit, a basketball court and an evening ice cream social have inspired this year's younger travelers to linger longer, Mahlum said.
“We are seeing more families with kids this summer coming from surrounding states like Washington and Oregon,” Mahlum said. “What they are doing is staying a little bit longer because it's more cost efficient than traveling place to place between their visits to Yellowstone National Park and Glacier.”
The owners of Eagle Nest RV Park in Polson said they are happy to receive the Good Sam award, but they've been too busy to celebrate the international recognition.
They've been so busy, in fact, owner Joan Fouty said she and her husband, Walter, haven't had time to hang it on their office wall.
Despite the high cost of fuel, and several cancellations because of it, the park has been full or nearly full all summer, Fouty said.
“We've had cancellations due to the gas, but those spots have been picked up by other people touring the area,” she said.
Families have discovered that RV parks are a nice way to travel on a tight budget and get to know an area really well, she said.
In summers past, travelers would spend the night and keep going, never to be seen again. This summer, she said, travelers from nearby states seem to be lingering.
“They're now discovering what's in their backyard and come for a weekend or for several days and check out how to get on the (Flathead) lake, and go golfing.”
Both RV parks have seen a big increase in the number of Canadian visitors - upward of 20 percent, and Mahlum said he suspects many other summertime businesses are experiencing the same trend.
“They are really enjoying the exchange rate,” Mahlum said. “And we are happy to have them.”
As for the Good Sam award, Mahlum said he's proud to know western Montana has parks that are ranked tops among some of the nation's biggest parks.
“There aren't that many parks that reach this achievement, and it's the big parks in the Sun Belt that mostly get it,” Mahlum said. “We are talking parks that have 500 to 700 RV sites and are open 12 months out of the year.
“For us to get it - it's an honor.”
Reporter Betsy Cohen can be reached at 523-5253 or at bcohen@missoulian.com.
