How to Open a Homestead Campground

By Alden Stahr
Published on March 1, 1980
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A diving platform proved safer than the diving boards at the swimming hole.
A diving platform proved safer than the diving boards at the swimming hole.
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A view towards the shore of the two acre swimming hole Joe Taylor made on his homestead campground.
A view towards the shore of the two acre swimming hole Joe Taylor made on his homestead campground.
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TOP LEFT: The camp
TOP LEFT: The camp ""zoo"" is an added attraction. CENTER LEFT: This small cottage and all of the campground's other buildings were constructed by the Taylor family. BOTTOM LEFT: The "Big Cabin," which the Taylors rented out to guests by the week. TOP RIGHT: Photographers who are interested in wildlife find plenty of subject matter. CENTER RIGHT: The Taylors sold firewood for extra income.
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Hunters rent out the property twice each year.
Hunters rent out the property twice each year.

Sixteen years ago, Joe Taylor, his wife Amy, and their four sons opened up their land to a few campers. Today, Camp Taylor has 84 campsites . . . and the family has a thriving home business!

Since I’ve lived on his “homestead campground” for the last eight years, I’ve had plenty of chances to talk with Mr. Taylor about the ins and outs of opening a campground. And Joe tells me that you can start as small as you wish (as he did for instance with just a few picnic tables, garbage pails, and an outhouse) and then let your campground grow until it’s as big as you can manage.

How It Happened

In 1953 when Joe bought his 137 acres of northwestern New Jersey woods he had no intention of starting a campground. He just wanted some recreational acreage for his family and friends. But as taxes (inevitably) increased, the new landowner had to make his property pay … or lose it.

At first, the Taylors leased their land during hunting season, and took in about $400, but that wasn’t nearly enough. So, Joe’s next thought was to build a bungalow colony, but he ran into trouble with local building codes (which required a minimum of 1,250 square feet for any dwelling) and decided that such a project wouldn’t pay off.

It was at that point that the landowner chopped down enough trees to make space for a few campsites, built several picnic tables, provided garbage cans, constructed a two-holer outhouse . . . and opened his campground.

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