Picnic Tables and Firepits

Riverbend Campground

All short-term campsites at Riverbend have picnic tables and firepits. One advantage of our campsites s flexibility. Picnic tables and firepits are placed in spots that best suit the way campers want to use their site. Our picnic tables and firepits are moved a great deal. A family might want the firepit away from the bedrooms so talk around the fire late at night doesn’t disturb sleeping munchkins.  Some people want the table close to facilitate meal times while other families eat inside and want the table out of the way.

A sturdy wooden picnic table is placed on each short-term campsite
A moveable metal firepit is placed on each short-term campsite

Off-Season Project

The off-season at Riverbend Campground is less busy than during camping season. We do have a lot of things that keep us occupied. Read on to learn about our humble picnic tables and firepits. Every short-term rental site has one of each. Many of our long-term rental sites also have them, but some choose to us their own.

A Humble Table

We estimate there are around 200 tables on the property. A table has a life expectance of around ten years. With general wear and tear they show their age which is a factor in table replacement. Tables are moved a lot. They are heavy and this results in tables being dragged which can damage the legs. Vandalism is and issue we also have to deal with.

We replace about 20 tables each year. Pressure treated wood is used. With the jigs we have set up in the shop, a skilled worker can build a table in about two hours. Given that we build 20, that’s a full work week just building new tables.

A Humble Firepit

These campsite features are a case of focusing on function over appearance. We accept that these are not attractive, but we appreciate that they function well. When you are sitting around a campfire at night, you probably focus on the fire and not the firepit. Advantages? These are easily moved to accommodate each camper’s site setup. A campfire needs adequate air to burn well and these firepits draw well. When we do site cleanup after checkout the firepit is easy to deal with.

We repurpose used 45-gallon drums. These drums are clean and not suitable for any other purpose. We have around 200. They have a shorter lifespan than our tables but they are inexpensive to produce.

Conclusion

As a camper we hope you enjoy our natural setting. People don’t take much notice of our picnic tables and firepits. You might take them for granted but as campground operators, we know it’s one small detail that makes your stay at Riverbend pleasant.