The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA) has bought the Moeraki Boulders Holiday Park lease, which it will hold for about 40 years.
The association has 56 parks across the country but the park in Hampden will be different.
NZMCA will continue to run the campground while also operating a separate part of the camp as a motor caravan park for members.
All its other parks are solely for its members.
Campgrounds around New Zealand have been sold for property development in recent years, including Cromwell Holiday Park, which closed in 2021 to be developed into a subdivision.
Many campgrounds have disappeared over the past 20 years — most on the coast.
NZMCA property and policy national manager James Imlach said buying the park was a way to help preserve it for future generations while providing a service to its members.
The association recognised camping grounds were disappearing and wanted to help retain them.
It had more than 100,000 members, all of whom would be able to take advantage of special rates and exclusive access to part of the park, however the main area would remain open for public access.
During busier times the campground might adjust the use of those spaces to fit its needs.
"The community can be reassured we understand this site is important to them.
"We want to be part of the community, too."
There would be a fulltime manager at the park and local members would ensure everything was operating smoothly, he said.
As a not-for-profit association it was not driven by the rate of return on the site and instead had the long-term goal of bettering the area for the public and its members.
It also planned to improve the infrastructure at the park, he said.
The camping ground is just north of the Moeraki Boulders.
More than 200 native plants had been planted near the site in the past decade.
During Christmas holidays it was a popular camping site for families from South Canterbury and Otago.
The park, which closes over winter, will open under NZMCA ownership at Labour weekend in October.
