Hey, hey, hey, Yogi: Buyer to turn Maine campground into Jellystone resort
Courtesy / Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts
Yogi Bear makes regular appearances at Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, of which there are 75 across the United States and Canada.
Yogi Bear and his little friend Boo-Boo are coming to central Maine — to a new Jellystone Park Camp-Resort franchise location on Androscoggin Lake.
The resort will open this summer after Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Northgate Resorts acquired the 150-acre, 203-site Beaver Book Campground, the buyer said Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.
Located 17 miles west of Augusta, in North Monmouth, the park is being rebranded as the Augusta Jellystone Park, with a website that's already taking reservations. For the July 4th weekend, the website gives three options for a family of four for a three-night stay: $62 a night for a tent site; $70 a night for an RV site; and $154 a night for a cabin that includes a so-called half-bathroom with a sink and toilet.
Existing facilities include wooded campsites, half a mile of frontage along the lake, a sandy beach for swimming and boat rentals.
Northgate Resorts said it is planning a host of improvements at the camp, including a new dock system with 32 rental slips, renovated bathhouses, new jump pads, renovated retail space and property-wide Wi-Fi.
"We're extremely excited about welcoming Beaver Brook Campground into our Northgate Resorts family as a Jellystone Park location," said Northgate CEO Zachary Bossenbroek. "We look forward to providing guests with a memorable experience and we have exciting plans for the park."
Kathy Dyer, executive director of the Auburn-based Maine Campground Owners Association, which supports campground owners and promotes camping statewide, welcomed news of the ownership change.
"Beaver Brook Campground has been a dedicated member of our association for over 25 years and we are thrilled that the new owners of Beaver Brook Campground have retained their membership with our association," she told Mainebiz. "We are extremely pleased and excited for the new renovations to the park. "
She also said that she looks forward to visiting the park this summer and meeting the new owners and staff members.
Jenny Kordick, executive director of Maine Outdoor Brands, said, "We have seen increasing outdoor activities accessible for the whole family during the pandemic. There is clearly an opportunity to expand services and investment in this outdoor sector in Maine."
Existing Beaver Brook Campground attractions at include a water park with a heated pool, two tubular water slides and a large patio, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a disc golf course.
Northgate owns and operates RV and cabin resorts nationwide, including 15 Jellystone Park locations, out of 75 total across the United States and Canada. The parks are franchised through a company called Leisure Systems Inc., whose parent company is Sun Outdoors.
Besides pools and water slides, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resorts feature family-friendly activities, a range of accommodations including upmarket camping or "glamping," and daily interaction with Yogi Bear characters.
Yogi Bear is a cartoon character who made his debut in 1958 on "The Huckleberry Hound Show," an animated television series, and got his own series in 1961. He lived in the fictional Jellystone Park, a variant of the real-life Yellowstone National Park, engaging in silly antics that irked Ranger Smith. Yogi's name was a nod to the legendary New York Yankees baseball catcher and manager, Yogi Berra.
Northgate's investment aligns with a recent prediction by Preti Flaherty partner Jason Howe of continued deal momentum this year in the hospitality sector, particularly acquisitions of hotels with waterfront locations.
"A couple of hotel chains I work with are very bullish about the opportunities out there right now, and they are acquiring," he told Mainebiz in January. "I would expect that to continue."
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