RSS
Home
RVing and Snowbirds in the news: The week in review (Oct. 24-31, 2009)
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
This week’s news stories and features about RVing and Snowbirds
Zion’s South Campground closes; Watchman stays open year round
Zion National Park’s South Campground is now closed for the 2009 season. Watchman Campground, located just inside the park’s South Entrance, stays open. Just about every site comes with a majestic view of Watchman mountain. The National Park Service’s Web site states that Watchman’s tent and electric campsites are available year round. There are 162 regular sites, 2 handicapped accessible sites, and 7 group sites. 69 sites are tent-only. No generators are permitted. There are no full-hookup sites; a dump station with potable water is available. There are flush toilets, but no showers.
Electric campsites are $18 per night; Riverside electric campsites are $20 per night; and Tent Only campsites are $16 per night.
Reservations may be made online at www.recreation.gov (recommended) or by calling 877-444-6777 up to six months prior to arrival date.
Arizona RV park redesigns, expands its website
The Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds is stepping up its marketing of private campgrounds and RV parks and resorts with a redesigned website.
The site, which went live this fall, includes easier-to-read formats and expanded descriptions of more than 80 campgrounds across the Grand Canyon State. The site has also been reconfigured so that it can be easily accessed by consumers using smart phones.
Additional information about things to see and do in Arizona’s cities, state and national parks and historical sites will also be loaded on to the website in the coming months to assist snowbirds and other Arizona visitors with their travel planning.
The Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds represents private campgrounds and RV parks and resorts across the Grand Canyon State.
Construction closures at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
AZ State Parks Newsletter reports that Tonto Natural Bridge State Park will be open weekends only through November 8th. On all other days this park is closed to all public entry.
Starting November 19th, the park will operate on a 5 Day Schedule. It will be open 5-days per week from Thursday to Monday from 9 am – 5 pm. The park will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Follow construction progress on the Tonto Construction Blog.
Sweeping cuts imposed on more than half of California state parks
More than half of California's 279 state parks will see reduced hours, closed campgrounds, canceled school field trips, and gates padlocked several days a week under a wave of unprecedented new cuts by the state parks department. The cuts, an alternative to fully closing dozens of parks, take effect Sunday and continue until at least June 30, 2010. Among the parks affected are Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County; Marshall Gold Discovery Site State Historic Park in Coloma, where California's Gold Rush began at Sutter's Mill in 1848; Fort Ross State Historic Park, a prominent former Russian settlement on the Sonoma coast; and Henry Coe State Park in Morgan Hill. The moves affect 143 parks.
Some California state parks to close midweek
Commencing November 1st California’s Department of Parks and Recreation implements “service reductions” to five Inland Empire District Parks. Lake Perris State Recreation Area, Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, California Citrus State Historic Park, Chino Hills State Park, and Mount San Jacinto State Park will, with the exception of Mount San Jacinto, all have their operating hours cut. In addition, these parks will be closed to public and vehicle entry on select weekdays until March-June 2010.
The cuts come in response to Governor Schwarzenegger’s plan to keep all state parks open, which was announced last month.
Ground breaks on new state park near metro Atlanta
Ground has been broken on the long-planned Chattahoochee Bend State Park in northwest Coweta County. When it opens in summer 2011, the 3,000-acre facility will be the fifth largest among 64 state parks. It also will be the closest state park to metro Atlanta with camping.
The $7 million phase one includes construction of a visitors' building, along with various camping configurations. The first phase also will include 16 miles of trails for hiking, running, and mountain biking. There are plans for a boat ramp, canoe and picnic areas, and a playground.
Napa Valley Expo to expand RV park
Over the past two months, the 21-space park has been at 98 percent occupancy, Expo CEO Joe Anderson told fair directors this past Tuesday. Since the Expo redid the RV park two years ago, making it more of an all-weather facility, revenues have been higher than expected, he said.
Saying it would be a money-maker, Napa Valley Exposition wants to add nine spaces to its recreation vehicle park.
For information on Napa Valley Expo RV Park, click here.
RV driver says brakes failed before fatal crash
A driver of a 30-foot recreational vehicle said his brakes failed while driving on Highway 1 Sunday, leading to a head-on crash that killed a Kentfield man, the CHP reported Monday.
The R.V. rode up and over the Lexus driven by Roy Claxton, 79, killing him. The sedan ended up off the highway down a small embankment.
Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
RVer causes nine-car pileup in North Carolina, flees the scene
An accident involving an RV on Capital Blvd. this past Thursday evening caused a nine-car pile-up and sent one person to the hospital. A total of nine vehicles were involved. Police say an RV caused the mess when it rammed the back of several vehicles that were stopped at a red light. The RV's driver abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene. Police are still looking for her.
Follow Rex via: Twitter / Facebook / Digg /Delicious
Read more of Rex’s articles: All stories
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
