Fresh off a weekend camping trip, I've got good and bad to report for GCG. Overall, this place is great. We go at least once a year in our travel trailer. The weekend activities (bingo with free prizes, crafts, hay rides, etc.), size/layout/orientation of electric/water on the sites, and the location keep us going back even though GCG is on the west side of town and we live in Baltimore and have to pass several other Gettysburg CGs to get there.
Our profile is husband/wife, 5rd old kid, 26' trailer, been camping since 2008. First, the bad since that's probably what you came here to see. Quiet hours are simply not enforced here. Last year we had a Harley crew with 6 motorcycles idling for 25 minutes at 7am while they sipped coffee, not to mention their loud music all day long. This year (2 days ago) we had a crew of pop-up campers spread over several purchased sites and several vacant sites. They stacked 3 fire rings, and were up till 3:30am. We finally went out at 3am and asked them to keep it down. One guy next to us had his music on and he wasn't even at his site. The workaround? You need to get a site around the open field or one of the sites on the main paved drive. They are full hookup and they fill soon, but the campers there tend to be a lot more courteous. I tent camp in the winter, so I know how inconsiderate tent (and some pop-up) camper patrons are (I'm loud when I tent camp too which is why we do it in the winter when no one else is out). Another thing not enforced is the alcohol policy. The 3am crew was drinking beer from a cup and possibly Red Bull/Vodka the next night at the DJ party. Same crew downed Corona in a bottle while waiting for the hay ride. Anyone who has experience camping will know that what I have just described is not unusual. The absence of this is the reason we use to love this place. I think maybe they need a daytime and 11:30pm enforcer to really patrol the campground on weekends instead of perm site volunteers/retirees who probably tend to shy away from the conflict involved with pro-active enforcement of rules. Btw, quiet hrs are 11pm-8am and alcohol policy requires that you keep it on your site.
The good list is long too. Some of the site layouts make it hard to position for electric and sewer, but vast majority are just fine. They have limited sewer sites, but big deal...just pay $8 for the pump-out service. It's worth it considering that the sites without sewer cost less anyway. Definitely don't rule out coming here just because you can only get an electric/water site. Most lanes are wide for the truck to turn while backing in, and I've never had problems with positioning for pull-through or back-in sites. Sites are pretty level too. My kid loves the playground and activities. Free mini-golf. The pool is very clean and full sun, so it's usually warm. Their rec hall is also outstanding. Big indoor area and big patio area. They have two dump stations, and I've never seen a line to dump when exiting. The owner of this place is super nice and shows a lot of care for the campground and campers. Nothing has the look or feel of being run down. Entry and registration processes are great too. They are well staffed on Friday afternoon/evening. Did I also mention how friendly the staff is? They are 5 star for sure, and I say this based on our entire history of camping here over the past 7 years. We will definitely go back here, but in the future we will be more selective about site location.
Last, today is Sunday morning. I'm home because they started an orderly evacuation of the campground last night around 1am due to fear of the creek rising after tropical storm Bill remnants came through and dropped about 1 1/2 inch. We left around 3am Sunday, so it was a rough night, but the owner did offer at 2pm Saturday bingo to refund anyone who wanted to pro-actively leave before the 6pm-10pm Saturday evening monsoon. After the 1am evacuation, my understanding is that we will get a refund for one night. Honestly, I'm ok even if we do not. It was amazing to see everyone leaving in such an orderly manner at 2/3am in the morning. Never seen anything like it. In summary, I know there is a fine line between enforcing rules and alienating campers, but I think pro-active enforcement of quiet hours is a must. You can't wait for complaints to come in from angry guests. Even so, this place is a notch above most. read more