GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Come Aug. 1, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be increasing its overnight lodging fees at some state parks. However, with how busy it's been at Veurink's RV Center in Grand Rapids, employees are optimistic.
It may be in the middle of January, but it's been anything but slow at Veurink's RV Center.
"The business has been booming. It's been really great," said salesman Parker Lint. "It's awesome, because the winter time can be a little slower sometimes."
Campers are preparing for the season when big changes are on the horizon for some state parks. The Michigan DNR will be increasing some of their fees once summer comes.
"About every three or four years... we have reviewed and made adjustments to the various fees that we have, and the camping and lodging, obviously, are the big ones," said Ron Olson, the DNR's chief of the Parks and Recreation division.
Olson said 97% of the state parks' operation is funded through revenue from camping and lodging, but maintaining the parks cost money.
"Ludington and Grand Haven and a few others are used very intensively, and they require, you know, more constant care and maintenance, plus the electric demands," Olson said.
With visitations at state parks up from 28 million in 2019 to 35 million presently, Olson said the organization has to operate as a business.
"We look at market rates and we look at the other end of it is to try to be respectful of the private sector that run campgrounds so that we don't woefully undercut them," said Olson.
Increases will vary depending on the location but reservations made at any state park with 85% or higher occupancy rates will acquire a 7.5% premium fee per night. There won't, however, be any fee increases for rustic campsites in state parks or state forest campgrounds.
"There's not one, you know, fixed price. It's a percentage based on what the particular offer is and then each of the fees are graduated," Olson added. "For example, rustic campgrounds start at 20 and then the others graduate up from there, depending on what amenities are associated with it, up to and including electric and that full hookup sites, which are very popular."
Veurink's RV Center salesman Thys Vink isn't too concerned with the price increases.
"The industry is continuing to grow every single year, so knowing that more people are going out more camping, and knowing that the campgrounds are booking up quicker... I mean, it's good to us, because it knows that we're doing the right thing," Vink said.
Olson also said there are some ongoing projects happening at some of the parks that aren't funded from the price increases.
"We had $270 million worth of American Recovery [American Rescue Plan]. These are federal funds that came in to do rehabilitations... $220 million was put towards rehabilitating general facilities in the state parks. $30 million went to a building, a new state park in Flint, and then $23 [million] went to some special projects on Belle Isle Park," Olson said. "So with that $220 million, we have rebuilt bathroom and shower buildings, repaved and fixed up roads, electric systems and sewer systems and a lot of that kind of stuff. And so that's ongoing, and some of the parks have been completed."
You can find a more complete list of the DNR's increase in pricing here.
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