Recreational Camping and Washington State Parks. Prepared for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. By Brian Hovis

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1 Recreational Camping and Washington State Parks Prepared for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission By Brian Hovis GIS Analysis by Jim Thompson May 2005

2 Acknowledgements Jim Thompson for putting in hundreds of hours on the GIS analysis Rita Cooper for review and edit comments Jim Eychaner for providing data concerning recreational trends Mark Schult for letting me use his picture on the front cover Thomas Smith for information on RVs in Washington State Ruth Whisler Shearer for the use of her poetry John Imler for the complimentary copy of his book on designing RV campgrounds Deb Ross for extensive edits Toni Mathews and Dani Plong for putting together the first database of private campgrounds Kathryn Scott for helping with GIS problems and for general encouragement Don Powell for his help with Central Reservation System and other camping data Mark MeElroy for State Parks revenue data Randy Person for explaining how campground loops operate Susan Mayer for helping with marketing information Nata Hurst for helping complete the final draft report and edit comments Bill Koss for support and direction Sharon Stewart for pulling information on private and public campgrounds from travel books Steve Gihlstrom for review comments Shawn Tobin for review comments 2

3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements... 2 Table of Contents... 3 I. Introduction... 4 Other Data Needs... 6 Definitions... 6 II. General Trends in Camping and Recreation... 8 A. Early Camping... 8 C. Trends in RV Camping versus Tent Camping D. Demographics III. General RV Trends IV. RV Camping in the State of Washington A. Types of RVs in Washington Campgrounds B. The Camping Experience V. Comparison between State Parks Campgrounds and other Public and Private Campgrounds VI. Getting Ready for Centennial 2013 Campgrounds A. Should State Parks Try to Attract More RVers? B. How Can State Parks Attract More RVers? C. Campgrounds That Are More Economical to Operate Bibliography Attachment A: Limitations of Study Attachment B: State Park Campgrounds Attachment C: Tables of Public RV Campgrounds Attachment D: Maps of Public Campgrounds and State Parks Attachment F: Tables of Private RV Campgrounds Attachment G: Maps of Private Campgrounds and State Parks

4 I. Introduction The purpose of this report is to gain a better understanding of the current and future role of recreational vehicles (RVs) in Washington State Parks. A key assumption in this report is that camping is the primary revenue source for Washington State Parks and that improving the revenue/cost ratio associated with in camping will help the Commission to afford state parks that meet the Centennial 2013 Vision. In 2013, Washington s state parks will be premier destinations of uncommon quality, including state and regionally significant natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources that are outstanding for public experience, health, enjoyment and learning. This report is in response to The Centennial 2013 Plan, both to satisfy Our Commitment in the Financial Strategy element as well as providing information that might help the Commission choose New Destinations in Your Legacy. State Parks is very reliant on revenues from camping. At the same time, much of the operational cost of running a state park is because of camping. On average, camping makes-up 73.6 percent of the agency's total revenue from 1990 to (McElroy, 2004.) The cost of camping is being investigated by the Business Development Service Center. The figure below shows the net revenues from camping between 1990 and Please note that revenues from camping were down in Also note that much of the revenue increase you see in years 2001 to 2003 was at least partially related to fee increases during that period and a change in the processing of refunds (McElroy, 2005.) Higher fees boost revenue, but may mask a general decline in occupancy (Powell, 2005.) 1 Camping for FY 1994 includes day use reservation, shower meters, moorage, and off-season pass fees for part of the year. 4

5 Figure 1: Camping less Refunds 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000, Source: McElroy, * Camping less Refunds State park camping is also an important element of state tourism. In a report prepared for the Commission (Runyan, 2002), it was estimated that visitors to the state parks spend $1.16 billion and contribute $75 million in tax receipts. Camping is also important to local economies. It is estimated that the average daily spending attributable for visitors staying at private campgrounds is $40/day/person, and at public campgrounds, it is $38/day/person (Department of Community Trade and Economic Development, 2004). Each type of campground has an average of three persons per party. For all these reasons, it is therefore crucial to understand all aspects of camping at our parks. As we will show, RV use is an increasingly important element, because that is how many of our current and potential customers will choose to visit the state parks. Camping represents a decreasingly important fraction of the total recreation activity in Washington, though this decline is partly masked by population growth. Tent camping in particular is on the decline, as the camping population is moving into RVs. These changes are mostly driven by the aging of the baby-boomers and the apparent decline of interest in camping on the part of the post-baby boom population. The RVs themselves seem to be increasing in length and width and are trying to fit into spaces that were designed for smaller vehicles. Most RV owners prefer private campgrounds to the state parks and the experiences differ. This report will: Report the major RV trends, such as length, width, ownership and predict how those trends will affect State Parks Describe the RV use of the private campgrounds and provide maps that show where the other private and public campgrounds are located in relation to the state parks Describe the status of State Parks campgrounds and make recommendations on facility improvements Pose the major policy questions and provide options to the Commission and executive management 5

