Not all IL parks are created equal, Shabbona Lake is charging $25 a night, $35 for holiday weekends... So I can only assume there are other IL parks charging a higher than advertised rate increase.
JohnIL wrote: A recent thread concerning reservation fees reminded me that I intended to ask everyone what their state charges for camping in state parks. Here in Illinois the cost used to be $15 per night. This season, they've raised the cost to $20 per night and $30 per night on Holiday weekends. We don't have to worry about full campgrounds anymore! The CG where we stayed over Independence Day was only half full. Personally, I think the state has slit their own throats on this one. It's hard to charge campers that don't camp. We like our State campgrounds so we'll keep paying. What are other states charging?
John
I agree in spades John and told them so when I was there a few weeks ago...
Rock Cut S.P., another Illinois S.P. is the CG we go to, is a Class AA CG, and in fact, the fees you mentioned are even higher at Rock Cut... They have gone from $20 to $25 per night for "normal" weekends, and $35 per night on Holiday weekends...
I took a ride on my motorcycle up there this weekend and it was the first time on a 4th of July weekend that I have not seen the "park full to capacity" sign at the CG entrance... And in fact while driving around the sites, there weren't even any previous registration slips in the posts, which means they had open sites all weekend and the reserved section was pretty empty as well and the vast majority of campers in there were tenters...
Now - - get this... I finally qualify for the senior discount so I get a bit of a break on camping fees... Illinois State policy is such that I only get that discount on Monday thru Thursday and have to pay full price over the weekend - I guess I revert back to 55 years of age on the weekends - - ONLY IN ILLINOIS!!
I agree that Illinois State parks are rapidly pricing themselves out of the market... At 35 bucks a night I can darn near go to a private CG and get a full hookup, pool, game room for the kids, and a lot of other amenities...
A little over 2 - 3 years ago, the State Park System here hit us with a whopping 90%+ increase in fees going from $11 per nite to $20 per nite... Now we get hit with another $5 per nite just a year or so later and an increase of $10 per nite on Holidays - this is getting ridiculous, and I for one am rethinking spending any time at Rock Cut or any other Illinois State CG...
Maybe I'll find a nice seasonal site in a private CG somewhere and forget about the Illinois State Parks and the high price of fuel when towing my TT to them
I'll tell ya what - I'll certainly rethink my plans for Illinois State Parks for next year and I can tell you for sure that there will be NO reservations in advance for them where you have to front the first night plus 5 bucks for EACH reservation...
"the juice just ain't worth the squeeze anymore"
Les
* This post was
edited 07/07/08 06:22pm by LAdams *
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Question for Dnvrguy. Isn't there a "day use" fee of $6 tacked onto the site fee? And, is the senior discount for Colorado residents only? I'm planning on spending a little time in Colorado.
In some areas there is pressure from private campgrounds that want the state parks to charge more. They feel that if the prices are comparable more will come to their private campground.
Texas is pretty reasonable, to a point. CG fees for water and electric are ~$18.00. I've found very few that have sewer. But, on top of that, they charge a 'use' fee of $3.00 per person. So that $18.00 becomes $24.00 for two people. However, if you buy the yearly pass, the use fee is waived and you're back down to $18.00. Also, with the pass, you get 6 coupons that gives a 50% discount for the 2d night and only one can be used with each visit. I think it's pretty good deal and we keep a yearly pass. That works out great for a quick Saturday or Sunday picnic; we can drive in, claim a table and grill, and fix a steak for free.
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Mississippi State Park camping fees very from park to park with most being $18.00 for a full hookup and $14.00 for water and 30/50amp service only. Discount is given to those over 65 or disabled. When we camped at Enid Lake, Chickasaw Hills recreation area over the Memorial Day weekend all of the camping sites were occupied. Last week, when I reserved a camp site at Enid Lake, George P. Cossar recreation area, for the Labor Day weekend I noticed all camp sites had been reserved with the exception 9 sites. This past weekend the George P. Cossar recreation area was at about 80% capacity. Hope this information has helped.
AZ State parks are $25.00 full hook-ups. They increased from $20.00 last year.
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I am pretty sure the rates in Michigan are $24-$28 depending on the CG. There may be another rate for Full Hookups, but those CGs are very few.
Now.. having said that.. I'll gladly pay the $24-$28 for the SP and the elec that is included. The SP's are far far nicer than ANY private CG I have been to. The difference between the 2 are sa far apart that I can comfortably say that I would take a SP over a private CG any day. The woods, the bigger sites, the people, all seem to be different.. No Golf Carts, Sites aren't jammed up like a trailer park. I can honestly say that I don't really like to see increases as, here in Michigan, everything is going downhill, but if those fees keep the SPs running.. I'll be happy to pay it. We have some wonderful, beautiful SPs around here.
I didn't know you retired... congratulations Les...
the senior thing would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculous...
I think the fees have increased dramatically in most states...
a few years back they were talking about parks falling into disrepair and even closing some due to budget cutting and increasing cost... I was happy they choose raising fees instead of closing sites or parks...
the cost in many SP's did go up a lot faster than private parks but that was because the private parks were higher already...
they are at a point now where private CG' and state CG's are completively priced in some areas... and you will soon see a spike in private fees or the cutting of amenities in them also... it has already begin...
most of the state parks I have been to were very nice clean and much bigger sites than in the private parks... private parks offer amenities SP dwellers generally are not looking for...
the gas price at the pump hurts, but no where as much as it far reaching effects it has in other areas of our life's...
it is the piling on of cost due to energy prices that are going to make us choose, not where to camp, but if we are going to camp...
most CG will need the money to stay afloat, and many campers will not be able or willing to pay it...
CG's will have to choose if a higher price for 2/3 occupancy is worth more that a full park at a lower price... I am afraid most would choose the fewer campers at the higher price because fewer campers = less maintenance as well and a higher margin per site...
and the snowball effect begins...
it's sad but fewer and fewer of us, myself included will be priced out of a true love of mine, camping as we know it...
I sure didn't foresee everything that is happening, but it is no surprise either... we have been heading here for a long time now, and couldn't see the forest for the trees, so to speak...
it is a big part of my reasoning for retiring at 49 for 10 or more years then returning to work if need be... the other big part was while I was able to do things health wise, I might not be able to do later in life...
as fast as prices are rising I will be approaching that crossroad sooner than I want, but at least I got 13 years of retirement out of it so far...
another big concern is what kind of world I/we leave for our kids and grandchildren... I am not proud of what that looks like right now...
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