VIRGINIA HIKES STATE PARKS CAMPING RATES


CAMPING RATES HIKED FOR VA STATE PARKS – Affects rates for Occoneechee State Park and Staunton River State Park in the Virginia State Parks system.

Added only as a FAQ sheet to an 8-page “Year in Review” report by VA State Parks Director Joe Elton, the quietly announced park rate hike has already taken effect.

“Although it is not perfectly clear in the information we have seen, it looks like camping fees for 2014 will go up about 12% and the cabin rates will only increase 5%, which seems backwards to us at Kerr Lake Park Watch,” said that organization’s spokesman, Frank Timberlake.

“It’s the first we’ve heard about rate increases. Apparently, Virginia State Parks is like most other government bureaucracies, operating in a vacuum, devoid of any public interaction. We think in this economy a 12% camping fee increase is ludicrous. We can beat on our chest and holler, but it’s already done. We use both cabins and campsites at Occoneechee and I don’t understand why the rate increase hits the RV’er and camper the hardest,” added Timberlake.

“If you ask them I would expect them to respond back with a question about if we want some parks to close. That’s what government does when citizens question. Government’s totally out of step with the working people and that’s the several hundred people around Kerr we represent.”

The leadership of KLPW is considering asking the State of Virginia, specifically DCR, to provide park discounts to senior citizens and to people out of work.  That, according to Kerr Lake Park Watch is going to take some planning and lots of communications.

Posted in: KLPW - Campground Facilities and Improvements, KLPW - Occoneechee State Park, KLPW- Staunton River State Park

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