Salmon Valley Campground

The Salmon Valley Campground is located twenty-five miles north of Prince George, British Colombia. The campground has thirty-five campsites, each with 15 or 30 amp service along with water. Each campsite has water views as the Salmon River runs through the twenty-four-acre property. Guests who spend time on the campground can visit the Coffee and Treat Wagon or participate in any of the on-site activities. For adults watercolor painting and photography workshops are available, and for children, rock painting and birdhouse building classes are hosted weekly. The property is open from mid-May to late September for campers and is open year-round to daytime visitors.

About

The Salmon Valley Campground is a twenty-four-acre campground located twenty-five minutes north of Prince George, British Columbia. The Salmon River borders the property. Trees and dense foliage fill the property grounds with dirt roads leading to each campsite. The highway is a three-minute drive from the property, and there are several trails for hiking, walking, and mountain biking just outside the campground acreage. The closest gas station and grocery store is ten minutes away, and Prince George is a twenty-minute drive.

After opening in 2018, the Carparino family spent months adding and improving the existing sites on their property. There are thirty-five total camping options at the campground. Guests can reserve a site for their camping trailer, small RV, or tent. Ten of the sites have power and water ranging from 30/15 amp access. All of these sites are located along the river. Eight of the sites are 30 amp with water, and all RV and camping trailer visitors have direct access to the sanitation dump free of charge.

The tent sites are all nestled in the woods along the backside of the property within easy walking distance of the wash house. This washhouse is newly renovated with flushing toilets, lots of counter space, and free hot showers. Every campsite is graveled and clearly labeled. A picnic table and stone fire pit, along with a water bucket, are available at every site as well. A bundle of dry firewood is delivered to each campsite when a visitor arrives.

Other common areas guests are welcome to use throughout the property include visiting the main office, the coffee and treat bar, the activity pavilion, and the field. The main office is located at the entrance of the property, where guests can buy firewood, ask questions, or sign up for workshops and various activities held on the property. A large visitors parking lot is also located at the entrance of the property, where guests can park additional vehicles and trailers.

The cafe is made from a 1989 motorhome passed down from the owner Bobbi’s father. The motorhome was renovated into a small coffee and treat wagon. A day-use area was added around the motorhome for more gathering space. All of the baked goods, coffee, and other treats sold at the coffee and treat bar are made by locals. The cinnamon buns are from the Bread and Buttercream Bakery, scones and camper cookies are made by the Cookie Attic, and Meagan, a local baker, makes muffins and brews coffee fresh every morning. Despite the typical baked items, frozen chocolate-dipped cheesecakes are offered on hot days, and hot chocolate is offered to kids.

The espresso blend used to create the high-quality coffee sold at the coffee and treat wagon is a personal organic blend locally sourced and produced by the Atlin Mountain Coffee Roasters in Alaska. Hot and cold beverages are offered at the bar, including lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, some teas, and hot chocolate. Guests are welcome to buy their own packages of this premier coffee blend, along with a new camping mug or Salmon Valley Campground sweatshirt.

There is a wide variety of things guests can do on the property during their stay at the campground. The Salmon River is a common respite from the heat during the summer months or for fishing endeavors. In addition, a tetherball area and sand volleyball courts are available for guest use at any time. The main field at the center of the property has a small play area for children and is where many of the workshops are held, which are hosted by Bobbi and Frank. Examples of these workshops include watercolor classes, photography workshops, and guided cooking seminars. Several kid activities are held on-site as well, such as building birdhouses and painting rocks. The Campground Kringle is another activity held during the winter months that gathers the visitors at the Salmon Valley Campground together.

Outside of the Salmon Valley Campground, there are several more attractions guests often visit. These include spending time at the local farmer's markets in Salmon Valley, attending local concerts and festivals, and exploring the nearby hiking trails. In Prince George, there are multiple museums, art shows, and hands-on science exhibits.

Although most guests who stay at the Salmon Valley Campground cook most of their own meals at their campsites, there are several restaurants in Salmon Valley and Prince George that Bobbi recommends they visit. The Betulla Burning is a rustic restaurant serving Neapolitan-style pizzas and Italian dishes. Crossroads is a local brewing company that serves pub-style dishes along with their high-quality blends. The Northern Estates Winery is a high-end vineyard and winery spot located along the Nechako River. This restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating looking out over the river and serves bistro-style dishes with their berry wines.

Culture

When Frank and Bobbi Carpino purchased the land of Salmon Valley Campground they knew they wanted to create an interactive campground where guests could retreat from their busy lives and enjoy nature. Since establishing their business in 2018 the couple has made several changes to the property to improve every visitor's stay and hopefully make them want to return. By updating the wash house, adding more common gathering areas, and cleaning up the trees and foliage throughout the property the atmosphere has transitioned from the typical RV park to a more campground and resort-style location.

