Really, what is your opinion of your state park system? Not the scenery/location, I would venture to say that the majority of the state parks are located in beautiful locations. I want to know what you think about the system.
Are they well maintained? Are they staffed with good people? Do the facilities, activities, etc emulate a pride in the system? Or are they just there because somebody 50 years ago thought a state park system was a good idea?
I understand that a lot of the state park systems are strapped for cash, and on some insanely tight budgets. Realistically, it s the states own fault for this..... too many parks......poor maintenance from the beginning......pathetic business management, etc.
I ll start off with my home state, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is another state who has cut back the budget for the parks system down to the quick. This is painfully obvious when you go to the parks and the facilities date back to beginning of it all, which just happens to be the last time they did maintenance. They have tried over the years. One attempt was to label a couple of parks, resorts , and give em a good heavy makeover. Overall the system is lacking, with one or two of the parks just down right nasty.
I m in no way saying that I stay away from them, I visit them for the location. Just last week we stayed at Lake Tenkiller (beautiful!). But I am saying that I am not proud of our park system.....actually, maybe a bit embarrassed.
What about YOUR state parks?
JR
CampGAbout Texas State Parks I could almost say, " All of the above." I ve not visited all that many, but every one seems different as to cleanliness (campsites, restrooms, etc.), road maintenance, personnel, etc. Some are old and run-down, some are new and in great condition. At some (most) parks the personnel are friendly and seem to go out of their way to make your registration and stay more enjoyable while in a park or two we have met the proverbial " Park Ranger from Hell!" and were made to feel like we were interrupting their office work. Guess it s like most franchise businesses - it depends on the workers at each location to make it profitable. All in all we like our State Parks and much prefer them over most private parks we have stayed in or driven through. I m sure all our parks could be better if they had the money, but then you get into politics and who decides which park gets the biggest slice of the money-pie, etc., etc.
CampGTennessee state parks are now days a Political pawn! The Governor has let them run down and even closed them for several months because he could not get an Income tax passed.
CampGHi,
We ll ditto a lot that Wayfarer had to say in his previous post. I feel that our Texas State Park System, or any other state park system, does the best with what they have to work with, (i.e., personnel, facilities, and funds).
We have camped at around 10-12 different parks around Texas, and have had very positive results each and everytime. DW and I are firm supporters of the park system and do all we can do help.
Chuck and Terry
CampGI think the Virginia State Park system is one of the best I ve ever had to deal with!!! They are clean, modern, most have Electric & water hook-up s available, and they seem to cater to their campers really well.
As for their personel, I d say first rate! But don t take my word for it, ask our own Va State Park employee Louise (StateParkGrl)!!! [:D]
CampGWe generally try to stay only at State Parks, as they usually fit our camping style the best! So we ve stayed pretty extensively at Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts state parks.
Vermont usually has the best run parks, friendliest staff, easiest reservations, cleanest bathrooms, etc. Although we did stay in one once, where the firepit hadn t been cleaned.
New Hampshire also has pretty good parks, Reservations are so-so, as they will only take Visa/Mastercard or cerified check at the time of reservations. Parks are usually well run and clean, although one has the bathroom shutdown for 2 hours plus a day for cleaning!
Massachusetts parks are generally filthy compared to NH & VT! Although we recently stayed in one where the sites were generally clean and you could stand to use the bathrooms. even though they were not REALLY cleaned all Labor Day weekend! (Watched to see if a dead spider on the floor ever got swept or washed away- It didn t!) Reservations are generally easy although don t like paying the extra $$$ that you have to pay to ReserveAmerica!
CampGLet me start off by saying that I ve only visited 2 or 3 of the state parks here in Iowa. Why - well mainly because they do not have a reservation system. The last thing DH & I want to do is load everything up for a weekend, drive to the park only to find there are no sites left. We did that recently at a neaby county park, arrived at 8:30 am on Friday morning, guess that wasn t early enough. [:@]
That said, the parks we ve visited have generally been well kept and fairly up to date. Of course, the last time we stayed at one was before the big budget crunch so I m not sure how they ve fared since then.
