What Thousand Trails does

Thousand Trails operates a membership-based network of RV campgrounds and resorts across the United States and British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1969 by Milt Kuolt as Pacific Rim Group, Inc. (renamed in 1971), the company pioneered the membership campground concept, opening its first preserve near Chehalis, Washington in 1972. The network comprises 200+ campgrounds and RV resorts across five US regions (Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast) with 70,000+ sites and 125+ rental accommodation locations. Thousand Trails has been part of Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (ELP), a publicly-traded REIT, since 2004, and is managed under MHC Property Management, L.P. with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois and operations support in Plano, Texas.

The company's core product is the Camping Pass, an annual subscription membership priced at $475/year (promotional, regularly $775) that grants access to 80+ Thousand Trails-branded campgrounds with no nightly fees, plus multi-region upgrades at $140 per additional region. Layered products include the Cabin Pass (access to 125+ rental accommodations for non-RV owners, launched 2022), Enhanced Membership tiers (Journey, Explore, Adventure) offering longer booking windows and park-to-park access, and the Trails Collection reciprocal program (operated by Encore Royalty Club, L.L.C., $370/year) extending access to 120+ additional Encore RV resorts. Revenue is generated through subscription membership fees, nightly fees from non-member guests, group/rally bookings, and special events. The technology backbone is a standard online reservation and booking platform (newbook.thousandtrails.com) with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or developer ecosystem.

Thousand Trails sells direct-to-consumer through its website, call center, and self-service booking portal, with additional group sales through a dedicated Rally Central team. Marketing channels include the long-running TrailBlazer Magazine (published since 1979), social media across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and X, the annual #100DaysofCamping campaign, email newsletters, and a conservation partnership with American Forests. The company serves primarily RV owners and outdoor recreation enthusiasts, with secondary segments including non-RV campers, snowbirds, group event organizers, and pet-owning travelers. CEO Joe McAdams leads the organization of 501-1,000 employees.

Name

Thousand Trails

Legal name

MHC Property Management, L.P.

Website

https://thousandtrails.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Thousand Trails operates a membership-based network of 200+ RV campgrounds and resorts across five US regions, serving RV owners, non-RV campers, and snowbirds with annual subscription passes providing access to 70,000+ sites since 1969.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

RV Resort & Campground Memberships

NAICS

RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites) (THAGAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Seasonal & Long-Term Campsites (Snowbirds, Extended RV Stays) (THAMAJAF), Cabin & Cottage Campgrounds (THAMAJAD)

Keywords

• RV resort memberships
• Campground network access
• Outdoor recreation subscriptions
• Cabin rental memberships
• RV camping reservations

Headquarters

HQ city

Frisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Camping Pass Membership: Annual membership fee for access to campgrounds in one of five regions (Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast). Base price $775/year, currently discounted to $475 with $300 promotion. Monthly payment option available at $64.58/month over 12 months with 2-year commitment. Additional regions can be added for $140 per region.
2. The Trails Collection Membership: Add-on reciprocal program operated by Encore Royalty Club, L.L.C. Dues of $370/year for access to 120+ additional Encore RV resorts. Standard RV sites at Fee Resorts charge $20/night.
3. Cabin Pass: Rental accommodation membership for non-RV owners. Provides access to 125+ locations in rental accommodations including cabins, cottages, and tiny houses.
4. Enhanced Membership Upgrades: Journey, Explore, and Adventure tier memberships offering extended benefits including longer advance booking windows, park-to-park travel without waiting periods, and longer stay allowances.
5. Nightly Fees (Non-members): Non-members can book stays at daily rates at campgrounds. Members enjoy no nightly fees; however, daily rate guests pay per-night fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Thousand Trails sells annual memberships (Camping Pass, Cabin Pass, and Enhanced Membership tiers) that grant members access to a network of 80+ company-operated campgrounds and 125+ rental accommodations across five US regions with no nightly fees. Members can stay up to 14 consecutive days at any one resort, and an add-on Trails Collection reciprocal program provides access to 120+ additional Encore RV resorts for a separate annual fee. Reservations and member management are handled through a Newbook-based online booking platform and inbound call center.

