Campers Cove to keep family feel under new owners
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ALPENA - After 24 years of owning and operating Campers Cove RV Park & Canoe Livery as a family-oriented destination on the Thunder Bay River and Lake Winyah, Mark and Judy Hall have sold the business to Joe and Amber Sloan.
The sale of the campground in Alpena closed earlier this week. The Halls, who listed the park for roughly five years while searching for the right buyers, said they were determined to find a family rather than a corporation or investment group.
"We were adamant that we did not want an investment group getting it, or a corporation, because we knew what they would do with it," Mark Hall said. "The Sloans wrote a couple letters to us on what their intentions were with the campground, which met our requirements."
The Halls first arrived in Alpena in 2002 after years of looking at campgrounds across Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. Judy Hall had operated a daycare downstate and wanted a career change once their daughter was older. Mark Hall had experience living with a family that owned a campground.
They almost walked away from Campers Cove after an initial visit on a snowy, wet Memorial Day weekend. After lunch at Pizza Hut, the weather cleared, they drove back, and the park "woke up" with families and kids. They spent months working out a deal with the previous owners and took over a property that was part family campground, part fishing destination and, in their view, and occasionally a party spot.
"We knew exactly what we needed to be, and that was a family campground," Mark Hall said. "We wanted a place for moms, dads, grandparents, grandkids, and the family dog. If you came here to party and set a bad example for those families, you were in the wrong place."
What they are most proud of, he said, is maintaining that character.
"We wanted to create a place where families and kids can do what we did as kids," he said.
The couple became deeply involved in the community. Judy Hall served as a township clerk and took election duties seriously. Mark Hall worked as a career firefighter for Alpena Township, later serving as an Alpena County commissioner, including the -chairman, and 911 director and emergency manager, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This community, the Alpena community, took us in 24 years ago, and they adopted us," Mark Hall said. "They allowed us to entertain them and their kids through Halloween weekends and then allowed both me and Judy to not only be businesspeople in the community but also allowed us to serve them."
He described the public service roles as a gift from the community rather than something to highlight as personal achievement. The Halls said they now have far more lifelong friends in Alpena than in the White Lake and Waterford area where they grew up.
For the past six years, Judy Hall has lived in a house they bought in Brighton so she could be near their granddaughter, Molly. Mark Hall has resided at the park during the camping season. "We are going to be under one roof for the first time in six years," he said.
Judy Hall said the change brings relief after the stress of the sale process and the years of separation. "It is time to go back to a normal life," she said.
Mark Hall said he is doing well so far but expects the transition may feel harder next spring. "This was my original dream that my wife allowed me to have, and God blessed me with."
The Sloans contacted the Halls' broker in mid-2026, visited the park, and worked through the process until closing. The Halls said they liked the couple and the way they interacted. Many seasonal and regular campers have already responded positively on the campground's Facebook page, expressing happiness for the Halls while welcoming the Sloans and hoping the park's character continues.
"Some of our seasonal campers are sad to see us go, but they immediately follow that by saying how happy they are for us," Mark Hall said, noting that they have built lifelong bonds with guests. "Those relationships won't end after this." Judy Hall echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the couple is not saying goodbye and expects to see many of their campers again.
The Halls' hope is that the Sloans succeed and are welcomed by the community the way they were.
"They are a new set of eyes and a new set of ideas," Judy Hall said. "They are going to see things after 24 years that we never saw."
The Sloans said their children are now in college and they were ready for the next chapter. The couple wanted a business that would allow them to spend more time together and a community they could call home.
"Campers Cove stood out because of what Mark and Judy have built over the last 24 years, a place where friends and families reconnect and enjoy the outdoors, whether it's paddling around the lake or sharing a night around the campfire, memories are made that will last a lifetime," the Sloans said. "We feel honored to carry that legacy forward."
The couple said they have no major changes in the works for their first season. The focus will be on getting to know the park and the campers. They intend to keep the family atmosphere, the friendly faces, and annual traditions such as the Halloween weekends.
"Over time, we hope to add more events so campers and neighbors alike can come out and enjoy the park," the Sloans said. Ideas they have discussed include working with local guides on fishing and hunting trips, bringing in local musicians and food trucks, and participating in community events.
Joe Sloan's background is in education. The couple hopes to partner with local schools and youth organizations so children can learn about nature and build outdoor skills at the park. Amber Sloan is a veteran and hopes the campground can find ways to honor and support military members and their families.
From its abundant waterfront properties and watercraft rentals to its indoor heated pool, mini-golf, and playground, Campers Cove has spent decades serving both transient travelers and dedicated seasonal regulars. It stands as a thriving community hub, a testament to years of dedicated hospitality as it transitions into its next chapter.