WELCOME
The South Dakota Campground Owners Association welcomes you to our professional organization’s website for those who serve or operate outdoor lodging businesses. If you’re seeking a South Dakota campground, glamping spot, or an RV park, please go to CampInSouthDakota.com.
SDCOA is now a part of the Rivers & Rockies Outdoor Lodging Coalition! Therefore, we’ve added exponentially more benefit programs for our outdoor lodging members, including some licenses (such as music and movie licenses) and a couple dozen cost-savings opportunities (including propane, office supplies, fuel, and more).
With these changes, we’re charting a healthy path for SDCOA’s continuation. We aren’t going away; just morphing to be more valuable. Afterall, we’ve been morphing for 53 years, and this is merely one more morph based on changes in society, shifts within our industry, and the current needs and requests of our members.
SDCOA was created by campground owners for campground owners. We’re guided by a Board of Directors comprised mostly of outdoor lodging members from around South Dakota. Even our Executive Director is a former park owner.
We were established in 1972. Our programs are evaluated and modified annually. If you haven’t been a member recently then you might not realize what you’re missing!
CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- President Tyler Burr (Elkhorn Ridge Resort in Spearfish)
- Vice President Elaine Zobel (Custer’s Gulch RV Park & Campground in Custer)
- Secretary Tim Schnabel (Hart Ranch Camping Resort in Rapid City)
- Treasurer Stephen Saint (Fort Welikit Campground in Custer))
- Director Bruce Aljets (Jellystone Park Sioux Falls
- Director Ray Aljets (Jellystone Park Sioux Falls) (ex-officio)
- Executive Director Mary Arlington (ex-officio)
AFFILIATIONS
We are active members of the Tourism Coalition (TCSD) (formerly known as VIA), and we have a seat on their Board of Directors.
We work closely with the South Dakota Department of Tourism.
We enjoy great ties to each of the four regional tourism associations:
- Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association (on which we serve on their Board)
- SD Missouri River Tourism Association
- Glacial Lakes & Prairies Tourism Associations
- Southeast SD Tourism Association
We are preferred partners with the American Glamping Association.
SDCOA vs CAMP IN SOUTH DAKOTA
SDCOA is the name by which we discuss the association. The primary audience includes those in the outdoor hospitality industry, tourism industry, industry suppliers, and public affairs legislators and committees. Click here to see our Facebook posts.
Camp In South Dakota is the brand through which we market outdoor hospitality (camping, glamping, RVing, cabins, etc.) in South Dakota. The primary audience is the outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy sleeping in an outdoors setting. Links: website, Facebook page, Pinterest, and Instagram.
NEED MORE?
Please check out the information throughout this site, and contact us if we can be of further assistance.