Mich. non-resident rip-off

Don't bother to go to Maine then. All of the state parks have 2 camping fee rates, resident and NON-resident, plus a separate entry fee schedule for non residents.

We live here. Now I'm not a fan of state parks for various reasons. The rates vary by what state parks you visit. You can definitely get under 33.00 a night. Some even have full hookup. As far as not being full - I don't know where you stayed, but at that price it was probably one of the more popular parks, and in that case I know for a fact that pretty much starting in June you " will not" get a reservation much less just driving in as they are usually booked until the first of September. Anything before June there are probably plenty of spots available. Anything after you got lucky because someone cancelled.

Michigan has a 100% reservation system and campers start reserving January 1st with a 6 month window.So by March 30 the seasonis booked in our state.

Most nice full service campgrounds here are more than the $33 you compare to our state parks. Michigan has some really beautiful state park campgrounds located on our inland lakes and all along the Michigan shoreline.On the lakes they're more money. I don't complain about prices at campgrounds when traveling as there are plenty to choose from that would fit my budget.

The Internet is really great for planning trips ahead of time as all prices are available to review, no surprises.

rr2254545 wrote:
Get over it this has been on here many time

My question is, there're plenty of ways to check camping fees ahead of time if one is that tight and on a budget, why complain about it after the fact? Coming on here calling it a Michigan ripoff is pretty silly IMHO. Lack of planning will bite you in the rear end all the time. I don't get where it's a ripoff :h

The OP is full of beans with his posted prices and what you get at a Michigan State Park CG. Below is the copied and pasted 2013 CG fees for all Michigan State Park CG's.

State Park and Recreation Areas
The following fees are currently in effect. State parks and recreation areas remain open year-round for day-use visitors, Ten campgrounds are open for the winter months During this time, prices are $16 a night for a semi-modern campsite and $12 a night for a rustic campsite. Three parks keep a heated restroom open in the winter: Rifle River ($23), Traverse City ($27), and Mitchell ($29).

Associated Camping Fees at State Park and Recreation Areas

Non-refundable reservation fee - $8
Cancellation fee - $10
Full Hook-Up Campsite - $33 per night
Full hook-up campsites feature direct sewer, water and electrical hook-ups with 20/30- or 50-amp service. Click on a campground below to find out more.

Hartwick Pines State Park
Holland State Park-Beach Campground
Wm. C. Sterling State Park
South Higgins Lake State Park
Premium Modern Campsite - $29-$28 per night
Premium campsites are in high demand typically because of site locations and feature 50-amp electric hookups, modern toilet buildings, showers, wheelchair-accessible sites and sanitation stations. In addition, some campgrounds have pull-through sites for larger vehicles. Click on a campground below to find out more.

$29.00 per night

Grand Haven State Park
P. J. Hoffmaster State Park
Holland State Park
Ludington State Park
William Mitchell State Park
North Higgins Lake State Park
Petoskey State Park
South Higgins Lake State Park
Young State Park
$28 per night

Aloha State Park
Muskegon State Park /Channel and Lake Michigan
Straits State Park
Modern Campsite - $27-$16 per night
Modern campsites feature electric hookups (amps will vary), modern toilet buildings, showers, wheelchair-accessible sites and sanitation stations. In addition, some campgrounds have pull-through sites for larger vehicles. Click on a campground below to find out more.

$27 per night

Algonac State Park-Riverfront Campground (50 amp)
Grand Haven State Park
P. J. Hoffmaster State Park
Holland State Park
Ludington State Park (30 amp)
Mears State Park
William Mitchell State Park
North Higgins Lake State Park
Petoskey State Park
Port Crescent State Park
Silver Lake State Park
South Higgins Lake State Park
Tawas Point State Park
Traverse City State Park
Warren Dunes (50 amp)
Wilderness State Park
Young State Park
$26 per night

Aloha State Park (30 amp )
Burt Lake State Park (50 amp)
F. J. McLain State Park
Muskegon State Park/Channel and Lake Michigan
Otsego Lake State Park
Straits State Park
$25 per night

