A while back we had a thread going with the pro's and con's of the Va State Park Dog fee's ($5 per night, per dog-max 3 nights) there were a lot of thoughts of better ways to offset the "cost" of pet's in the park. Please list ideas. Don't need to hear how bad it is to charge responsible pet owners and such. Just solutions and ideas. I have a meeting scheduled with a representative, who will present these to the Va Dept of Conservation & Recreation. First two ideas would be a Pet Deposit, refunded after your camping site was inspected. (seems cost prohibitive) second would be a flat fee per night per site. Not per animal per night per site. Please forward any other ideas so we can have a chance of changing this policy.--------------------------------------------------------------------OK, have heard back from the meeting. Jist is they are making money from the fee, but plan to do away with it at the next round of price increases. In other words the fee will be assorbed by overall increases that are already on the schedule. Should kick in next year.I'm guessing around July 1 when next budget starts, but that's just my opinion.

A fee per site would make more sense. Will make a return to a Va park next week after a 2 yr. hiatus. $37. + fees/nt. makes it double the cost of NC park we frequent, sr. discount included. Camping with 2 dogs. SC parks provide doggie bag stations, dont charge a pet fee and rates are around 30. or less. Thanks so much for trying to improve the situation. Much appreciated!

Extra charge for people and kids (maybe over some age) per site. They are the ones getting the most use of the campground, not our pets that stay on a 6' of less leash and get cleaned up after. The state pays to hire people to clean us after people. More people cost more to clean us after. there is no need to clean the toilets and showers after pets. There is extra cost to clean toilets, showers, day use facilities, garbage cans that people use.

Honestly I'm fine with current system at this time. Although $5.00 for 1st dog and $1.00 each for each additional dog may help multiple dog campers. Limit # of dogs per site to 3. Set max fee at $21.00 for multiples and $15.00 for single owners.I'm OK with $5.00 per day but I can see where multiple dog owners can get hit hard.

3 dog nights wrote:A while back we had a thread going with the pro's and con's of the Va State Park Dog fee's ($5 per night, per dog-max 3 nights) there were a lot of thoughts of better ways to offset the "cost" of pet's in the park. Please list ideas. Don't need to hear how bad it is to charge responsible pet owners and such. Just solutions and ideas. I have a meeting scheduled with a representative, who will present these to the Va Dept of Conservation & Recreation. First two ideas would be a Pet Deposit, refunded after your camping site was inspected. (seems cost prohibitive) second would be a flat fee per night per site. Not per animal per night per site. Please forward any other ideas so we can have a chance of changing this policy.agree with you that the deposit/inspection/refund idea is too cumbersome and labor intensive. I don't like the idea of a flat fee, either. a family with 3-dogs can do three times the damage as a family with a single dog. a fee of $X (and X has to be realistic in order for it to make a difference) per animal is the way to go. is 3 the maximum number of dogs, the maximum number of nights the fee is charged regardless of the length of stay or the maximum number of nights someone with a dog may stay in the park? I'd be against limiting the number of nights someone with a dog can stay in the park (and I understand that most govt campgrounds limit stays to 14 or 21 days and I agree with that). the rule has got to include a process by which irresponsible pet owners who simply ignore the rules can be ejected from the park.

rk911"is 3 the maximum number of dogs, the maximum number of nights the fee is charged regardless of the length of stay or the maximum number of nights someone with a dog may stay in the park? "No, three nights is the max the fee would be added. 14 is the max number of consecutive nights. No max number on dogs. so three night max on one dog $15, on four dogs $60 on top of normal site fee.Yes, as the moniker suggests, I do have skin in the game. But I don't think my three, who are outside a total of 20 minutes over the course of a day do anymore damage then someone else with one dog.

Va State Parks & Dog fees | Good Sam Community

67 Replies

naturist
Nomad
Jul 04, 2013
I don't have any problem with the fee structure as it is. It is my humble opinion that the primary reason for it is to discourage people from bringing their dogs with them to the park. And I'm ok with that.

