Tub Run formerly COE campground

[RGar974417]

For years I wanted to visit this campground and was researching it for a trip next year when I came across an article stating the COE has leased this campground to a private company for 25 years. This is disturbing. Does anyone know of other COE campgrounds that have done this? It looks like their rates about doubled with the new company that runs it.

http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Stories/Article/586720/a-new-partnership-starts-at-tub-run-...

[RGar974417]

We stayed at a Forest Service campground in West Virginia that was privately run. It was well kept and the prices were in line with other forest service campgrounds. I never heard of a COE campground being privately run. But what really jumped out at me was the price of $48 a night. That's alot higher than any COE or other Federal Camgrounds we have stayed at.

[TxGearhead]

DutchmenSport wrote:

garyemunson wrote:
Disgusting that our National Parks are being starved financially so the case can be made that private concerns should take them over. We should ALL be proud to pay enough taxes so that they can be properly maintained and remain affordable to ALL Americans to enjoy. It's come to the point that we ALL pay a smaller amount towards their care and some corporation profits off them so that only those who are richer are able to enjoy them.

If only we could declare WHERE we want our tax money to go? Unfortunately, we have no choice there. Quite obvious, not enough of our tax goes to resources like this. The answer is not higher or new tax, the answer is how our taxes are directed.

We finally cracked that nut in Texas:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20160923a&nrtype=all&nrspan=2016&nrsearch=

[fla-gypsy]

One of the best CG's I use is operated by lease from the NFS. It's affordable and a marvelous place. When the NFS ran it, it was a neglected redneck party spot.

[DutchmenSport]

garyemunson wrote:
Disgusting that our National Parks are being starved financially so the case can be made that private concerns should take them over. We should ALL be proud to pay enough taxes so that they can be properly maintained and remain affordable to ALL Americans to enjoy. It's come to the point that we ALL pay a smaller amount towards their care and some corporation profits off them so that only those who are richer are able to enjoy them.

If only we could declare WHERE we want our tax money to go? Unfortunately, we have no choice there. Quite obvious, not enough of our tax goes to resources like this. The answer is not higher or new tax, the answer is how our taxes are directed.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

The Vineyards at Grapevine in Grapevine (Dallas/Fort Worth) Texas is a leased COE park

The cities of Highland Village, Lewisville, Lake Dallas and The Colony lease and run COE parks on Lake Lewisville near Dallas.

Scusset Beach State Park in Massachusetts is a leased COE park, as is Bourne Scenic Park - both built by the COE on the Cape Cod Canal.


The recently shut down web site - CorpsLakes.com - had a list of all projects run by the COE by state across the country - and listed all leased and COE run campgrounds on each project/ lake.

In my experience - most larger COE lakes have several leased properties run by commercial companies, or state/ city governments. All the marina's we see are almost always ncommercial run leased properties. Many places - the Corps has leased campgrounds.

Nothing unusual about the COE leasing out campgrounds.

Each COE district has its own budget. When a district takes a billion dollar damage hit like the Fort Worth District (all in Texas lakes except Texoma and Pat Mayse) did with the flood damage in 2015 and 2016 - it may never recover enough to run the campgrounds properly.

Some COE leased parks have been returned to COE management. Pat Mayse Lake near Paris Texas used to have a state park - but the State of Texas gave it up and the campground (Sanders Cove) has reverted to COE operation.

The vast majority of the money, about 90%, collected for COE run campgrounds stays in the District running the campground. Even lease fees from contracts stay in the district. The COE District must use the money for recreation purposes. But building, upgrading, running campgrounds and day use areas is expensive.

In 2015 we volunteered for 6 months at a COE project in the New England District - cleaning four day use areas. We learned that the previous two years the project had used a combination of short term volunteers and commercial services to do the job. The project had paid close to $24,000 each of the previous two years and did not need to pay that while we were volunteering.

The money went mostly into some repairs of bathroom facilities, removal of dead trees and repairs to parking areas. $24,000 went very quickly with very little 'visible' improvement.

[wa8yxm]

There are many National parks that have been leased, and several COE spots as well.. Some are well run, Some have been leased since day one. Some would not be campgrounds if not for the fact they are leased.

Alas.. i'd like to see the Government run them properly (not likely to happen) and collect all the income.... But well, When did the government ever run anything properly (I can actually give several answers but have no interest in doing so here,, in fact you might wish to not answer that question).

[Dennis12]

9 miles away from Confluence you have Scarlett Knob Campground, and Ohiopyle State park. Go on RVPARKY.COM and type in Confluence PA. There are also other campgrounds in that area.

[PegLW]

garyemunson wrote:
Disgusting that our National Parks are being starved financially so the case can be made that private concerns should take them over. We should ALL be proud to pay enough taxes so that they can be properly maintained and remain affordable to ALL Americans to enjoy. It's come to the point that we ALL pay a smaller amount towards their care and some corporation profits off them so that only those who are richer are able to enjoy them.

Congress doesn't value National Parks because they put no money in their individual pockets! Politicians know the price of everything and value of nothing!

[korbe]

garyemunson wrote:
Disgusting that our National Parks are being starved financially so the case can be made that private concerns should take them over. We should ALL be proud to pay enough taxes so that they can be properly maintained and remain affordable to ALL Americans to enjoy. It's come to the point that we ALL pay a smaller amount towards their care and some corporation profits off them so that only those who are richer are able to enjoy them.

The way I look at it here in California and the State Park situation, if the money generated went back into the parks, they would be in much better shape than they are. My guess is that the state gov't takes that money and puts it into increasing our social services. At least "corporation profits" understand that they need users to put money in their pockets. And one thing that many people lose sight of, is that those corporations are made up of people, IMHO.

[Moderator]

Moved from 'General'

[scrubjaysnest]

There are Corp campgrounds run by the state park system in FL,TX, and NM that I know of. There are also Corp facilities leased to other state agency's and private as well. Been that way for decades that I know of.
We will most likely continue to see this as long as the Congress will not fund them properly. The corp is also shutting down CG's. Came across two in GA this Oct. that are now day use only.

[garyemunson]

Disgusting that our National Parks are being starved financially so the case can be made that private concerns should take them over. We should ALL be proud to pay enough taxes so that they can be properly maintained and remain affordable to ALL Americans to enjoy. It's come to the point that we ALL pay a smaller amount towards their care and some corporation profits off them so that only those who are richer are able to enjoy them.

[Dutch_12078]

According to their web site, RV sites are priced at $29-$48 depending on location and amenities.

Yough Lake Campground at Tub Run
(Click on the "Learn More" for each loop and scroll down for pricing)

[colliehauler]

Heck are National Parks are operated by private companies. Sign of the times?