Sharon
CampGOurs are ok, but un the summer theny can become a very roudy place.. since we have a lot of vacationers from near by states visit,,, some have never seen the beach before while others dont take precautions when in the northern part of the state( Bears) I think they need to be cleaned up a little and more security. Sure most people like to relax and drink while around the cam fire...[8D] but dont be loud and actting like jerks.... we had one time been awoken to a HUGH monster truck pulling up to a site... trying to back his way in, yelling and cursing by then the whole family is out sitting ont
the p[icnic table just watching now this is happening at 1100 at night...Headlights shown tru the
pop up like it was morning!![: (]AFter almost 4o mins of yelling crying kids, they packed up and went to a larger spot.....[:D]
CampGGreat post! I d say the North Carolina state parks have as great a potential as any place in the country. The shame is that it s not utilized to it s fullest potential. Politics...again. Our southern neighbor, SC knows how to do state parks right. From the mountains to the coast, they offer some very nice, well kept parks.
CampGI agree with SkipP about NC & SC state parks. We really like Lake Norman State Park. The park is close to home, large sites & recently remodeled bath house. I fish alot at Stone Mountain, but have not camped there (yet). They too have nice sites & a nice/modern bath house.
Without a reservation system, I am sometimes hesitant to plan on a state park. I doubt that they would be 100% full, but it would be a disaster if after a lot of planning to arrive without a site.
No hook-ups is not a problem for us. We do not have an air conditioner, & with some shade & a place to swim, we are ok.
I signed up for information on West Virgina s state parks. They, like SC, seem to have a very nice park plan. Many of the parks have a resort-like list of amenities.
CampGWhile TN state parks have been used as a political pawn with our previous governor, hopefully that s a thing of the past. I have camped in 4 state parks in recent years and found all of them to be great places to camp. The restrooms, although not " new" by any stretch of the imagination, were relatively clean and not in a state of disrepair. The camp hosts were helpful, cordial, etc. While financial cutbacks are obvious, the parks I have been to have been maintained well. Of course, we all wish there was more money available but I m sure that s the case everywhere. I m not a fan of private cg s as a whole; so prefer the state parks or COE s for camping.
CampGLove my Texas State Parks![;)]
CampGGeorgia seems to have been able to keep their Parks in good shape. They have a fairly good reservation system. Most parks have RV sites with W/E, and many also have walk in tent sites. Some of the parks do have older buildings. Many dating back to the 30 s having been CCC projects, but most have been maintained. Many of the parks that we ve been to have had major renovation, or new construction projects underway.
CampGI can see from readng other post here, that Louisiana is not the only state who s State Park System suffers from budget cuts and political games. That being said, I believe we have a system here that works as well as any other state park system. All of our parks have both primitive sites as well as sites with power and water and some with sewer. The parks here seem to do a good job of keeping the campsites clean and the bath houses clean and in good working condition. Most of the facilities are what I would call rustic rather than run down. Sure money could be spent I suppose on building new modern bath houses with nice shinny faucets and clay tile floors, but I would rather that money be spent on trail development and maintenace, or the addition of additional sites and educational programs for the kids. So all in all, I say Louisiana does a good job with what they have. As far as the personel and their interaction with the public, I have only had one incident in which I was displeased and actually made a complaint to the Louisiana Office of State Parks. It was a matter of rudeness on behalf of the park employee and my concern more than anything was that I sure didn t want her treating visitors from out of state the same way she treated me. In my opinion that type of behavior could ruin the overall experience for our visitor and could persuade them to leave and never come back. Anyway, I called the main office and complained and I soon recieved a phone call from the Director of State Parks. He listened to my story, appologized and sent me four certificates, each good for three nights camping at any Louisiana State Park. I remain a happy camper here in Louisiana
CampGI haven t seen too many NJ state parks so I m no expert but I do plan to camp at a couple SPs in my area. NJ parks offer dry camping at $10/night I believe. I don t think they have an online reservation system. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out a couple parks recently. I don t like primitive sites with pit toilets. I can do without electric/water sites but I want flush toilets and hot showers (not like those outdoor showers at Assateague).
