Campers More Ready Than Sites at Some NC State Recreation
Just a short time until the first “big show” at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area campgrounds; it’s called Memorial Day. The campers will be ready, but will the parks be ready?
Taken within the last few days, these photos show a Nutbush State Recreation Area with “defined” campsites that are not so easy to define. These sites are supposed to be filled with small gravel and be open. Kerr Lake Park Watch is visiting a number of parks around the lake and we want to share with you what we’re finding.
Cutbacks may have affected cutting or spraying. One of the most popular camping loops in the NC Recreation Areas is in Hibernia’s electric loop in Area 2. Some of those electric and water sites are virtually impossible to get any kind of trailer or RV into because they are first, undefined, which means they do not have timber boundaries and a gravel surface within. They are extremely unlevel, eroded in places, and several sites, you might say, “have campers literally stumped!”
The stump pun might be funny unless you back your RV over one or fall over a stump while rambling around your campsite at night.
Kerr Lake, the North Carolina State Recreation Areas, and in particular Hibernia, need more RV sites with defined areas big enough for motorhomes, fifth wheels and the like, somewhat leveled sites, with convenient electrical and water outlets set on the driver’s side of the site and lantern holders, picnic table and a defined use area on the passenger’s side.
Three years ago, KLPW with some Kerr Lake Park officials mapped out in the rough some 25- 30 potential electrical and water sites in Area 1 of the park; sites that were well above the flooding areas. Those sites remain on a marked map in who knows who’s office or file drawer, but the campers of Hibernia have not seen new electric and water sites in decades, nor have they seen upgrades like some of the other lake parks and state parks. After the last so-called improvements at Henderson Point, we at Kerr Lake Park Watch are wary. Just this weekend campers Bucky and Juanita stated they would never return to Henderson Point, especially to the new sites. They complained that the new sites have too many levels, too many steps, too much rip-rap rocks. But Juanita said the clincher of disapproval comes from having the camping awning split over two levels and a lower level of rocks.
What those folks want is for NC State Parks to design workable, realistic, camper-need-focused sites. KLPW thinks that’s a reasonable request!
The above photos are both recent and real which makes them a real shame. KLPW and the campers who frequent the state’s recreation areas are sharing this with other campers and with you in an effort to gain improvements that are way past due.
This is exactly what I was speaking of! Not only the dangers of hitting it with the car or camper but I’m sure people know that wasp and bees like to nest in these stumps. I’m sure if the right person were there, the stumps would come up. Also the undefined camping sites are a pain. If a camper comes in, how does he know how to park the camper without taking up the next camping site. A lot of work needs to be done for this campground to be brought to specifications to look decent.
And there is manpower there that should and could do it.