Tent camping comes to Blowing Springs

Another way to enjoy common property is now ready for POA members.

Twelve new sites at Blowing Springs RV Park mean that families will have an inexpensive way to enjoy the outdoors without leaving Bella Vista. Some of the sites are already in use.

"Not everyone can afford an RV," Property Owners Association Recreation Director Joan Glubczynski said. But tent camping is within reach of many families in Bella Vista.

"What a great way to try out camping," she said, adding that members can stay close to home in their own tents for a nominal fee while they decide if they enjoy a camping vacation.

The new sites are primitive tent sites, she explained which means the sites don't have electric or water. They are just beyond the existing RV sites in Blowing Springs Park. Water is available in the RV area.

Tent campers will share the showers with the RV campground for now, Glubczynski said, although a second shower house may be in the park's future if it's needed. Campers can also use the restroom building near the Blowing Springs pavilion, although that facility has no showers.

"We wanted to maximize our use of the park," Glubczynski said.

Each site has a picnic table, a fire pit and a designated parking spot.

Nonmembers will also be able to use the sites, she said, although the fee is higher. Members pay $10 a night for each tent; nonmembers pay $15.

Glubczynski expects some mountain bikers to stay in the park. Mountain bikes and camping attract the same people and there's no other campground close to Bella Vista's new mountain bike trails, she said.

There have also been some improvements to the RV sites, with more improvements planned.

"I would like to upgrade to some pull-through sites," she said, but those improvements are not yet budgeted.

All the sites can now be reserved, Glubczynski said. There's a deposit due with the reservation system, she said.

The RV park is still part of the Good Sams RV Club, so members of Good Sams get a 10 percent discount. Because the park is listed in the Good Sams directory, some out of town guests discover it that way.

General News on 04/26/2017