Camping season has wrapped up for Camp Hosts in all but two locations -Pocahontas State Park and Shenandoah River State Park - and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, along with Virginia State Parks, want to thank everyone who participated in the Camp Host Program in 2022. 

Camp Hosts help the park locations by checking in guests who are camping, providing customer service and helping park operations run smoothly. They work together with staff, visitors and Friends groups on programs and events, staff gift shops, assist with maintenance and much more, for which we are truly thankful.

Camp Host Overview

Camp Hosts are individuals of all ages and backgrounds who donate their time and skills to one or more park locations in Virginia. Whether they served one month at one park or many months at multiple locations, they had a huge positive impact on all park locations.

This year we have had 285 individual Camp Hosts serving in 24 of our parks, filling over 400 Camp Host positions. The hosts comprised new and returning individuals, couples and families from all over the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Camp Hosts have logged 67,900 hours so far this year, and we are still tallying,” said Camp Host Program Manager & Volunteer Administrator Andrea Hasenfus. “The events they help with, as well as the day-to-day duties they take on at the park, are certainly appreciated. Each location relies on different skills, and I am happy to help place people where they are needed most.”

On a typical day, Camp Hosts will do twice daily site checks and clean all of the campsites as campers depart. Other duties include restocking bathrooms throughout the day, serving as the first line of communication and welcoming the campers staying in the campground. Some of the hosts serve in other locations of the park, such as working in the Visitor Center or Camp Store or performing trail or project work.

“Many of our hosts go above and beyond to improve the park's daily operations and experience for visitors,” said Community Engagement and Volunteerism Director Dorie Stolley. “Our Camp Hosts have amazing passion and dedication and are able to bring their gifts and talents to the park. We are sincerely grateful for the time they spend at the parks to help enhance all guests’ experience.”

Each park location is grateful for the services provided by the Camp Hosts. They have dedicated their time to the park and worked through the severe heat this summer while continuing to endure the winter season at Pocahontas State Park and Shenandoah River State Park.

Here are some Camp Host highlights from the 2022 season.

Belle Isle State Park

The Camp Hosts at Belle Isle State Park are responsible for running the Camp Store, which frees park staff to address other tasks. Their duties include welcoming visitors, doing camper check-in and renting equipment, such as kayaks that visitors use on the river. This means that the hosts can be the first line of communication between a visitor and staff, so it’s important to have the right people in the right places to help with operations.

The park had such a busy year, and the staff is thankful to have some extra help and have described their Camp Hosts as “knowledgeable, friendly and willing to go above and beyond to help.”

Kiptopeke State Park

Camp Hosts at Kiptopeke State Park do the routine campsite monitoring and cleaning as well as make themselves available to campers and keep the campground clean and efficiently running. It is key to have Camp Hosts help staff, especially during the busier summer months.

There were multiple Camp Hosts at Kiptopeke in the heat of July, helping each other out and working together. It was a very hot summer in Virginia this year, but the hosts understand that “teamwork makes the dream work!”

Staff has described their Camp Hosts as “hard-working, especially in all types of weather conditions, as well as skillful and all-around excellent people to have helping at the park.”

Hungry Mother State Park

Hungry Mother State Park had a variety of hosts during the year, and everyone really worked well with each other, as well as the guests. Park staff and guests have described the Camp Hosts as “fun, resourceful and always willing to lend a helping hand.”

In May, Camp Host Becky Benes started a yoga program during her time there. Not only would she have a formal meeting time twice a week on the beach, but she would also do her routine every morning outside her camper and invite anyone interested to join her. There was a lot of great feedback from park guests, and many requested that the park make the yoga program permanent.

Tom Black and Becky Fela have each been described by the park staff and guests as “delightful to have around the park,” as they know the ins and outs of being great Camp Hosts and prove it every day. Both tend to stay and help for multiple months at a time, and park staff can be certain that the campground is well taken care of during their visit.

Nancy and Joe Cregger went above and beyond at Hungry Mother this year. Despite being first-time hosts, they caught on extremely quickly. They even offered to stay an extra two months in the park’s busiest time when other hosts had to cancel. Being so willing to step up and help the way they did, made a big impact.

