State Parks

LMHS wrote:
#1 These are government campgrounds run by government workers or government contractors. They. Don't. Care. Reserved sites are paid for and they don't care if the site sits empty. All your whining isn't going to make much difference.

#2 Increase your options. I still haven't figured out why so many of you people think private campground owners are the spawn of Satin. There are also plenty of city/county parks that are under used. Go. Someplace. Else. I have found that using a 50% off discount (Passport America or Happy Camper) often gives me a w/e/s site for the same or less than the state/federal parks w/e sites. Once all the fees are added in, I have discovered that many public parks have priced themselves out of my preferred budget. Sometimes, you just need to go camping someplace different.

I camp at both state park and private CG's.
The experience at a state park is much different than a private park.
State parks are generally more about experiencing nature vs. Private.
If you just want to compare them in terms a $$. In some cases the prices maybe close enough. However if you want to compare pricing in a resort area, or an area with some sort of attraction private will be much more expensive.
If you want to compare experience they are generally very different.
Most state parks are built on land that was set a side for public use
because of some unique feature. There is generally way more to a state park than just a cheap camp site.