Product overview

Thousand Trails operates a membership-based network of RV campgrounds and resorts across the US with five regional zones (Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast). The core offerings include the Camping Pass (annual membership for $475/year with access to 80+ campgrounds and no nightly fees) and the Cabin Pass (access to 125+ rental accommodations). Enhanced Membership tiers (Journey, Explore, Adventure) add park-to-park access and extended booking windows. The Trails Collection reciprocal program provides access to 100+ additional partner resorts for $370/year. Additional services include group reservations for events and rallies, pet-friendly camping at 200+ locations, and TrailBlazer Magazine as a membership benefit. The company celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2024, having grown from its 1969 founding near Chehalis, Washington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camping Pass: Annual camping membership providing access to up to 80+ Thousand Trails campgrounds with no nightly fees
• Cabin Pass
• Enhanced Memberships
• TrailBlazer Magazine
• #100DaysofCamping

Quantifiable outcome

• Save over $480/year compared to paying nightly fees at campgrounds (membership $475 vs estimated $960+ in nightly fees)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Encore Royalty Club, L.L.C. (The Trails Collection)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEncore Royalty Club operates The Trails Collection reciprocal program, providing Thousand Trails members access to 120+ additional Encore RV resorts nationwide. This partnership extends member camping options beyond Thousand Trails-branded properties. Encore is an independent company that has made arrangements with resort owners for member access.
• American ForestsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThousand Trails partners with American Forests organization supporting forest conservation and tree planting initiatives. Members are encouraged to participate in environmental conservation efforts during camping trips. Partnership aligns with company's environmental commitment.
• Harvest HostsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCross-promotional relationship where Thousand Trails members can enhance their camping experience with Harvest Hosts membership for unique camping at farms, wineries, and other attractions. Featured in TrailBlazer Magazine articles.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Good Sam Club: Good Sam Club is a membership organization serving RV owners with discounts, travel services, and a campground directory. It directly competes with Thousand Trails for the RV-owner subscription dollar, though it operates a discount-club model rather than owned campgrounds.
• Escapees RV Club: Escapees RV Club is a membership organization serving full-time RVers, particularly targeting the snowbird segment that Thousand Trails also pursues. It offers a comparable subscription model with affiliated parks and community services for full-time RVers.
• Passport America: Passport America is a discount camping club offering 50% off nightly rates at participating campgrounds. It is a smaller-scale direct competitor in the RV membership category, though with a discount model rather than an owned-network model.
• Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts: Jellystone Park is a franchise network of family camp resorts with locations across the US, focusing on family-friendly amenities and themed activities. It directly competes with Thousand Trails' family camping proposition and offers franchisees a competing national brand platform.
• Kampgrounds of America (KOA): KOA is the largest franchised campground network in North America with 500+ locations, offering the KOA Value Kard Rewards membership program. It is the closest direct competitor to Thousand Trails in the membership-based campground category, serving the same RV owner and outdoor recreation customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Sun Outdoors: Sun Outdoors is the RV resort and campground subsidiary of Sun Communities (NYSE: SUI), a public REIT similar to ELS. It operates a portfolio of RV resorts comparable in scale to Thousand Trails and represents a peer REIT-owned RV campground network.
• Equity LifeStyle Properties: ELP is Thousand Trails' parent REIT and also operates manufactured home communities and RV resorts directly. It is a broad incumbent comparable in ownership structure, financial profile, and strategic positioning across the MH and RV recreation space.

Emerging players

• Hipcamp: Hipcamp is a peer-to-peer marketplace for camping on private and public lands, providing an alternative to traditional campgrounds. It does not directly compete on subscription but represents the structural alternative model that could erode Thousand Trails' value proposition over time.
• Encore RV Resorts: Encore RV Resorts operates the 120+ resort network that powers Thousand Trails' Trails Collection reciprocal program. While operating under a separate management entity, it offers the same RV resort experience and represents a closely adjacent peer with partial overlap in customer base.
• Harvest Hosts: Harvest Hosts is a membership program that provides RV campers with unique overnight stays at farms, wineries, and attractions. It already has a cross-promotional partnership with Thousand Trails and represents an emerging alternative model in the membership camping space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thousandtrails
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQeIteYILALDNwtpABXaM_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThousandTrails
• Instagraminstagram.com/thousandtrails
• Pinterestpinterest.com/thousandtrails
• TikToktiktok.com/@thousandtrails?
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thousand-trails-lp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thousand Trails