6 This report includes information only on campgrounds to which you can drive. Water trail, backcountry or boating-only camping was not included. Two books were used to find the campgrounds. Woodall s 2003 North America Campground Directory was the primary source, but that document only includes campgrounds that meet a certain standard and missed many of the public campgrounds. By adding the campgrounds found in Pacific Northwest Camping (Stienstra, 2003), the list of campgrounds was expanded, and we were able to include information about the costs and locations of the campgrounds. The locations of campgrounds are approximate. We did contact Woodall s to see whether they could provide us with geographical coordinates for campground locations, but for understandable reasons that information is sensitive. Instead, we used the map pages from Pacific Northwest Camping and coordinates from the software Topo! (National Geographics, 2002) to locate campgrounds. There are certain member-only campgrounds that are not generally open to the public. These campgrounds were not included in the report. Together they represent another 27 campgrounds in Washington State. Also, many churches operate retreat centers that provide camping for those who come in RVs or tents, and those are not included either. It is difficult to compare camping fees because of all the variables. There are seasonal discounts and senior discounts at some campgrounds, but not others. There are additional costs for campers over two per/site at some and a set price for camping groups of four at others. Sometimes there are extra-vehicle charges. There are also reservation fees at some and extra fees for premium campsites. For more information on how camping fees were compared and what member-only campgrounds were omitted from the study, please see Appendix A. Other Data Needs While completing this study, we discovered data needs that would help State Parks better understand its current camping business: 1. A complete and accurate inventory of campsites in the system. 2. A review of the processes by which we collect overnight visits A cost/revenue analysis that determines the exact number of campsites that are needed to improve the cost/revenue ratio for State Parks. Definitions Campgrounds. For the most part, we use the generic term campground to refer to public and private facilities that can be driven to and which accommodate tents and RVs. Note that some businesses that cater mostly to RV owners do not use that term and prefer RV Park or RV resort. Occasionally we use the term developed campground to distinguish these facilities from backcountry campgrounds. 2 The emphasis is on collecting accurate information on the revenue-stream versus overnight attendance. 6

7 Types of RVs. There are some basic types of RVs. The following chart was modified from Designing RV Parks & Resorts for the 21 st Century by Mr. John F. Imler. 7

8 II. General Trends in Camping and Recreation To understand fully the trends in camping, it is important to know how that particular activity is affected by outdoor recreational trends and demographics. An understanding of the past and future of outdoor recreation will help us provide for a second century of outdoor recreation after the Centennial A. Early Camping State parks are historically linked to camping, and we would guess that for many people in Washington State, they would respond that camping was one of the top recreational activities associated with the state parks. Camping fees were an important source of funds for the State Parks Committee of the 1920s. By 1928 the system s 28 parks included several auto campgrounds (State Parks, 1988.) Many of the early Parks campgrounds were built or refurbished by the Civilian Conservation Corps (Parks and Recreation Commission, 1988.) By 1988 State Parks had 7,710 campsites. The public sector led this early camping movement. The private sector has caught up and now dominates a certain segment of the market for campsites, which we will discuss later. As access to automobiles increased, the demand for campgrounds increased as well. Camping changed from a dispersed model to one where developed campgrounds were established and predominately used by tent campers. Not far behind the tent campers, came the RVs -- and not to everyone s delight. In April 1935, U.S. Department of Agriculture plant pathologist E.P. Meinecke warned the national forest managers of the coming of the The Trailer Menace (Forest History Society, 2005.) In his article sent to the director of the National Parks, Meinecke warns of the coming trailers that compromise the values of genuine campers by those that prefer more luxury. Meinecke warned that the time to take action was now and asked policy makers to prohibit trailers in the forests before it was too late. As Meinecke warned, more and more people are leaving the ranks of so-called genuine campers. A poem about a lifetime of camping by Ruth Whistler Shearer (Shearer, 2000) talks about beginning camping in 1923 along the Oregon coast where there were no facilities, and they used old wagon roads to get to their destinations. Her family gradually accumulated more conveniences. Convenience progressed from a converted 1965 Dodge van to a relatively small trailer where she and her husband felt dwarfed by the big rigs. At the same time, Shearer is nostalgic for the more primitive camping experience where she felt more in tune with her natural surroundings. Shearer writes in the last stanza: Now the Century has ended; we ve seen Y2K; The fad is three slideouts; be that as it may, We re too old to go backpacking, memories must do: We can still see those quiet old camps with a view! 8

