If you thought Halloween was all about plastic fangs and front-yard cobwebs, think again. The ghosts have packed their bags this year and are heading for the bush.
Across North America, Campspot, the digital marketplace that has quietly reshaped how campers book holidays, reports a 49 percent surge in Halloween weekend bookings. The lure of a haunted forest (complete with a good Wi-Fi signal and a hot shower) has proved irresistible.
In an era when travel is too often reduced to security queues and swipe-to-book monotony, Campspot has done something refreshingly old-fashioned: turning travel back into an event. With this shared experience, families, friends and even the occasional ghost gather under open skies rather than fluorescent lights.
“Spooky season belongs at the campground,” declares Campspot’s latest update and judging by the figures, the market agrees.
An Industry Taking Root
Campspot, launched to bring order to the often chaotic world of campground reservations, now lists thousands of RV parks, campgrounds, and glamping retreats across the U.S. and Canada. But its recent growth is no accident. Seasonal curation — pairing themed events with easy booking has turned the once-niche platform into a major player in the experiential travel sector.
What began as a functional booking site has evolved into something much larger: an ecosystem that connects nostalgia-hungry travellers with open-air holidays that feel authentic, communal and reassuringly affordable.
As Halloween approaches, 21 hand-picked parks across 10 states embrace the spirit of the season quite literally with haunted hayrides, costume parades, pumpkin patches and even zombie scavenger hunts.
California: Magic Under the Maples
Leading the line-up is Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Camp-Resort: Tower Park in Lodi, California, running from 10 October to 2 November. The Magic Pumpkin Experience returns, blending trick-or-treat nostalgia with that signature Jellystone flair — a mix of wholesome family fun and gentle absurdity that only an American campground can deliver.
It’s part carnival, part community fair, and a reminder that travel doesn’t always need to involve airport lounges or business-class lounges. Sometimes, a pumpkin and a campfire will do nicely.
Texas: The Heartland Goes Halloween
The Lone Star State, never one for understatement, has gone all in.
From Kerrville’s Guadalupe River Jellystone Park™ to Camp Fimfo resorts in New Braunfels and Waco, Texans are rolling out haunted parades, glow-in-the-dark trick-or-treating and, because it’s Texas, golf-cart processions decked out as ghost trains.
Waller’s Jellystone Park™ has stretched the festivities right through 30 November, ensuring that even Thanksgiving dinner might come with a side of cobwebs. For the record, Boo Boo™ and Cindy Bear™ have also been confirmed as “in costume” — a phrase that raises all sorts of interesting possibilities.
Midwest & South: Small Towns, Big Spirits
In the heartland, where the scent of woodsmoke mingles with cinnamon donuts, Marval Resort in Oklahoma hosts its Graveyard Dance Party, proof that even the dearly departed appreciate a good DJ.
Indiana offers a double-header: Fowler Park’s Haunted Pioneer Village is a masterclass in atmosphere, while Lake Monroe Village trades frights for family fun on 25 October.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ West Georgia runs a full six-week program, while Twin Oaks Campground in Elko hosts a one-night costume bash.
Down in Tennessee, the Watts Bar Lake Jellystone Park runs through early November. South Carolina’s Barefoot RV Resort transforms North Myrtle Beach into a seaside Halloween village, with hayrides and outdoor movies.
Atlantic & Appalachian Allure
For those who prefer their scares by the sea, Chincoteague Island Jellystone Park™ in Virginia blends spooky snacks and music with coastal breezes, a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting with a Halloween filter.
In West Virginia, the aptly named Kick Back N Camp delivers haunted hayrides and campsite contests from 31 October to 2 November. At this local event, every child ends up sticky with marshmallows, and every adult forgets what day it is.
North Carolina contributes two gems: Seahaven Marine RV Park hosts its annual one-day Halloween jamboree on 25 October, while Golden Valley Jellystone Park™ runs a full festival season of trick-or-treating, costume parades and pumpkin decorating — proof that you can, in fact, improve on nature with just a little glitter and fake blood.
New York: Zombies Welcome
Campspot’s Halloween map concludes with a flourish in Endicott, New York, home to Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ Binghamton, which will stage a zombie-themed weekend (24–26 October).
Expect haunted houses, glow-in-the-dark tag, and the peculiar joy of watching entire families wander about in coordinated undead attire. Only in America could you find a place where mum, dad and the dog all dress as zombies for a scavenger hunt — and then go glamping afterwards.
A Business Model with Staying Power
Behind the cobwebs and costumes lies a serious business story. Campspot’s growth reflects broader shifts in North American travel behaviour — toward domestic tourism, flexible booking, and outdoor recreation.
Families want value, safety, and togetherness. Campgrounds deliver all three. Add themed experiences, digital convenience, and a strong community ethos, and you have a recipe for sustainable growth that speaks to the travel industry’s post-pandemic pivot toward authenticity.
As a Campspot representative noted, “Camping isn’t just about nature anymore. It’s about connection — and there’s no better way to connect than over a shared scare and a s’more.”
That’s not just good marketing; it’s good psychology.
The Final Word: Old-Fashioned Fun in a Digital World
For those who remember camping as a ritual of leaky tents and burnt sausages, this new wave of comfort-camping might seem almost luxurious. Yet beneath the themed weekends and glossy listings lies a familiar truth: people crave what the modern world often forgets — fresh air, laughter, and the reassuring glow of a fire on a cold night.
Campspot hasn’t reinvented the wheel; it’s polished the hubcaps and reminded everyone why it was such a fine invention in the first place.
And as the ghosts and goblins prepare to take over the campgrounds of America, one can’t help but feel that perhaps Halloween has finally found its true home somewhere between the RV park and the pumpkin patch.
For full details and bookings, visit www.campspot.com.
By Michelle Warner
BIO:
Michelle Warner is a storyteller with jet fuel in her veins. She cut her teeth in media publications before swapping the newsroom for the jump seat, serving as a flight attendant for major airlines and calling several countries home. Those miles gifted her a front-row view of people, places and the little rituals that make travel feel civilised. Now back at the craft she loves, Michelle writes with an editor’s discipline and a cabin crewer’s poise, clear, warm, and unflappable. Her work blends practical detail with old-fashioned polish, telling grounded stories that respect the reader’s time and celebrate the timeless pleasure of a well-told journey.
