If you run an RV park or campground and you are not actively marketing yourself as pet-friendly, you are leaving money on the table. Roughly two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, and a large share of those owners refuse to book anywhere their dog is not welcome — so being clearly, credibly pet-friendly is one of the cheapest ways to widen your bookable audience and lengthen stays. This is a guide to doing it well: the policies, amenities, and marketing that actually move occupancy, not just a “pets allowed” line buried in your rules page.
Key takeaways
- Pet owners book longer and return more often when their animal is genuinely welcome — treat it as a revenue strategy, not a courtesy.
- Written policies (leash, waste, breed/size, quiet hours) prevent the conflicts that turn pet-friendly into a liability.
- A few low-cost amenities — waste stations, a fenced run, a wash station — do more than a single fancy “pet spa.”
- None of it matters if travelers cannot find it: your website and Google listing have to say “pet-friendly” loudly and specifically.
Write pet policies before you advertise pet-friendly
The fastest way to ruin a pet-friendly reputation is to welcome dogs with no rules, then field complaints about barking, off-leash animals, and waste. Set clear expectations in writing, post them at check-in and on your site, and have staff enforce them consistently so both pet owners and non-pet guests know what to expect.
- State the basics plainly: pets leashed in common areas, owners clean up waste, no pets left unattended at the site, and defined quiet hours.
- Decide and publish your limits up front — pets per site, any size or breed restrictions, and whether pets are allowed in cabins or only on RV/tent sites.
- Place the dog-walk and exercise areas away from quiet loops and seasonal/long-term sites to keep noise complaints down.
- Train front-desk staff to recite the key rules in one breath and to handle a barking or off-leash issue calmly the first time.
Build amenities that match your budget
You do not need a “pet paradise” to compete. Start with the cheap, high-impact basics and add the bigger items only if demand and your site layout justify them. The goal is to remove the friction that makes traveling with a dog annoying.
- Low cost, high return: covered waste-bag-and-bin stations on every loop, a few fresh-water bowls or a spigot, and a fenced off-leash run so guests can let dogs burn energy.
- Mid tier: a simple outdoor wash station — a hose, raised tub, and pet shampoo — for muddy paws after a hike. This is one of the most-praised amenities for the money.
- If you have the land: a basic agility area (tunnels, jumps, weave poles) gives active dogs something to do and creates the kind of photo content that markets itself.
- Pet-friendly trails: pick flat, hazard-free routes, mark length and difficulty on signage, and add waste stations and a shaded rest bench along the way.
Use pet events and partnerships to drive traffic
Once the basics are in place, events turn “pet-friendly” into a reason to book a specific weekend. They also generate local press and social content you can reuse for months. The cheapest version costs you a few hours of staff time and a partnership phone call.
- Partner with a local shelter for an adoption day on-site. Shelters bring their own audience and the local paper, and you get goodwill plus foot traffic at no media cost.
- Run simple recurring activities: a guided “yappy hour” dog walk, a pet costume contest, or a dog-friendly movie night on the lawn.
- Cross-promote with nearby groomers, pet-supply stores, and vets — trade a guest discount for a referral and a flyer in their shop.
- Offer a “bring your dog” package: a welcome treat, a site near the run, and a discount code that gives you something concrete to advertise.
Make sure travelers can actually find it online
Pet owners search specifically — “dog friendly campground near [town],” “RV park with dog run.” If your amenities are not spelled out where they search, you get none of the credit for building them. This is usually the gap that costs owners the most bookings.
- Add a dedicated pet-friendly page or section to your website listing exact amenities, the full policy, and real photos of dogs at your park — not stock images.
- Set the “pets allowed” attribute on your Google Business Profile and name the dog amenities in your description so you surface for those local searches.
- Ask happy pet-owning guests for reviews that mention the dog run or wash station — that specific wording is what future searchers look for.
- Post the events and guest dog photos on social with a consistent hashtag so the content keeps working between booking seasons.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge a pet fee?
A modest per-pet, per-night fee is normal and pet owners generally expect it, especially where you have invested in real amenities. Keep it reasonable — if the fee is high enough to feel punitive, you lose the longer stays and repeat bookings that make pet-friendly profitable in the first place. Many owners do better bundling the fee into a clearly named “pet package” than tacking on a vague surcharge at checkout.
Will allowing pets drive away guests who don’t have them?
Not if you manage it. The complaints that push non-pet guests away — barking, waste, off-leash dogs — come from weak rules, not from pets themselves. Enforce leash and waste policies, set quiet hours, and locate dog areas away from quiet and long-term loops. Done that way, pet-friendly amenities are a clear add rather than a trade-off.
What is the single best first investment?
Waste stations on every loop and a fenced off-leash run. Together they cost relatively little, solve the two biggest pain points for traveling dog owners, and give you concrete amenities to advertise. A wash station is the strong next step once those are in place.
Building the dog run is the easy part — getting found for it is where most parks lose the booking. If you want pet-owning travelers searching your area to land on your park instead of a competitor, Outdoor Web Solutions can handle the local SEO, Google Business Profile, and content that turn your pet-friendly amenities into actual reservations.