9 As we will explore later, Washington s state parks are part of a spectrum of developed camping that is shifting. The total number of campers is diminishing and many that are left are buying RVs. For many, like Shearer, tent camping, or even any kind of camping, is at best a memory. B. General Outdoor Recreational Trends and Demographics The participation rate in outdoor recreational activities is declining, especially among young adults. Camping as an element of overall recreation has been declining for some time, and there are about twice as many RV campers who use developed campgrounds as there are tent campers. Most important to State Parks, the baby boomers are about to change the market for leisure activities again. To some extent the decline in camping is masked by population increases. The market research firm D.K. Shifflet surveyed U.S. travel parties to find out where they travel overnight (Shifflet, 2004.) The firm reports that U.S. leisure travel reached a record high in 2003; however, the share of travelers reporting visits to historic sites and national or state parks reached a 10-year low. The research concedes that park visitation has increased over the past decade, but the proportion of travel parties visiting parks is down significantly (Caldwell, 2005.) National and state parks share of leisure visitation is down by 29 percent nationwide since Park activity participation, which peaked in 1995 at 9.0 percent of all leisure trips, has dropped to 6.4 percent in Shiflett researchers found that: With declining park budgets, maintenance problems and park offerings remaining static while alternative destinations activities expand, National/State Parks are losing share among U.S. travelers. The good news is that the population is increasing, just as we are losing share of the market. Also, changes to park offerings could reverse the trend. The trend toward larger RVs (discussed in the next section) may have an impact on state and national park camping. For example, a non-scientific survey of members of the Family Motorhome Coaching Magazine (Groene, 2004) (Van Gides, 2004) indicates that most of that magazine s readers, spend a median of 45 days in commercial campgrounds annually; 19 days in membership campgrounds; nine days in state parks and five days in national parks. Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed spend less than 10 percent of their 9

10 time at a state park (FMCA, 2004) Please note that about 86 percent of the FMCA membership has Class A motor homes that are 31 feet and larger, and they tow a vehicle. Disturbingly, we may also be witnessing a general decrease in the proportion of people that engage in any outdoor recreational activities (Roper, 2004.) Beginning in 2001 and even more strongly in 2003 there was a national decrease in overall activity, especially among young people. Four in ten young adults responded to questions in a national survey by saying that they would engage in one of the 37 monitored outdoor activities monthly or never. Driving for pleasure was the only activity that showed a substantial increase. There is a clear correlation among participation in outdoor recreational activities, income, and education, with campers coming disproportionately from higher-income, more-well-educated families. Disparity in participation by ethnic background also continues. White Americans participated in an average of 5.2 different outdoor activities compared to 2.3 for African Americans and 3.5 for Hispanic Americans. Participation in camping is declining. The latest estimate of participation in Washington state (IAC, 2002) does not list camping in the top 20 recreational activities. Although the data is not directly comparable, it was the top activity in By 1989 it was number six and in 1995 camping was number 11. As Jim Eychaner from the Office of the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (Eychaner, 2005) explained, the good news is that, although there is less overall participation, there are more campers in absolute numbers due to population growth. Last year the Office of Financial Management (OFM, 2004) estimated that the Washington State population had grown to 6,167,800 people. C. Trends in RV Camping versus Tent Camping Because of the work completed by IAC (Eychaner, 2005), we know the estimate of participation of the state s population which camps. The participation rates are 8.7 percent for RV camping and 5.7 percent for tent camping. According to Jim Eychaner,... tent camping is slowly going away or maybe holding steady, while RV camping is growing -- as is the average size of the RV unit, and the demands owners are making. Overall, people are camping less and there are fewer tent than RV campers. We used these figures to make some rough estimates of how many people are using campgrounds in the state IAC estimates 500,000 people are using RVs in campgrounds and about 350,000 people using tents. 10

11 We will assume that almost all the RV campers use developed campgrounds at least once a year. For tent campers, a conservative estimate is that 75 percent of them use developed campgrounds, like state parks 3. That yields approximately 250,000 tent campers in developed campgrounds. If we add the tent and RV campers using developed campgrounds, there would be 750,000 people visiting developed campgrounds in a year. Figure 2: Comparison of the number of people that camp using tents and RVs in developed campgrounds 250,000 RV Camping Tent Camping 500,000 Source: IAC 2002 Assessment and Policy Plan The average camping party is about three for both RVs and tent campers. If all the RV and tent campers went camping at a campground on the same day, we would need 250,000 campsites for all of them. Our data shows that we have less than 10 percent of those 250,000 campsites in all the public and private developed campgrounds in the state. Luckily, they do not come all at once. From a survey conducted by Beckwith for IAC in 2002, we see the estimated numbers of RV and tent campers who rent campsites by month in Washington State. Please keep Figure 3 in mind when we explore the mixture of RVs and tent campers in the state parks. 3 IAC reports the actual rate of tent campers using developed campgrounds is closer to 82 percent, but there is overlap that is difficult to clarify. The other campers would be staying in back county, boat-only and other than developed campgrounds available by automobile. 11