Bear Creek Lake State Park

Camp Hosts usually serve for a month or two in peak season. This year we were lucky to have exceptional hosts at Bear Creek Lake State Park who worked all year long on the Lights at the Lake event, which serves the community of Cumberland County.

Thank you to the Armstrongs, the Murrays and Tim Kennell, as they are all described by staff as “the backbone of the Lights at the Lake event.” They generously give their time to help while performing the usual campground duties, and we are all grateful for their enthusiasm and hard work.

Staff and guests have said they are “much obliged to have such dedicated Camp Hosts” and that “without the help of the Camp Hosts, some of the events wouldn’t be possible.”

Machicomoco State Park

Camp Hosts at Machicomoco State Park, Dave and Kerry Harlan and Chris and Tricia Permito, are founding members of the Machicomoco Friends Group. The Harlans and Permitos are camp hosts who fell in love with the park during its inaugural year and wanted to go beyond camp hosting. They helped maintain and clean the usual areas that Camp Hosts are responsible for, but they also are known for “stepping in whenever they are needed,” according to park staff.

Shenandoah River State Park

Most Camp Hosts focus on daily operations, but some are able to help in more specific areas, depending on their skill set. Shenandoah River State Park has a unique Camp Host who uses his contracting skills to help improve park facilities.

Chris Fulmer has been a big part of the installation of new dishwashers. During the early part of the pandemic, parks had a hard time keeping enough cleaning staff. One of the ways they decided to reduce the cleaning workload was to install dishwashers in the rental cabins. Over the past couple of years, Chris has used his experience as a contractor to assist park staff with the installation of dishwashers in eleven cabins. His skill set is “truly exceptional, and he is always willing to help when he can,” according to staff.

First Landing State Park and Douthat State Park

First Landing State Park Camp Hosts are a “friendly and cooperative group, covering for each other on days off, pitching in to assist maintenance, welcoming guests and providing assistance and guidance to campers,” according to staff.

Along with the Camp Hosts, park staff says you will find children and grandchildren helping out, as many hosts bring their pets to help them enjoy their surroundings and relax during their stay. The work they do to keep the campground clean and ready for guests is invaluable to the park.

Hosts Doug and Jo Maume opened up First Landing in 2022 and, within a few weeks, cleaned up all 200+ sites before the April Hosts arrived. In addition to gaining a Ranger Recognition for his helpful and friendly service to guests, Doug took on the task of attaching new clips to every site post in the park in the first week he was here.

Hosts Robert and Michelle Hall stay at the park several times a year and work uncomplainingly in the coldest November winds and hottest August sun, navigating everything that needs doing. They are known to go above and beyond at all times while still finding time to go crabbing on the beach.

Wayne and Arlene Guenther are longtime Hosts for First Landing, as well as Douthat State Park. They serve on the Friends group executive board and coordinate all sorts of fundraisers for the park. They organized the Junior Ranger lunches and operated the grill twice each Friday for several weeks. This fall, they even cleaned that humongous grill to a high shine. The Guenthers have a set of grandchildren who grew up helping out at the park, including attending Junior Ranger camp, and are now old enough to be volunteers themselves.

Sad to See Them Leave Each Year

Park staff love the volunteers and can always use a hand as the world recovers from the pandemic. Camp Hosts have proven to be essential, especially since park visits have been increasing each year.

“Camp Hosts benefit the park by essentially providing an additional employee to take on responsibilities and allowing staff to work on any other tasks,” said Mark Cossa, Camp Host Coordinator at Bear Creek Lake State Park. “Once you get Hosts that have been with your park a while, they can come in with minimal retraining and be able to help park staff get more done.”

Hosts who continue to come back year after year become part of the family. Park staff are happy to see them return and can be a little sad to see them leave each year. Again, we sincerely thank all Camp Hosts for their hard work and dedication in the 2022 season. Your time and hard work have undeniably had a positive impact on each location that has been served.

For more information on the Camp Host program, visit our web page.

For more information about Winter Camping, visit our web page.