Algonac State Park-Riverfront Campground (30 amp)
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park (50 amp)
Harrisville State Park (50-amp)
Hartwick Pines State Park
Hayes State Park
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park - Union Bay Campground
Sleeper State Park (50 amp)
Warren Dunes State Park (30 amp)
$24 per night

Burt Lake State Park
Indian Lake State Park
Orchard Beach State Park
Pinckney Recreation Area-Bruin Lake
Waterloo Recreation Area(50 amp)
Yankee Springs Recreation Area
$23 per night

Bay City State Recreation Area (50 amp)
Brimley State Park (50 amp)
Fort Wilkins Historic State Park (30 amp)
Harrisville State Park
Holly Recreation Area(50 amp)
Interlochen State Park (50 amp)
Lakeport State Park
Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area
Rifle River State Recreation Area
Albert E. Sleeper State Park (30-amp electric service)
Tahquamenon Falls State Park (50 amp)
Van Buren State Park (50-amp electric service)
Van Riper State Park (50-amp electric service)
Warren Dunes State Park
$22 per night

Cheboygan State Park
P. H. Hoeft State Park (30 amp)
Indian Lake State Park (30-amp)
Proud Lake Recreation Area
Wm. C. Sterling State Park
Twin Lakes (50 amp)
Waterloo Recreation Area (30 amp)
Yankee Springs Recreation Area/Gun Lake
$21 per night

Bay City Recreation Area (30-amp)
Brimley State Park (30 amp)
Fort Custer (30 amp)
Holly Recreation Area (30 amp)
Interlochen State Park - Duck Lake ( 30-amp)
Albert E. Sleeper State Park
Taquamenon Falls State Park/Lower Falls and Rivermouth (30-amp)
Van Buren State Park
Van Riper State Park
Wells State Park
Wilson State Park
$20 per night

Brighton Recreation Area
Bewabic State Park (50 amp)
Onaway State Park
Twin Lakes State Park
$19 per night

Clear Lake State Park (30 amp)
Ionia Recreation Area (30 amp)
Seven Lake State Park
Sleepy Hollow State Park
Wells State Park
$18 per night

Algonac State Park-Wagon Wheel (30 amp)
Baraga State Park (30 amp)
Bewabic State Park( 30 amp)
Lake Gogebic State Park (30 amp)
Pontiac Lake Recreation Area
$16 per night

Muskallonge Lake State Park
Tahquamenon Falls State Park - Rivermouth (toilet/shower buildings, no electric hookups)
Semi-Modern Campsite
There are two distinct options in this classification. The first offers electrical service but no modern toilet/shower buildings. Vault toilets are available on location and water is available from a hand pump. The second option provides modern toilet and shower buildings but no electrical hookups.

$18 per night -- Features 50-amp electrical service but no toilet/shower buildings

Fayette Historic State Park
$16 per night --30-amp electrical service OR modern toilet/shower buildings.

Baraga State Park (toilet/shower buildings, no electrical hookups)
Bewabic State Park (toilet/shower buildings, no electrical hookups)
Fayette Historic State Park (electric hookups, vault toilets )
Holly Recreation Area (toilet/shower buildings, no electrical hookups)
Indian Lake State Park - West Shore (electric hookups, vault toilets)
Lake Hudson Recreation Area (electrical hookups, vault toilets)
Lake Gogebic State Park (toilet/shower buildings, no electric hookups)
Ludington-Jack Pine Hike-In (toilet/shower building available nearby, no electrical hookups)
Tahquamenon Falls State Park Rivermouth (toilet/shower buildings, no electric hookups)
Rustic Campsite - $10-$14 per night
Vault toilets and hand pump water. No showers or flush toilets.

$14 per night

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park-Presque Isle
$12 per night

Brighton Recreation Area
Craig Lake State Park
Fisherman's Island State Park
Highland Recreation Area (dual-use campground - equestrian is $17/night)
Interlochen State Park - Green Lake
Leelanau State Park
Newago State Park
Pinckney Recreation Area
Rifle River Recreation Area
Tippy Dam Boating Access Site and Rustic Campground
Van Riper State Park
Warren Dunes State Park
Waterloo Recreation Area - Green Lake
Yankee Springs Recreation Area - Deep Lake
Equestrian Campground - $17 per night
Vault toilets, hand pumps and hitching posts for horses.