12 Figure 3: Annual Pattern of Usage for Campers Using Tents and RVs in Washington State Campgrounds Number of Campers Tent Campers RV Campers December February April June August October Month Source: IAC, D. Demographics This should be no surprise to anyone interested in Social Security: we baby boomers are beginning to retire. We think that this is good news for outdoor recreation in general and for public and private camping in particular, because when this huge group reaches retirement age they will have more leisure time. Seventy-six million baby boomers are moving into retirement age at the rate of four to six percent per year (National Underwriter, 2004.) That is about 10,500/day. With the generational transfer of wealth, it is estimated that this group will control more than $40 trillion in assets over the course of the retirement years. The rate of actual retirement from work is guesswork at this point. Some folks will retire earlier than they wish because of health problems or because of layoffs or forced early retirement. Others may try more of a phased retirement, which is working less than full-time with more flexibility and less responsibility. For a variety of reasons, people want to continue to work. Greater longevity, higher health costs and stockmarket losses are causing people to work longer. A Gallup poll (Gardner, 2004) found that 63 percent of those who have not retired said they would continue to work for pay after retirement. Many will pursue jobs that are less stressful, require fewer hours and pay less. Whether the baby boomers retire completely or phase in retirement, there will be lots of them out there having fun. This additional leisure will essentially free them from the home range discussed in Convenience Camping Structures Investigation for Washington State Parks (Hovis, 1999.) Already there is a considerable rise in empty nesters, and the primary thing that ties them to home is the job. 12

13 We do not know how long the baby boomers will dominate the scene. In general, participation in outdoor activities decreases after age 65 (IAC, 2003), but the boomers are a different kind of retiree from those in the past. As long as they are physically able, they will dominate many leisure activities, including camping. Because of the importance of the baby boomers, particularly in the Centennial 2013 timeframe, we focus much of our attention on them in this report. We cannot, however, forget some of the other groups. The Office of Financial Management (OFM,2004 ) expects growth in certain age groups: School-age children (ages 5-17) This group should be relatively stable until about 2010 and increase at the time of Centennial 2013 when the children of the baby boomers begin to have children Young adults (ages 18-24) The number of young adults will be increasing until Centennial 2013 and then will be on the decline until 2020 Working-age adults in prime earning years (ages 25-64) This group will grow from now until Centennial 2013 and then continue to grow more slowly until at least 2027 Because of the decrease in participation in outdoor recreation in some of these groups, State Parks and other recreation providers could see a short-term decrease after the baby boomers become less active, although population growth may mask this decline. Key points from this section: The rate of overnight visitation to state and national parks and participation in outdoor recreational activities, especially in young adults seems to be declining Camping is one of those activities that have been declining, but even at the current participation rates, there are many times more campers than there are campsites in developed campgrounds There are about twice as many RV campers as there are tent campers who use developed campgrounds The baby boomers are retiring and will have more leisure time and money to spend. State Parks should get ready, but let us not forget about providing services to those generations that will follow 13

14 III. General RV Trends In this section of the report we will discuss the increasing RV sales, the types that are selling best, the age groups of RV owners and how they might change, and the primary factors governing choices of RVs. The University of Michigan study of 1997 and the follow-up work since then point to a lot of growth in RV sales. At that time, one in ten households owned an RV (Kate, 1998.) That number increased by 500,000 between 1997 and 2001, and RV sales are predicted to grow by 17 percent in ten years. There was a downturn in RV sales as well and in many other parts of the travel industry after September 11, 2001, but RV sales are up again. In 2003 their sales were at the second highest level in 25 years (FMC, 2004.) The sales levels have not returned to the 1999 levels, but there is growth, especially for certain types of RVs, like motor homes (Washington Post, 2004.) This trend is true for Washington state as well. The registration of RVs in Washington state has followed the general trends (Smith, 2004.) It is clear that motor home registrations and trailer registrations are on the rise, while fewer truck campers are being registered. The long-term trends favor significant growth in the RV industry as aging baby-boomers opt to spend increasing amounts on the RV life style. Within the motorhome category the vast majority of shipments are Class A motorhomes at 67.9 percent of the segment total. In the towable category, half are the conventional trailers. The trend is towards higher-end RVs, and there is a significant amount of trading up (Crowe, 2002.) In 1991 only 100 motorhomes costing $200,000 or more were sold nationwide, but in 2003 that number soared past 12,000. That market segment rose 26 percent in 2002 and accounts for $5 billion or 41 percent of overall sales (Elliott, 2004.) Although RVs are getting bigger, there may be a limit to their size. There are legal restrictions on how big an RV can be and still drive on the state s roads. They may be 45 feet in length and 8.5 feet wide. Motorhomes feet in length seem to be a popular sales group at this time, according to the industry (Garchow, 2005.) In the past, folding trailers had been the hottest sellers, because they are the entry-level RV, but because of low interest rates and other incentives, sales of motorhomes may be on the rise. Later in this report we will look at RV registrations in Washington State. When the motorhomes get to the campgrounds, they expand. Often motorhomes have three slide-outs that expand bedrooms, dining areas and other living areas. Those slideouts add another 13.5 feet to the width of the motor home. There are usually not slide-outs in the back. Several factors influence RV selection, which gain or decline in importance over time: 1. Age. Ownership percentage of RVs increases with age (Kate, 1998.) RV ownership increasing about three percentage points for each 10 years of age until a person reaches age 65. People are most likely to own an RV. About 85 percent of them are married. 14

