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Old 05-02-2010, 08:45 PM   #1
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New California State Campground Fee Increase

I was walking my dog at South Carlsbad State Beach the other day and got into a discussion with a person camping in a beach front camp site. He paid $50.00 a night with no hookups. He was upset because the ranger told him the state had no plans to turn the outside hot water spigots back on. He voiced his complaint then the ranger told him the State planned on raising the fees again. New fees would be $54.00 for one vehicle plus $12.00 for tow vehicle and dump fees to be $10.00,no more free dumping if you paid for a camp site. Has anyone else heard of this proposed fee increase? Just wondering if this could be true. Mike
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Old 05-02-2010, 11:50 PM   #2
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You can stay in a private campground with full hookups AND cable for that!
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Old 05-03-2010, 07:14 AM   #3
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I agree Neil, but sometimes you pay extra for the view....
$50.00 night would be a huge % increase though.
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Old 05-03-2010, 09:14 AM   #4
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We just finished making our November reservations at San Elijo and San Clemente and the rates were still the same "post-inflated" amounts...no new increases yet!
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Old 05-03-2010, 09:25 AM   #5
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Wow! They start doing that and a lot of people are just going to sell their rigs 'cause they simply can't afford to camp!
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Old 05-03-2010, 09:48 AM   #6
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That's pretty much what happens when a state's taxpayers decide that they don't want to put a share into the kitty that runs the parks. There's always lots of back-and-forth argument on this kind of matter in the public arena, some of which is not very flattering to RVers, especially to RVers from out of state or to RVers whose rigs are considered low-income junk. In that sense, it's entirely understandable (even if also shortsighted, IMHO).

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Old 05-03-2010, 10:03 AM   #7
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I agree with all the comments. I hope the fellow I spoke to was mistaken. The higher fees make it tough for family's or anyone else for that matter to do an inexpensive camping trip. What appears to be happening in the short term is campers are doubling up in the sites. Now when I walk I see two rigs and one tow/driver vehicle. Plus now I'm seeing open/unused sites where there were none in the past. The option of staying in a private campground with the amenities looks really good under the circumstances. Plus the private campgrounds are glad to have you where sometimes I feel like I'm putting the state employees out by showing up. Johnco, we did this past Christmas/New Years at San Elijo with resvervations made prior to the fee increase and it was very reasonable and I had a full hookup site. Next year is looking like twice the price and San Elijo campground is looking very rough around the edges. Thanks for the comments and hopefully someone "in the know" on proposed fees will make a comment. For now my wife and I will be hitting the road for Colorado in June and not be returning home to California until November. Vintage rallies and the international await us on the road. Mike and Meg
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Old 05-03-2010, 10:17 AM   #8
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We good bye to California State Parks some time ago. We found that some county parks, such as Doran Beach in Sonoma County, Chula Vista RV, owned by the city of San Diego, shareholder owned, but open to the public Pismo Coast Village in Pismo Beach offer a much better deal. Reservations for Pismo Coast Village must be made early for most weekends and for time in the summer. These other parks offer the same or more amenities, for the same or in some cases much less money than the California State Parks. The California State Park next door to PCV most always has room. Tell you anything?

One other thing, reservations at Chula Vista RV and Pismo Coast Village are free. You don't have to deal with Reserve America or some other reservation system that charges. When you add the reservation fee to a one or two night stay at a California State Park, the price is really out of line.

Rates at Pismo Coast Village, for instance, are $40 per night weeknights for what they call off prime time, which is just about all mid week nights November thru May. During that time if you check in on Sunday or Monday for three nights, they give you the fourth night free, That's $30 per night. When you find a better deal at a park that nice, I want to know about it. There may be other good deals out there.

I believe the State of California wants out of the camping business, and this is their way of getting out. Giving less for more money is a sure way to send any venture down the tubes.

Too bad.
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Old 05-03-2010, 11:59 AM   #9
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Jim, I think you hit the nail squarely on the head. Too bad, the beach front state campgrounds are money makers but the state keeps taking the money and putting it in to the general fund where it gets wasted. The physical conditions of the state campgrounds illustrate this. See ya down the road, Mike and Meg
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Old 05-03-2010, 12:57 PM   #10
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"Follow the money"

One of the things you have to consider is who gains the most by either closing state run rv parks or making the fees so high that it's sends campers elsewhere. Initially private RV parks feared that the closings would cause them harm.

The following is from RV Business....

Closing California’s state parks to help balance the financially strapped state’s budget would do little to help the $24 billion shortfall and could harm the privately owned RV parks and campgrounds in the Golden State.
So says the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CalARVC) which is lobbying state legislators to find a compromise to the closures, according to Debbie Sipe, CalARVC executive director.
CalARVC board members met late last week and discussed the state’s financial crisis. While it took no formal vote on the budget crisis, the sentiment was “we are opposed to the closures,” she said.
Even though it could be a boom to many of our members, we are worried about the potential backlash” to the 370 CalARVC member parks, she said.
If state parks are closed, the public might wrongly assume that private parks are closed too, she said.
And from a service point of view, “We don’t think we could absorb the full influx of campers out there,” she added


"The occupancy at private RV parks and campgrounds in California in 2009 was 57.8% or down 0.6% from 2008, according to a study by the California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (CalARVC).
The 2009 occupancy rate was down 2.7% from 2007 and down 4.9% from 2006, making 2009 the lowest occupancy for the past 10 years, CalARVC noted in its current Wednesday Morning Coffee Talk & Updates e-newsletter.
Occupancy was highest in 2005 at 63.8%, followed by 2001 at 63.5%

So what was the compromise the lobbyist got?

