Just wanted past on some NEW info as of May 23rd,2008. All state parks will now cost $20.00 Dollars a night and all Holiday Will be $30.00 dollars a night!!!! It used to be $15.00 dollars a night. The rates used to be the same wether or not a holiday weekend. We have some great parks just wanted to heads up with those who use them as we camped this past weekend and there was no NOTICE about it posted but we heard it on the news and we were being told about it from the hosts on site......Happy Trails
QUOTE(Meterman46 @ May 28 2008, 07:10 AM) [snapback]11603[/snapback] Just wanted past on some NEW info as of May 23rd,2008. All state parks will now cost $20.00 Dollars a night and all Holiday Will be $30.00 dollars a night!!!! It used to be $15.00 dollars a night. The rates used to be the same wether or not a holiday weekend. We have some great parks just wanted to heads up with those who use them as we camped this past weekend and there was no NOTICE about it posted but we heard it on the news and we were being told about it from the hosts on site......Happy Trails I hope they provide full hookups for that price. 30 a night just for a place to park is too much in my book.
I can't say I'm surprised. With they way things are going in Springfield, the "budget crisis", they were sure to tap into this revenue source eventually, and it's been discussed for a while now. Don't be surprised to see a daily Entrance fee/Annual Pass system within a year. Look at WI and MI, they charge entrance fees, WI is $10 a day non-resident. I just visited the site for Shabbona and they list it as $25 per day, $35 Holiday weekends... I don't have a problem with the $25, that's fair and what I pay in Indiana, but $35 for Holiday weekends? That's crazy for just elec. And we BETTER see some of that revenue re-invested in the campgrounds themselves. And even BETTER, how about an on-line reservation system like the rest of the country who operates in the 21st century..... :blink:
Re: L & F's hope that you get full hookups for $30. Unless things have changed drastically in recent years, that is almost almost funny. Full hookups in Illinois state parks - I'm still chuckling.
The only 2 IL SPs that have full hook ups (W/S/E) are Clinton Lake and Jim Edgar. The new fee schedule is posted here on the IDNR website... IL State Park fees
Wadcutter, Thanks for the update. I checked the site you listed and found that between the two parks that have full hookups, there are
QUOTE(Jerry S. @ Jun 1 2008, 10:48 AM) [snapback]11651[/snapback] Wadcutter, Thanks for the update. I checked the site you listed and found that between the two parks that have full hookups, there are
Brian, I am sorry that you felt that I was "bashing" IL state parks. All I I was trying to do was state the facts as I saw them on the IDNR site and let the readers know that the vast majority of IL state parks do not have FHU and the two that do have FHU sites are probably hard to get during the camping season. I was surprised that you considered what I wrote as a negative criticism. For negative comments, read on: I know I have seen many negative comments in this forum and complaints in reviews about campgrounds and RV parks sites that do not fullfill the wants and/or needs of the modern RVer. Some posters/reviewers even make nasty comments about how these places should update or get out of the business. It is one thing to want a park to spend a few grand for WIFI or Cable, but some of these folks want park owners to spend tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars to completely redo the park - wider/longer sites, concrete pads, paved roads, etc). I've been in plenty of parks where these kind of improvements would be great, but I realize that it is not economically feasible for most older parks (especially those with limited space). Again, sorry you took my post the wrong way. Jerry
QUOTE(Meterman46 @ Jun 1 2008, 08:54 PM) [snapback]11661[/snapback] Jerry I have stayed at Clinton Lake State Park and yes it does offer a few FHU sites they are reserveable but with 300 sites offered you can get a FHU site just depends on the time of the yaer. You wont be able to get one on any major holiday weekend unless of coruse you got it back in January....lol It is a very popular park with locals as is most campgrounds but unfornately when most campgrounds were built except the fairly new one no one camped with FHU's as the old rver's didn't have all of the things on board we modern Rver's have.....so don't bash the state park system for being out of date with the times......and also remeber not all new park cater to the need of every site having FHU's....... Same with Jim Edgar. During the week very few FHU sites are taken. I have been thru there during the summer months and only 1 or 2 campers in the entire park. As with most IL SPs on the weekends all sites are full. We have been to JESP on a weekend and FHU sites were available. Just depends on the weekend. Jerry is making an assumption without having actual knowledge of the places. I agree wtih Meterman about why so few FHU in IL SP. Very few new SPs have come on line in recent years. Nearly all were built when few campers had full hookups and "camping" was done in campers not so self contained. Additionally, SPs aren't meant to be resorts. They're back to nature type settings and not meant to compete with commercial campgrounds. If a person has to have FHUs then go to a commercial campground. Commercial campgrounds are OK if that's what a person wants. However I have yet to find a commercial campground that offers 16,000 acres of hiking. I suppose having FHUs are important to some but when SPs are full almost every weekend then it appears quite a few people enjoy being outdoors and enjoying the SPs. We've stayed at quite a few of IL SPs and only one we've found was pretty poor condition. That was Weldon Springs, Clinton.
Wadcutter, You are correct. My "assumption" statement should have said that the FHU sites are "probably hard to get "ON WEEKENDS" in the camping season". Again, I was just trying to let the folks out there know that If they are visiting or passing through IL, our state park system's campgrounds may not meet their needs/wants. I don't know how many reviews I've read where the reviewer downgrades a campground when it doesn't have the facilities/amenities they expect. It is usually a failure, on their part, to do the necessary "homework". Some people visit from places where state parks have FHU and the think this is the "norm" in every state. I was just trying to let them know that this isn't the case. Please don't shoot the messenger. I certainly agree with the comments in your second and third paragraphs regarding the reasons this situation exists and why these parks exist. I have been to at least a dozen IL state parks and camped in most of those that had campgrounds - IL Beach, Starved Rock, Cave-in-Rock, Mississippi Palisades, to name a few. I enjoyed them then and may again in the future.