I ve enjoyed several NY and PA state parks. While I hate to pay the online reservation fee, I do like being able to check availability online. I must say I prefer the 3pm checkout time at PA state parks as opposed to the 11am checkout time at NY state parks. In NY, we always wind up paying for Sun night just so we can enjoy the afternoon there. I hate leaving on Sunday mornings, just doesn t seem like a weekend to me. Actually, I just hate leaving.
Diane
CampGI would rate Indiana State parks as only fair. I been to a lot of better States parks.
CampGDitto on " Love My Texas State parks!" We much prefer them over commercial campgrounds.
The SPs do the best they can on a shoestring budget.(Shame on the legislature for their lack of support to the TPWD.)
Some of our parks are from the old CCC days but we like them anyway.
Our favorite park was going to upgrade the childrens play area, so the rangers dismantled the old playground equipment and before they could order the new one their budget got yanked out from under them. Now no playground. That is so sad and it s not the Park s fault.
We will support our parks the best we can.
CampGFirst, we are dyed in the wool State Park campers.
Illinois has reservations at selected parks, and that changes every year. Maintenance is reasonable given the dollars. With one expection, Kankakee SP (OK, my one and only time there was in 86, and a lot can change), they are clean.
Most of our camping is in the Wisconsin SPs. Even with budget cuts, still a class act. The shower buildings are almost always clean. One of the most stupid budget cuts was removing trash cans from the bathrooms. The workings of the bureaucratic mind passeth all understanding. A lot of the buildings go back to CCC, but that adds character if they are kept up (they are). The staff is consistently friendly and helpful. Where the budget cuts have hit the hardest is the Ranger led programs. When we started camping in 84, there would be two or three events on weekdays. Now, if you are lucky, one or two on a major holiday weekend. I see the online reservation system as a big step forwar. I ll happily pay Reserve America to click on a CG map, select a site, find out that it s available, and a couple more clicks and it s mine.
Our limited experience with Michigan parks has been favorable. If they passed out Oscars for state parks, in the catagory of showers, Porkypine Mountains Wilderness SP, for unlimited Hot Showers, not warm, hot to soothe aches and pains.
All this talking, I just gotta plan a trip...to a Wisconsin State Park for the first weekend in October.
CampGWe love our California State Park System.Most parks are well kept;the employees are very courteous(especially considering some of the jerks they have to deal with);the interpretative services they provide are far superior to most found in the private sector.Law enforcement is usually handled well.We like both the rustic old buildings that can be found at many parks,and the newer state of the art interpretative centers that can be found at others. In our opinion,the public service oriented California State Park System is unmatched for excellance by any private,for profit,operation that we ve seen.
CampGTwo thumbs up for Virginia State Parks! They re beautiful, well maintained, and every employee I ve ever delt with has been terrific.
CampGIn OHio we ve only been to a few to stay. We did so road trips to several. We love East Fork Lake. Many sites are shaded and go back into the woods for your fire ring and picnic table. The do have a group site and reservable, however there really isn t any shade at all and for a group to reserve the site are higher. I feel they are taking advantage of groups by charging higher - they already require that you reserve 10 spots at least. They only have 2 full hookup sites
Indian Lake has great sites, but they have too many primitive along the lake/channel for camping. They really need more electric and/or full hookups (they have about 13 full). They do have a lot of electric only, but not on lake and many are not shaded. They do need to add more shower houses there is only about 3-4 of them for the whole park -- for the primitive campers, there isn t even 1 in their area -- you have to drive to get to one.
They others, we were not as impressed with.
I do wish they would have a better reservation system. Their current policy is you can reserve a site, but you start paying from the day to make the reservation and also, you have no choice. Now once you get there, you can change your site to another one that is still open.
angelsmom10We spend lots of time in state parks, specifically those in GA, NC, and our home state of SC. All three states have great parks but overall, we like GA the best. SC has just reduced the senior discount at its parks from 50% to 15% without changing the camping fees for anyone else. While we agree the prices need to go up to keep the parks maintained, it seems unfair to penalize just the seniors. By the way, all entrance fees to the SP have been increased for everyone, these increases are higher on the coast so be prepared. It is hard to judge a SP on cleanliness since park capacity and weather seem to play an important role on how clean the bathrooms are. Hard to keep the place clean with muddy feet coming in and out all day and with people who feel it is all right to throw toilet paper on the floor and never flush a toilet. However, the three states above do make a concerted effort at keeping the park and the bathrooms clean and we will continue to use them.
