The history of Beachcomber Campground is a reflection of the camping business in America.

 

Beachcomber Campground opened for business in 1975, at a time when camping was in its infancy in America.  There were many campgrounds, but most were small "Mom & Pop" operations.

 

Camping for the most part, was a rustic & rural experience for those who wanted to "get away from it all".  There was no cable TV, no telephones, no microwaves, or three season screen rooms! You were lucky to have a small camper, with electricity & water available on the campsite.

 

Beachcomber was opened as a destination campground. Cape May County was a beautiful location near the ocean & bay, within an easy driving distance of New York, North Jersey, Philadelphia, Washington DC & Delaware.

 

Since Beachcomber was built from scratch, the developers, Tom & Claire Brodesser, toured many campgrounds in the Northeast, in order to develop the "perfect" campground, on the site of a former mining operation.

 

The centerpiece of the campground was a 3 1/2 acre spring-fed lake. As a result of Tom & Claire's campground tour, Pool #1, the Pavilion & the main playground were at the center of the campground, & all of the

sites were constructed around the lake.

 

Beachcomber opened in the summer of 1975, as a 295 site campground. The entire campground at that time is now the Commodore's Quarters. Reviews were very positive & the first season was overwhelmingly successful.  Tom & Claire never looked back or rested on their Laurels. Claire worked on developing repeat clientele. These repeat clientele became "seasonal" campers.  It is these seasonal campers that are the backbone of Beachcomber.

 

In the early days of Beachcomber camping was well camping. There were many small camping units, pop up campers & tents. People stayed for a week or two at a time, once or twice in the summer. In the mid-1980s, the camping business took on a dramatic change when "slide-outs" & Park Models began rolling off the manufacturer's assembly lines.  These changes turned small camping units into camping cottages & eventually into today's second homes!  Fortunately, Beachcomber was built with oversized sites, which could handle these large "homes". Current "Park Models" have double lofts, microwaves, fireplaces, flat screen TV's with HD cable & internet.  A screen room enclosure is added to most units, which results in a "small home at the shore."  

 

Expansion of Beachcomber came in 1984 with the Captain's Quarters". In 1988, the lake was expanded by 1 1/2 acres, to a total of 5 acres, as it currently is today.  The "Admiral's Quarters" was added in 1991.  Due to these & other improvements, Beachcomber changed its name from "Beachcomber Campground" to "Beachcomber Camping Resort" in

1990, to better reflect the all-encompassing facility Beachcomber had become.

 

The second generation of the Brodesser Family has already been working to improve Beachcomber and make it the best facility it can be! Tammy (Brodesser) Gomez worked at the campground in the late 70's & the early 80's.  After a stint in college & the home building business, she re-joined the operation in the mid-1990s.

 

Ken Gomez, Tammy's husband, joined the campground in 1988, after law school, & has worked with Tom on the expansion & reconstruction of the campground.

 

In addition, the 3rd generation of the Brodesser/ Gomez family, Mark & Mary Gomez, have been employed at Beachcomber for several years learning the business from the ground up. In 2014 Mark & Mary opened & operated the Ice Cream Cabana on the Lake, further enhancing the amenities here at Beachcomber.

 

Beachcomber has become a place where families come to make memories. We have many second & third generation camping families here. Our goal is to provide camping & enjoyment of the outdoors for many years to come. 

 

We would like to express our thanks to all of the employees of Beachcomber, past & present, who have worked so hard over the years to help make Beachcomber the great place it is today!  MOST IMPORTANTLY, we would like to thank all of our campers who continue to enjoy Beachcomber as their family vacation destination.