15 2. Fuel prices. Some people we ve talked to said that RV ownership and travel will be greatly affected by gas prices. That may be, but the gas prices over $2.00/gallon did not cause an overall decrease in motor travel. Travel was up three percent in July 2004 (AAA, 2004.) During the same year, the sales of RVs increased. An industry representative (Garchow, 2005) said that availability of fuel is the key factor, not the cost. Others have agreed. Once you have an RV, you are not going to worry about an additional $500 in expenses for a family holiday (Washington Post, 2004.) Some innovations may further reduce the importance of fuel cost to RV selection and use: GM is making advances in fuel efficiency of vehicles that pull trailers. The technology is called displacement on demand. It saves fuel by using only one-half of the engine s cylinders under normal driving conditions (Trailer Life, 2004.) A company is working on a fuel cell generator specifically for RVs (Trailer Life, 2003) New carbon-based materials may make future RVs both lighter and stronger (Christian Science Monitor, 2004.) Gas prices will, in the short run, affect the kinds of RVs that are purchased and distances traveled. If gas becomes much less available in the next year, there will be a huge transforming affect on all of society, including camping. 3. Price. Folding trailers are considered entry level RVs, because they are cheaper. They are also many times lighter and require less fuel to tow. When purchase and operation costs are a factor, buyers will typically opt for a small and light trailer. 4. Amenities. RV users tend to trade up to units with more amenities. One industry person noted: When you get used to heated seats and the other options that add weight, it is hard to go back to a simpler RV. 5. Interest rates. Interest rates are very important to prospective RV buyers than is gas (Garchow, 2005.) Interest rates are remaining relatively low. Interest rates are expected to gradually rise and we may see a decrease in sales for the larger motorhomes. There are, however, additional benefits to buying an RV. 6. Alternative to second home. Purchasing an RV will be an alternative to buying a second home for many, and the baby boomers continue to purchase second homes (Washington Post, 2004.) Even with the rise in percentage points for mortgage rates, the rates are still lower than since the late 1960 s and should encourage people to buy second homes. For some it can be an investment in itself. Laws put in place in 1997 shield the proceeds from sales of a house from capital gains tax, so many people are using those proceeds to buy two smaller homes. As demand rises, prices for vacation homes will also rise. The leading edge of the baby boomers, the 29 percent born from turned 58 last year. That means the heightened demand for retirement homes will last a decade. As prices increase, many baby boomers will choose to buy an RV instead. 7. Tax advantages. There are even tax advantages. The Internal Revenue Service treats upper end trailers and motor homes as second homes for mortgage purposes (IRS 936.) In addition, there are no 15

16 property taxes on RVs, like on second homes. Because of the tax break and continuing low interest rates, we believe that many baby boomers will buy an RV rather than a second home. Key points from this section: RV sales are high and do not appear to be receding. Fuel prices may eventually affect RV sales and use, but at this time they do not appear to be doing so. Once you spend lots of money on an RV, high fuel costs seem to be acceptable. Sales of different types of RVs may occur if fuel prices continue to rise. Design innovations may partially mitigate rising fuel costs. Sales of motor homes are increasing nationwide, and the trend is reflected in Washington State RV registrations. Other factors seem to be favoring RV sales, including low interest rates and tax breaks. 16

17 IV. RV Camping in the State of Washington In this section we will provide the number of registered RVs in the State of Washington, show where the campgrounds are located and provide data about the different types of RV campgrounds. A. Types of RVs in Washington Campgrounds There are 223,688 registered RVs in Washington that make up the bulk of the RV campers. Most of registrations are for travel trailers, followed by motor homes. Registrations for truck campers are on the decline. Figure 4: Recreational Vehicle Registration History 120, ,000 Number of Registrations 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Motorhomes Campers Travel Trailers Source: Department of Licensing Figure by Tom Smith, WSDOT

18 Some counties have more registered RVs than others. The greatest number of registrations is in King County. Total RV Registrations by County Counties King Pierce Snohomish Spokane Clark Thurston Yakima Kitsap Benton Skagit Whatcom Cowlitz Clallam Lewis Grant Mas on Island Grays Chelan Franklin Okanogan Stevens Kittitas Walla Jefferson Douglas Klickitat Asotin Whitman Pacific Lincoln Pend Adams San Juan Skamania Ferry Columbia Wahkiaku Garfield Numbers of Registrations for RVs Washington state does not require registration by weight or length, but some states, like Florida and Colorado do. Using data supplied by the Washington Department of Transportation and assuming the same type of motor home ownership in Washington state as in those other states, 80 percent of the RVs will be less than 30 feet long. B. The Camping Experience Camping is a continuum. At one end is the wilderness camping where people hike to relatively remote campsites, and at the other end of the continuum are highly developed campgrounds that are more like resorts. Most people (90 percent) like developed campgrounds (Hultsman, 1998.) Those who camp in Washington state have quite a few choices, which we discuss below. 18