angelsmom10I ve camped 20 state parks around Texas and applaud them. Most of them have a history going back to the CCC and most are in excellent condition. Even though there have been cutbacks to budgets the park system down in our part of the country seems to do well keeping things clean and updated. There are a few parks we ve been to that have left much to be desired but for the most part I would recommend a Texas SP to anyone.
angelsmom10MN does a pretty good job. They are pretty consistant as far as being clean and kept up.
The only complaint is sometimes the mosquitos at the state parks can be unbearable. The first thing they cut is the mosquito control. There are a couple parks we won t go back to for that reason.
The former wrestler Governor would always threaten to close all the parks, if he didn t get his way. Luckily he is gone now[:D]. But, I hear they have been closing down some less profitable ones, or limiting the time they are open.
forestwalker
QuoteORIGINAL: forestwalker
We love our California State Park System.Most parks are well kept;the employees are very courteous(especially considering some of the jerks they have to deal with);the interpretative services they provide are far superior to most found in the private sector.Law enforcemrnt is usually handeled well.We like both the rustic old buildings that can be found at many parks,and the newer state of the art interpretative centers that can be found at others. In our opinion,the public service oriented California State Park System is unmatched for excellance by any private,for profit,operation that we ve seen.
I ve lived in California all my life, and I have to agree that the California state parks are excellent, and a real bargain for the California camper. The only problem I have with the state parks is that the best ones book up months in advance. I can t quite wrap my brain around the idea that I need to book now at my local state park if I want to camp there on a March weekend. It didn t used to be this way, but the population in California keeps growing.
The best campgrounds I ve ever seen, though, are the campgrounds in Hawaii. They have all the facilities, hot and cold running water, real toilets, and lots of extras. Beach campgrounds usually had pavilions with big barbecues. Koke e State Park had individual camp sites carved out of the jungle, planted with grass,
and mowed regularly.
CampGI think our State parks are wonderful, I have yet to run into any negative situation other than what is caused by careless campers. I have only camped at one private campground and that was Ft. Wilderness at Disney World. We ve been to 18 of the Florida State Parks, some more than once. Although there are some we like better than others everyone of the parks has had excellent amenities from nice size sites to great restroom /shower facilities. The rangers we have dealt with have all tried to do their best to make our stay nice. The front plate on my TV is a Florida State Park plate and I m proud to display it. I have camped at many State and National Parks across the U.S. over the last 38 years and Floridas Parks are among the best, so COME ON DOWN.
angelsmom10Maryland has some very nice state parks. As a matter of fact our favorite quick trip is a state park about 40 minutes form home.
Generally large wooded sites with clean bath houses. Prices are reasonable and many of the parks allow pets.
We have also visited several Virginia state parks and have nothing put positive experiences in them also.
[link=http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/pfwma2.html]Maryland State Park Web Site[/link]
angelsmom10Over all I like the PA state parks. You have to call a toll free number to make a reservation. I wish they would go on line so that you can check the campgrounds and see what is open, along with a description of the campsite. They don t add any type of service charge to the reservation which I do like.
angelsmom10I pretty much agree with all that DiW said about NJ, NY and PA.
We ve been to all three states, and by far NJ is the worst. They appear to do little, if any, maintenance. The reservation system is archaic at best. The sites, at least the ones in Warren and Sussex county, are deplorable. Just a dreadful experience all around. Embarrassing, to be honest with you.
NY is better, at least those in the Catskills are (haven t been to any others). The sites are better maintained, the facilities are at least somewhat clean -- although not terribly modern -- and most of the employees seem reasonable enough. They allow pets and drinking, which isn t always a good thing as far as we re concerned, but for the most part they re pretty good. 11am checkout is a joke though.