Brighton Recreation Area
Ionia Recreation Area
Ortonville Recreation Area
Waterloo Recreation Area
Highland Recreation Area

The Link!

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10365-32926--,00.html

The campground site fees are exactly the same for anyone from any state including Michigan residents.


Nice try OP!

There probably talking about the $8 dollar daily non resident fee. Which if they planned ahead of time could have saved themselves the heartache with a 30 second Internet search.

They didn't have to stay there, I mean he drove in, he could have easily gone to a county park or national forest campground for less. I find their observation trivial.

I live in Michigan, and have camped for a total of 5 weeks every season at Muskallonge State Park.

I would suggest a person go to the specific campground site in order to find out what is really available.

The above summary is somewhat confusing for the above particular park that I know well. They do have electricity at each site. And there have always been two separate shower facilities with four or five showers each, plus very well maintained restrooms. Vault toilets are mainly for when there is a power failure, plus there is one by the boat launch.

They were not crowded at all when I was there in June. Even after the Michigan public schools were out for the summer, it was kind of slow. I blame it on forecast summer gas prices of $5 per gallon, which never happened..

Oddly enough, when I went to make my reservation for September, this very morning, many sites were taken. I attribute that to fall color fans and their annual festival type program (arts, crafts, agates, jewelry, etc.)at this park, and the fact that gas prices are now forecast to be more like $3.50 per gallon.

I don't know when it will be rolled out, but I believe the state of Michigan is taking pictures of each and every campsite so you can view every actual site online. At least that is what they told me when they asked me to move my truck so they could photograph my site. Funny though, they did not seem to mind my tent and boat trailer being there.

Michigan is not the only state that has two tier rates for resident and nonresident campers. The only thing is that most will give you a long term permit and charge the resident rate.

County and local parks have no such distinction.

Jayco-noslide wrote:
Anyone else camped Mich. state parks? I don't recommend it to non-residents. First off, they charge more both for the daily camping fee and park admission. So, even after purchasing an annual non-resident pass to cover admission, it cost us a total of about $32/day for camping. That might be borderline tolerable but all of the 3 state parks we used had elec only at the site; not water. Also, many of the sites had no actual pad; just on grass, inconsistently level, sometimes shared elec box and even difficult to tell exactly where to park. This is not a $30+ campsite. Also, by charging more for non-residents aren't they discouraging tourism. Come on, Mich, get modern. By the way, none of the campgrounds were full. For slightly less cost, Florida offers elec, water, sometimes even sewer and paved or nice gravel, level sites; at least at the campgrounds which have been updated.

Is it the comparison chart of resident vs non-resident that is getting your dander up? And not really that the rates are high?

Residents get a 'discount' to stay at THEIR state parks. We PAY taxes for our state parks and we 'are' entitled to a discount.

Key word here is "discount to tax paying residents". NOT discouraging tourism.

So that means, based on your logic and thinking, that you won't be visiting any state parks except your own...

travelnutz wrote:
The OP is full of beans with his posted prices and what you get at a Michigan State Park CG. Below is the copied and pasted 2013 CG fees for all Michigan State Park CG's.......

The Link!

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10365-32926--,00.html

The campground site fees are exactly the same for anyone from any state including Michigan residents.

I have a reservation at Mclain State Park for 4 days for $28 a night for a site with no pad, no water; only electric hookup. Most of the toilets are vault (pit). As a non-resident I have to purchase an annual pass (expires 12/31/2013) for $30.50 plus $6.40 for my Toad which increases the cost to $37.23 per night with a grass site that's probably not level.

I only took this site because everything else was booked for the Labor Day weekend. The State Park has many vacancies (perhaps the OP has a point) so was easy to book, but I'll probably not stay at State Parks for the rest of my trip even after paying the annual fee. Unlike many other State's parks, Michigan doesn't seem to offer as much bang for the buck with their state parks. JMHO :p