19 We found 471 developed campgrounds in Washington state. The map below shows the distribution of private, public (non-state park) and state parks. Please be aware that many of the campgrounds are so close together, that it may appear that there is only one marker when actually there could be several. In order to relieve this situation, we developed a set of regional maps to show the other public (Appendix D) and private campgrounds (Appendix G) near the state parks. On those regional maps you will see codes associated with the campground markers. PU is the code for public campgrounds other than state parks. PR is the code for a private campground. Tables that link the codes on the map with campground information precede the maps for the public and private campgrounds, respectively. Although we took care to choose source documents (Stienstra, 2003 and Woodalls, 2003) that together were inclusive of campgrounds in Washington state, it is probable that we missed some. If you know of a campground that is not listed in this report, please let the authors know. As noted above, the campgrounds (shown in the map above and further described in the appendices) would not be enough for all the tent and RV campers of the state, if they all choose to come at the same time. Perhaps luckily, most RVs currently fill garages and adorn houses for about 50 weeks of the year. For the other two weeks, people use them to go camping with friends and family. As you can see from the map below, most of the little blue diamonds that represent public campgrounds (non-state parks) are in the national forests or other federal land. Those campgrounds are further from the main roads and population centers, have fewer utility sites and cost less. The state parks (orange triangles) are more like the private campgrounds (green squares) in location and price, but may be more like federal campgrounds in amenities and experiences. Understanding this is important to identifying State Parks unique role in the RV experience. As a small aside, campgrounds near population centers may be prone to conversion to other uses. In areas in King County in particular, the property taxes and high property values are an incentive to sell. In the metropolitan areas of Puget Sound the state parks may become a sole provider for campgrounds. 19

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21 RV campers looking for places to go make some choices based on the experience that they want to have. In order to differentiate state parks from private campgrounds, it is essential for state parks to provide programs and services for campers that provide an outdoor recreational experience. The following advice was provided to new RV owners: If you are a great lover of nature, simplicity and the spirit of roughing it, then probably you will find various governmental facilities national parks and forests, state and county parks much to your liking. State Parks vary enormously, some offering nice spaces with full hookups beside rivers, lakes or other wonderful natural attractions; others with water and toilet facilities only or few, if any, hookups (Dymski, 2004.) Mr. Dymski also says that the private campgrounds are located closer to population centers and are often located near man-made attractions, such as Fort Wilderness and Disney World. Other private campgrounds are located in areas with good climates in vicinities where certain sports are available. A private campground might be by a golf course or near good fishing areas. We believe that a great majority of the RV campers prefer the private campground experience and provide evidence of that view in the next section. We think that part of the reason is because RV campers want amenities that they do not think they will find at state parks, amenities like: 1. Hookups. Mr. John Imler (Imler, 2003), an RV park consultant, cites a survey that lists availability of full hookups as very important to RV campers. Mr. Imler states that RV owners prefer sewer, electricity and water. Water and electricity are the minimum utilities, and without at least electricity, the length of the stay at a state park will be equal to the power in the battery. Dump stations are a substitute for sewer hookups, but the stations are not always functioning and there are lines, so they prefer to have the sewer available. According to Don Hoch, Puget Sound Region Manager (Hoch, 2005), he has many complaints about non-functioning dump stations. 2. Communications. Many will want telecommunications. Internet and are important. Mr. Imler says that the ability to stay in touch will increase and so will the desire for phone lines. The increase in cell phones has perhaps modified this demand, but many areas still have poor cell phone coverage, particularly in rural counties. Please take special note of this need for telecommunications. As baby boomers start to roam further from home on RV camping trips, they will want to stay in touch with businesses, family and friends. It is also likely that if they pay a $100,000 or more for an 21