Before y'all yell at me, I have a dog, and she goes camping with us. She's the sweetest big black lab you ever saw, hardly ever barks, NEVER barks at strangers (some watch dog, huh?), in fact, never met a stranger, loves kids, too. But I quite understand some folks don't "do" dogs, and a 90 lb black dog can be intimidating, even if she's waggin' her tail. We keep her leashed in camp, pick up after her, and she is an all-round good camper.

I can afford the $5. It's cheaper than boarding the dog at $12 a day. And if I couldn't afford the $5, I wouldn't be able to afford the camping, either.

Given that the state legislature has cut and cut and cut funds for parks I'm astounded they manage to keep as many open as they have. I have no objection to paying for my local, state, and national parks. They are a whale of a bargain, as far as I'm concerned.
Johno02
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013
Because of the Pet fees, we do not and never will stay in VA parks again. That pets cause excessive damage is total BullS--- and just a political rip-off. In ten years of RV'ing, with two or three dogs travelling with us, we have never seen any damage caused by pets with owners that are following the rules about leashes and clean-up. Put the charges where the damage comes from! On PEOPLE, those that come in and party only on weekends, throw trash all over the place, carve grafitti into trees, tables, restrooms and generally tear up everytning they touch just for the fun of it. Put leashes on extra sites with a dozen people parting all weekend, and those, that trash restrooms and facilities.
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013
rk911
"is 3 the maximum number of dogs, the maximum number of nights the fee is charged regardless of the length of stay or the maximum number of nights someone with a dog may stay in the park? "

No, three nights is the max the fee would be added. 14 is the max number of consecutive nights. No max number on dogs. so three night max on one dog $15, on four dogs $60 on top of normal site fee.

Yes, as the moniker suggests, I do have skin in the game. But I don't think my three, who are outside a total of 20 minutes over the course of a day do anymore damage then someone else with one dog.
rk911
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013
3 dog nights wrote:
A while back we had a thread going with the pro's and con's of the Va State Park Dog fee's ($5 per night, per dog-max 3 nights) there were a lot of thoughts of better ways to offset the "cost" of pet's in the park. Please list ideas. Don't need to hear how bad it is to charge responsible pet owners and such. Just solutions and ideas. I have a meeting scheduled with a representative, who will present these to the Va Dept of Conservation & Recreation. First two ideas would be a Pet Deposit, refunded after your camping site was inspected. (seems cost prohibitive) second would be a flat fee per night per site. Not per animal per night per site. Please forward any other ideas so we can have a chance of changing this policy.

agree with you that the deposit/inspection/refund idea is too cumbersome and labor intensive. I don't like the idea of a flat fee, either. a family with 3-dogs can do three times the damage as a family with a single dog. a fee of $X (and X has to be realistic in order for it to make a difference) per animal is the way to go.

is 3 the maximum number of dogs, the maximum number of nights the fee is charged regardless of the length of stay or the maximum number of nights someone with a dog may stay in the park? I'd be against limiting the number of nights someone with a dog can stay in the park (and I understand that most govt campgrounds limit stays to 14 or 21 days and I agree with that).

the rule has got to include a process by which irresponsible pet owners who simply ignore the rules can be ejected from the park.
Lantley
Nomad
Jul 04, 2013
Honestly I'm fine with current system at this time.
Although $5.00 for 1st dog and $1.00 each for each additional dog may help multiple dog campers. Limit # of dogs per site to 3. Set max fee at $21.00 for multiples and $15.00 for single owners.
I'm OK with $5.00 per day but I can see where multiple dog owners can get hit hard.
Johno02
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013
Extra charge for people and kids (maybe over some age) per site. They are the ones getting the most use of the campground, not our pets that stay on a 6' of less leash and get cleaned up after. The state pays to hire people to clean us after people. More people cost more to clean us after. there is no need to clean the toilets and showers after pets. There is extra cost to clean toilets, showers, day use facilities, garbage cans that people use.
LakeN
Explorer
Jul 04, 2013
A fee per site would make more sense. Will make a return to a Va park next week after a 2 yr. hiatus. $37. + fees/nt. makes it double the cost of NC park we frequent, sr. discount included. Camping with 2 dogs.
SC parks provide doggie bag stations, dont charge a pet fee and rates are around 30. or less.
Thanks so much for trying to improve the situation. Much appreciated!

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Va State Parks & Dog fees

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