trailertraveler wrote:
In the past 10 years it seems that more and more National Forest campgrounds are ending their seasons on Labor Day and actually closing rather than just shutting off the water and locking the bathrooms where they used to allow camping after the facilities were shutdown.
I've noticed this in Michgan as well. A company named American Land and Leisure took over several forest campgrounds in my area, installed gates and closed the camps for most of the year. (Oct 1 - May 1)
The camps used to charge during peak season and be free during off season, like you say, with the bathrooms locked and water turned off.
I don't really see how it costs the government any money to leave an already rustic campground open during the off season. There's no bathrooms to clean, no money tube to empty... usfs law enforcement are still on the payroll and could drive through now and then, they're not seasonal workers.
One such large camp was popular with snowmobile operators, it was the only way in once the snow was deep enough. Land 'n Leisure bought it from the feds about five years ago, hiked up the on-season rate and closed everything off with gates and fence for the off season.
My opinion of the company is pretty low.