22 RV, that they will have the wherewithal to purchase state-of-the art telecommunications equipment. When researching the private campgrounds, we noted that many of them have phone and/or telecommunications capacity. This trend is likely to expand. Texas State Parks has recently gone completely wireless (Wi-Fi) (Axtman, 2004.) Texas hopes to open up interpretive opportunities by providing interpretive information about the park on-line and available to connected campers. One company called Linkspot specifically targets RV campgrounds for this service (Ankeny, 2003.) The kind of technology that will prevail is difficult to say, but some kind of telecommunications capacity is probably a desirable utility for future campers. 3. Campsite size and pull-throughs. Pull-throughs and space for RV parking are important to RV campers, rating in the top three in surveys. Fifty-three percent of the respondents in a non-scientific survey of Family Motor Coach Association readers said that a place to park big rigs was the reason they chose commercial campgrounds. People are investing in larger motor homes, and investing in motor coach resorts to make sure they have places to park their rigs. Some of these luxury motor homes are quite long (e.g., 45 feet long) and are expensive (e.g., $1 million). The most exclusive motor homes in the range of $1 million and $1.7 million have doubled since 1995 (Callimachi, 2004.) In 1991 only 100 RVs costing $200,000 or more were sold, but in 2003 that number soared past 12, Activities/location. We asked Anne Emerson, Director, Woodall s Campground Directory about her impressions of RV trends. She said that she thought RV usage was changing. She said that people are more likely to work on their vacations and needed to stay in touch. Also, she said that fewer RV operators wanted to just go camping. She gave the example of NASCAR. People follow the NASCAR races and stay in parking lots vs. campgrounds. They are following the activity rather than looking for a particular setting. This is very important to understand, but difficult to document. We believe that RV camping in the future will be even more related to certain kinds of activities. The baby boomers will prefer to travel to enjoy certain activities, rather than for the camping experience itself. This idea is at the essence of our recommendations. State Parks needs to focus on an outdoor recreation experience and programs that attract campers to the state park campgrounds without regard to how they come, be it by RV or using tents, cabins and yurts. It is the experience that must be the focus and we should be able to provide the type of overnight accommodations that our customers want. People have always wanted activities available, such as water skiing at Ike Kinswa State Park or kayaking in the Green River Gorge area. We expect that this demand will increase. Baby boomers will be staying in RVs while they go to bike races, RV rallies, visit casinos, visit friends and families and engage in outdoor recreation. We believe that 22

23 the successful campground of the future will offer quality amenities, and in-demand programs or activities will be available within the campground or nearby. More and more, the baby boomers will be camping in RVs, and many will be taking the grandchildren along (ARVC, 2004) (CNN, 2004.) They will be looking for RV-friendly places with fun stuff nearby or on-site to do with children when they do that kind of traveling. 5. Basic service. Clean and comfortable restrooms, friendly staff and competitive prices are also very important factors considered when RV owners make choices. Key points from this section: There are 223, 688 registered RVs in Washington state. Most registrations are for travel trailers, followed by motor homes. Registrations for truck campers are on the decline. King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties have the most RV registrations. It is difficult to tell because of the way Washington state collects registration information on RVs. Making assumptions based on data from other states, 80 percent of the RVs are probably less than 30 feet. Campers are looking for certain amenities, but it is important to understand that we should be focusing on providing a quality outdoor experience that attracts campers. The amenities that will be most important to RV campers are: o Full hookups o Communications o Pull-throughs and adequate campsite size o Activities in and around the campgrounds that will attract visitors to those locations as a destination o Basic service 23

24 V. Comparison between State Parks Campgrounds and other Public and Private Campgrounds State parks are more like the private campgrounds than the other public campgrounds, when you consider distance from major roads and higher population densities. This should be no surprise, because the majority of those other public campgrounds are operated by the federal government in national parks and forests. State Parks are also close in price to private campgrounds. They offer fewer amenities than are important to some RV campers. The table below provides an overview comparing the various types of campgrounds in Washington state. We follow with some observations that compare the features and experiences found at private and State Parks campgrounds. Private Public (non-state State Parks Campgrounds park) Number of campgrounds Number of campsites 10,687 8,147 6,456 Mean number of sites/campground Fewest sites Greatest number of sites/campground for RVs 5 Percent of campgrounds for each type 64 percent 44 percent 53 percent within five miles of a major public road 7 Percent of campgrounds within five 24 percent 6 percent 18 percent miles of populations centers over 2500 people/square mile Percent of campsites with full or 93 percent 11 percent 30 percent partial hook-ups Range of cost for a party of four in $ $0-30 $ RV/day Average cost for a party of four in RV/day $23 $8 $18 8,9 4 Mount Spokane and Columbia Hills Trail State Park both have 12 campsites available to RVs. 5 If we included camp resorts in this study, the number of campsites would be 308 for Thousand Trails Leavenworth 6 Twin Harbors State Park 7 Defined as an interstate or state highway. 8 State Parks charges $15 for a standard and $21 for a utility site. We considered this a range, with an average of $ The comparison does not include the 2005 camping fee increases. 9 Neither the $7 reservation fee, nor the premium site fee of $3 for a standard site and $5 a utility site were included. 24