Was increasing the rates at state parks intended to force people to look elsewhere to camp? Is this just another example of privatization? As Jim said is California (and other states like AZ) looking to get out of the camping business?

Just a thought.......
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Old 05-03-2010, 02:07 PM   #11
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That's too bad that California is in such a mess that even the state parks suffer. That just goes to show how misguided the state's financial priorities really are. Politicians insist on giving generous workman's comp packages and benefits to illegal aliens while state coffers run dry.
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Old 05-03-2010, 02:15 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TWaugh View Post
Was increasing the rates at state parks intended to force people to look elsewhere to camp? Is this just another example of privatization? As Jim said is California (and other states like AZ) looking to get out of the camping business?

Just a thought.......
For a couple of decades now, we have been seeing folks from the north (US and Canada) come south with their trailers and motorhomes to spend the winter, and their money, in warmer, nicer climates. Whether in California, Arizona, New Mexico or Texas, they flock in droves to escape the cold. Some RV facilities in the aforementioned areas cater to these nice people with special monthly rates, activities, and other amenities, others turn a blind eye, pay no attention, and wonder why they are empty or nearly so, and can not make a payroll.
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Old 05-03-2010, 02:19 PM   #13
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As you know, we in Arizona are are being subjected to a similar state park campground dilemma. The AZ legislature, after raping/pillaging/diverting state funds intended to run the parks, decided to close down the lion's share of state parks (those with and without camping facilities) on a schedule that runs from Feb to June 2010. As if that wasn't enough of an insult...they raised the entry and camping rates across the board as of 1 March! For example, we used to camp with water & electric hookups at Roper Lake State Park for $16/night...but as of 1 March, the rates increased to $23/night. That's a 43.8% increase! (Roper was scheduled to close 29 Mar but got an extention to 3 June. We're waiting to see if another entity or combination of entities will step up to take it over.) If closures happen as planned and rates continue to increase in parks where closures aren't slated, the concept of an inexpensive camping trip vanishes. The fee for full hookups (water/elect/sewer) at Fool Hollow is currently at $30/night...still less than most private places, but it's getting close. Two years ago, the rate was $20/night. Those who still want to camp in campgrounds rather than private RV parks (like us) will end up in national forest campgrounds ... not a bad thing in itself, but they are already busy. When you add campers from the state parks to those already camping in national forest campgrounds, it will get very busy ... and guess what ... national forest campgrounds rates will also go up. We have chosen not to go to CA recently because of the increases. I can't imagine staying at a campsite with NO hookups for $50/night no matter what the view is. That's insane. If the states aren't trying to get out of the camping business, they are doing a great job of shooting themselves and their tourism industry in the foot. Very sad.
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Old 05-03-2010, 02:19 PM   #14
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Just paid $42.00 dollars to stay overnight in Bodega Bay.. $2.00 bucks at that gates for the dog too.. ouch.

No hookups and the line was 20 deep at the dump station..
I would do it again I suppose but I will have to save some more money before that happens..

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Old 05-03-2010, 02:21 PM   #15
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I saw a piece a couple of weeks ago on the Arizona situation. The state was willing at that point to turn individual parks over to private interests if a deal could be worked out along the lines of the concessionaires that run many of the campgrounds in national parks today.

That's a bad move, in my opinion.

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Old 05-03-2010, 02:50 PM   #16
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I'm discovering that some of the Forest Service campgrounds, at least in the Tahoe area, are 'farming' the management to private companies.
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Old 05-03-2010, 02:54 PM   #17
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Just paid $42.00 dollars to stay overnight in Bodega Bay.. $2.00 bucks at that gates for the dog too.. ouch.

No hookups and the line was 20 deep at the dump station..
I would do it again I suppose but I will have to save some more money before that happens..

Vin
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At least you were able to dump. If you were at Doran, you had access to water to fill your fresh water tank as well. Some California State Parks have neither water or a dump, the Strand near San Diego for instance. It's next to the beach, but that's it baby. Nothing but a black top parking lot, and $60 per night. Not even a place to dump wash water.

Begs the question... "What are these State people thinking?"

Answer......They're not.
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Old 05-03-2010, 06:05 PM   #18
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To all, Hope I haven't stirred up a hornets nest but the posts all bring up good points to ponder. What's the solution/fix....Who's to know. For now I'll think hard about spending the money to camp in a no hookup California State campground. Next week a lot of us (250 at last count) will be at Pismo Coast Village (private park) with full hookups and access to a great beach and town for a lot less money than the state campground next door. The state probably doesn't care about the lost revenue, they will tax something else and give the campgrounds up to a vendor/operator and take a small cut without putting any effort out. We have to enjoy the moment with our friends,family and Airstreams and if necessary travel a bit. We can visit states that want our business and appreciate the money we put into the local economies of the places we visit. Mike and Meg
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Old 05-03-2010, 06:25 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by WoodN48 View Post
To all, Hope I haven't stirred up a hornets nest but the posts all bring up good points to ponder. What's the solution/fix....Who's to know. For now I'll think hard about spending the money to camp in a no hookup California State campground. Next week a lot of us (250 at last count) will be at Pismo Coast Village (private park) with full hookups and access to a great beach and town for a lot less money than the state campground next door. The state probably doesn't care about the lost revenue, they will tax something else and give the campgrounds up to a vendor/operator and take a small cut without putting any effort out. We have to enjoy the moment with our friends,family and Airstreams and if necessary travel a bit. We can visit states that want our business and appreciate the money we put into the local economies of the places we visit. Mike and Meg
Mike & Meg,

Anytime this type of thread is started, the hornets nest is shaken. Don't worry, what you bring up is good information and I hope the ranger was wrong.

Bill
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