The Carpino’s knew they wanted their campground to not just be a vacation destination, but also a community of its own. They are slowly achieving this by creating several activities to do on the property such as the Campground Kringle and seasonal workshops guests can participate in. A band comes to play several weekends of the summer season where guests can gather to meet each other and interact with the owners and staff.

“We want our guests to feel relaxed and disconnected from the world where they can enjoy nature in safety and comfort,” says Bobbi. Wireless internet access is not offered on the property which gives guests an opportunity to remove themselves from everyday life and connect with each other and nature.

The various workshops held on the property include watercolor classes, painting instructions, and photography workshops. Bobbi herself is a photographer and has spent years owning a photography studio and hosting workshops. Activities are also offered for children, this not only gets kids creativity flowing but can also distract them to give their parents a break to take time for themselves. Some kids' workshops include building birdhouses and painting rocks.

Building a community goes beyond just inside the campground, however. The Caprino’s have reached out to several local businesses to include their products and services in the campground as well. A local butcher offers cooking classes several weekends of the year where he takes participants out into nature to attain many of the ingredients used in his dishes. Local bakeries supply the Coffee and Treat Wagon on site, and a local exploration group will bring its customers to spend a week of their winter camping experience at the Salmon Valley Campground.

Weddings are often held at the Salmon Valley Campground. There are multiple rustic and open areas where guests can hold their ceremonies and receptions. These areas can be used for both large and small wedding parties. Bobbi is willing to assist in planning the weddings and offering vendor recommendations along with photographing the wedding herself.

The safety and security of the guests at the Salmon Valley Campground are taken very seriously by the staff. The main office has been moved close to the property entrance so all who enter and exit the property are monitored, and a staff member can often be found driving around the twenty-four-acre property checking in on guests. Beyond the safety of the guests, the safety of the land is another big deal to the staff at Salmon Valley Campground. As a firefighter, Bobbi makes sure every guest is aware of wildfire precautions, and Frank gives every guest tips on navigating the nearby Salmon River safely.

Guests leave a variety of positive reviews regarding their stay at the Salmon Valley Campground, many of them comment on the clean grounds, the number of activities to participate in, and the hospitality of the staff. “This campground is a hidden gem. Our family stayed the weekend and it was fantastic. Sites are nice and large and by the creek as well. The cookies and the coffee at the store are better than at a bakery. Bobbi and her family are very friendly and willing to help out with whatever issue you may have had. And the bathrooms are clean and have free hot showers,” said a guest at the inn.

Over 75% of the guests who visit the Salmon Valley Campground are repeat visitors, and 25% of the guests at the campground visit at least once a month. Most of those who spend time at the campground are families and middle-aged couples from Prince George and other areas up north. The staff at the campground have been trained to get to know each of their guests and accommodate them in any way necessary. Bobbi, Frank, their daughter Sofia, and their two dogs can often be found walking around the campground during the afternoon hours and have built personal relationships with many of their guests. Additionally, after every season of operation, the staff at Salmon Valley Campground goes through the specifics of their business, working through things that went well for their visitors and other areas they could improve.

The campground’s open season starts May 20th and goes through till September 27th. The property is not open for camping visitors during the winter months because the weather gets so cold. The water line is very low and freezes easily which restricts guest access to the wash house, water pumps, and other RV site amenities. The Campground Kringle as well as other workshops and daytime activities are still held on the property during the winter season.

History

The Salmon Valley Campground was originally established in 1997 under the name Rockin River Resort. Frank and Bobbi Carpino are the current owners, having purchased the property in early 2018. Bobbie owned her own photography studio for fourteen years before entering the campground industry. She still does photography today, specializing in wedding shoots and portraits. When her lease at the photography studio was up, she decided not to renew it and find a new project instead. Frank and Bobbi had previously stayed at the Rockin River Resort, and when they saw the land was up for sale, they decided to invest. Bobbi’s stepfather worked as the tourism manager in her community all growing up. Hence, she spent a lot of time in hotels and has a lot of experience in the hospitality and business management industries.

Upon purchasing the property, there were many updates and maintenance things that needed to be done. While Bobbi rebranded the entire campground with a new website, marketing techniques, and management, Frank worked on the outside of the property. The cafe and main office were built along with lots of site clean-up and upgrades. The entire property is covered in old cottonwood trees that were groomed and cut down to make space for new camping sites and common play areas. In 2021, eight new 30 AMP sites were built. In the future, the Carpino family hopes to move the office closer to the entrance of the campground, add another wash house, and build out more areas and buildings for activities and gatherings to take place. The Carpino's enjoy meeting new people and seeing their visitors build friendships with other visitors.