25 A camper would also notice a difference in the amenities and experience at the private campgrounds. 1. Hookups. The private campgrounds have far more full or partial hook-ups for RVs. The state parks have more hook-ups than some other public sector campgrounds, but on average state parks are similar to the other public campgrounds. The presence of utilities will be an increasingly more important issue to our customers. As we saw in the discussion about RV owners, they want utilities and big sites. A 50 amp circuit is greatly preferred by owners of large RVs, and some campgrounds are going to 100 amp systems. There is also an accessibility issue. Our customers are getting older. If electricity is not available, that lack of utility can become a barrier to access. For instance, if you have a wheel chair, you need to charge it up at night. Even for simple matters like keeping your medicines cold, an electric hook up allows you to keep things refrigerated. For better or worse, we are all more dependent upon power, and it is not likely to decrease as we need more devices to help us have access to the Great Outdoors. As we mentioned above, the baby boomers will want to stay in touch, so telecommunications will also be more important. 2. Parking and pull-through sites. We did not collect data on the number of pullthrough sites, but while we were gathering information about hook-ups, we noticed that the private campgrounds had far more pull-through sites. RV campers very much prefer pull-through sites. 3. Price for value. Private campgrounds cost a little more, at least for a group of four. The average of some of the public non-state park campgrounds is very low, because some of them (e.g., Department of Natural Resources) are free. In general though, the fees at the state parks are more comparable to the private campgrounds than the public non-state park campgrounds. But in a private campground RVers will typically find better value for their dollar when amenities are a prime consideration. Besides slightly higher fees (on average) and hook-ups, an RV camper at a private campground is far more likely to find the following. Free showers Camp stores Meeting rooms or lodges Cabins and/or yurts Laundry facilities for a fee Cable T.V. and phones at no cost Pools or other recreational facilities, such as basketball courts 4. Basic amenities. The issue of showers is important to our customers. Most of the comments on the customer comment cards for 2004 were about the comfort station and 43 percent of those were about showers (Hovis, 2004): 25

26 Reported operation problems (e.g., lack of hot water or faulty meters) Recommendations for amenities (e.g., shower hooks 10 ) Unfavorable comparison between the cost of showers at Washington state parks and other public and private campgrounds. A typical comment: We pay the same amount for camping in Oregon, but there the showers are free. 5. Luxury. Private campgrounds also include luxury motor home resorts that do not exist in the public sector. These are places where only motor homes of a certain quality are allowed, and the amenities are very upscale and even include hot tubs (Trailer Life, 2004.) There is one campground in Washington state that has a hot tub on a deck next to certain full-hookup campsites for $39.95/night 11 Renting that campsite would be $8/night more than a state park utility campsite 12 plus reservation and premium bonus fee. Folks with truly luxurious motor homes probably will not be coming to the state parks. They want luxury around them when they park a motor home like that. One family with a luxury motor home bought three lots at three different luxury motor coach resorts. One was at the new resort along the Oregon coast. These motor home resorts are gated communities, have swimming pools, and community clubs are immaculately landscaped, some with pretty little canals. One person is quoted as saying that the difference between this and other RV campgrounds is like the difference between Motel 6 and the Sheraton. Some of these places do not allow RVs less than 25 feet, although there is some variability. A representative of Outdoor Resorts, a company that sells lots in luxury campgrounds, had the following comments about these luxury motor home resorts: You can buy a lot and then you would have condominium ownership, which is like owning the site, but you can also rent the site when you are not there, and they have a rental management group that helps the owners. You can also rent for a day, week or month if there is room, and if you are interested in buying. Most of the facilities are near par three golf courses. Most have good restaurants. Most of their resorts are seasonal, except the one in California. The Oregon resort is very seasonal and use drops off like in Washington state. Demand is predicted to grow for these kinds of RV resorts and other high-end campgrounds. As we shall see later, this trend is associated with the sales of second 10 Interestingly, the standard for private RV parks and campgrounds (ANSI, 2002) includes shower hooks as a requirement. 11 ( 12 Based on $21/night and not the proposed $22/night 26

27 homes, because purchasing a membership in a luxury RV resort is an alternative to owning a second home. Mr. David Gorin (Gorin, 2004), a journalist who reports on RVs, provided the following hints for 2005, based on what he saw in 2004: Overnight camping fees will continue to surge beyond the $50/ night range Demand will begin to drive more RVers to programs to help assure quality sites The practice of condo RV sites (Camp Resorts) will spread and membership campgrounds will see the beginnings of resurgence There is also a class of campgrounds in Washington state called resort campgrounds, where you have to be a member to camp, although they do allow some public camping in order to try the facilities. An example would be a Thousand Trails campground. Buying a contract permits certain rights to camp. There could be 8-15 contracts for each campsite (Remfrow, 2004.) Since 9/11, the Department of Licensing staff person that follows this group of campgrounds said that camp resort owners tell him they are doing well. The Department of Licensing regulates 11 companies, and they operate about 36 campgrounds. According to IAC data, in the population of Washington state campers there are about twice as many RV campers as there are tent campers. That is not the ratio of use we see in the state parks. The following table shows the proportion of tent and RVers in 2004 from the state parks that take year around reservations. All Year (percent) Summer 4-month (percent) Winter 8-month (percent) Tents Trailers Motorhome VanCamper Total If you add these numbers, you will find: Looking at the data for the entire year, 44 percent come in tents and 55 percent come in some form of an RV In the summer peak season, tent campers outnumber RV campers 52 percent to 49 percent During the 8-month shoulder season about 71 percent of the campers come in some kind of RV. The ability to have a heated space, like in the convenience camping cabins, shoulder season camping experience more tolerable. 13 Any remainder is a rounding error. 27