But nothing beats PA! Those guys know state parks. They re well maintained, clean, modern and spacious. Hot water in the bathrooms. Shower houses all over the place. Even have deep sinks outside at the bathrooms specifically for washing your dishes! Checkin is 3pm, which is a little on the late side, but better then NY s 11am. The Rangers are all over the place, constantly, making certain no lunkheads get out of hand. The reservations system allow you to get sites up to 11 months in advance, which is too long IMHO, but it works well (heck, they even send you a confirmation letter with your reservation number). For the tri-state area nothing beats PA; they care, and it shows.
angelsmom10jawilson,
Have you stayed at Stokes? I drove through the section with flush toilets/showers and was surprised at how nice the bathhouse seemed. Haven t actually stayed there though. Had originally crossed it off my list because I was told it only had pit toilets... Have you tried Mahlon Dickerson Park? We ve biked there but never camped. I would stay in the trailer section (w/e sites) but Mahlon doesn t allow wood fires there - yet you can have them in the tent section [:@] Just doesn t seem like camping without a fire.
Di
jawilson
QuoteORIGINAL: jawilson
Hot water in the bathrooms. Shower houses all over the place. Even have deep sinks outside at the bathrooms specifically for washing your dishes!
Not all PA state parks have the above, but they are working on updating the parks
Checkin is 3pm, which is a little on the late side, but better then NY s 11am.
I agree the 3pm is late for check in, but I do like the late check in time. If the site is open earlier you can check in earlier.
The reservations system allow you to get sites up to 11 months in advance, which is too long IMHO, but it works well (heck, they even send you a confirmation letter with your reservation number).
I have to pick my vacation at the end of the year for the whole next year, so I like being able to make reservations well in advance.
angelsmom10I began tent camping at CA State parks as a teenager. I ve seen parks go from well kept to disrepair and back to well kept. I believe that CA does a good job maintaining their parks considering our ongoing budget woes. I am almost always pleased with our stay at a state park and prefer them over most private CG.
I believe the system works because there are good people working within the dept of state parks, the rangers are pleasant and helpful. Use of volunteers also helps out. Many of the older builings, WWII era have been renovated or replaced and work continues.
I don t mind paying the extra for reservation thru reserveamerica, I like knowing I ve got a site.
I think that park cleanliness depends on what type of people use the park(do they take care while visiting?)
I like State Parks.
angelsmom10Have been to 2 of the Delaware SPs, Killens Pond, in the Middle of the state and Traps Pond in southern DE.(We are talking about a state that is about 100 miles long and 35 miles wide)
Restrooms are relatively clean, water and electric is on site, not sure about the ones by the beach. Sites are not as large as the Newport News City Park in VA. In fact some of the sites are down right tight at Traps and Killens. Killens has true loops, so backing is always from a circle. making that easier. Traps was more rectangular with signs and trees in the wrong places for easy backing.
DiW
QuoteHave you stayed at Stokes? I drove through the section with flush toilets/showers and was surprised at how nice the bathhouse seemed. Haven t actually stayed there though. Had originally crossed it off my list because I was told it only had pit toilets... Have you tried Mahlon Dickerson Park? We ve biked there but never camped. I would stay in the trailer section (w/e sites) but Mahlon doesn t allow wood fires there - yet you can have them in the tent section [:@] Just doesn t seem like camping without a fire.
AAMOF, Stokes is the last park we ever camped in. After that we said no more to the NJ parks. It was that bad.
I ve never even heard of Mahlon Dickerson park. Where is that one?
tlhdoc
QuoteORIGINAL: tlhdoc
Not all PA state parks have the above, but they are working on updating the parks
We ve been to about 6 or 7, and each one has been equipped like I described. Knowing that they re updating those that don t meet their lofty standards makes me smile, because it means I ll probably never run into a bad park. It s nice to know they are aware of how to take care of their parks, isn t it?
QuoteORIGINAL: tlhdoc
I agree the 3pm is late for check in, but I do like the late check in time. If the site is open earlier you can check in earlier.
I know, it s just that 12 or 1 seems to be a bit more reasonable, for check in and check out.
QuoteORIGINAL: tlhdoc
I have to pick my vacation at the end of the year for the whole next year, so I like being able to make reservations well in advance.
