Roy Stearns with the Department of Parks and Recreation says reservations were up for the holiday weekend – with park campgrounds nearly full.  He says in the past people stayed a couple of nights, but now they seem to be staying for all three. 

“We just suspect that people are maybe forgoing a more expensive vacation somewhere, staying closer to home and maybe staying longer at a campground.

The uptick comes as lawmakers and the Governor consider cutting park funds and increasing fees to help balance the budget.  Stearns says parks have already tightened their belts:

“ People might find that campgrounds aren’t as perfect as they used to be, that maybe bathrooms aren’t getting cleaned quite as often – that maybe there’s a little bit of trash piling up that doesn’t get hauled away real quickly because we’re short people.” 

Stearns says volume at state parks is expected to be up all summer.