Well, we differ on this one. [:)] Personally, I can t stand that. I wish it was a whole lot shorter then 11 months. [: (]
angelsmom10Arkansas State Parks were struggling until the mid-90s when a 1/8 percent sales tax went to the Parks, Game and Fish and Arkansas Heritage Foundation. Many improvements have been made and many are yet to come. We like Arkansas Parks. Our favorites are Mt. Magazine, Mt Nebo, Devil s Den and Withrow Springs. We can t wait for Lake Fort Smith SP to open in a couple of years. The old park was torn down to expand the dam. The new park will have a better view of the lake and great amenities.
We also use Oklahoma State Parks often and even though maintenance has lessened in the past few years, it is not too bad in the parks we use.
We also camp in Missouri State Parks (Roaring River and Table Rock) on occasion and find them to be in good shape.
We stayed in two Mississippi State Parks in the late 90s (Waveland and Grenada) and found them to be good too. We were impressed with the friendliness at Grenada SP
CampGI have been to a couple state parks in north central florida(where I now live)and they have been excellant, new bath houses that are extremely well maintained, good staff, real nice parks, overall.
I recently traveled to Ohio (my native Home) and camped for a week at the Kelleys island state park. It was early in the season (June) and the park was about half full. The sites were very nice, shady, Paved trailer spots. new office, well maintained overall.... except the bath houses. They were bad! Cleaning was done by a couple of teenage boys who hosed the place down and left it wet, so it was wet and muddy all day long. It was dirty and poorly maintained. I can see why people get pop-ups with the shower/poti. Why have a real nice park in every area and drop the ball in one of the most important areas. Thought about writing the parks dept about it..... then I realize what a waste of time that would be!
angelsmom10Kentucky s state park system is wonderful. Absolutely beautiful surroundings at many of them. Rates are completely reasonable. Kentucky takes great pride in its S.P. system, and it shows.
-S
This is a good post.
CajunCamper
Here in AZ all the parks we have been to have been fantastic. They are well maintained, have clean restrooms large spots and dump stations. They also have a lot of activities planned for both kids and adults. Some have hook ups while others don't. We have been very impressed with the AZ State Park system.
Sadly I have heard that they may be closing some due to budget cuts. If they do my guess is that they will be some of the more remote parks that may not get the number of visitors as some of the others.
If you are close enough to AZ I say come on over and camp!
In Hamilton County (Cincinnati area) there are two nice county parks with camping. Winton Woods and Little Miami parks are nice, basic, close to the big city places to camp. Winton was upgraded this winter to add more pull thru sites and a new camp office/store. Only drawback is they only take reservations by phone.
The northern Kentucky State Parks are very nice. Good sized sites, online reservation system, and easy searching for campgrounds in a specific area. The Kentucky web sites have real pictures of each park, and site specifics including size, pad size, etc. We've camped Big Bone Lick and Lake Kincaid and found both to have many activities, clean shower houses, friendly staff, and more.
I personally like our Texas State Parks. Yes, some are old and in need of repairs and others are newer or have been updated. With the economy the way it is there is only so much money put in place to operate the parks. I love Cleburne State Park. It is only an hour or so from home and is one of the nicest local state parks in the DFW area. The raccoons there give us a laugh every night. Another park that I enjoy is in Grand Prairie at Lloyds Park. Is it an older park that the city has made a lot of updates to. Nice campsites and about 20 minutes from home are a plus here. One park I will miss for a long time will be Galveston State Park. Sure it was outdated when hit by the hurricane but improvements were being made with the addition of new restroom and showers. We were there just 1 week before the storm hit. I saw the pictures of the park after it passed. I was so sad to see it destroyed. I do believe it will be a better place once the State decides to rebuild.
Not sure how many Florida campers we have out there, but I for one will say that Florida has a great set of State Parks. We have only been to a few, but they seem to have great things to offer the campers. Facilities are generally about a 4 in a scale of 1 - 5. Park rangers are excellent and every single park has something different to offer. My wife kids and I hope to hit all Florida's state parks in our life time. We tend to stay close to home and camp long weekends so we are limited to how far we will travel at this point. Anyone coming down south please let me know if you need any recommendations on places to stay.