High gas prices and cool weather earlier this summer caused a slight decline in campground visits, operators say, but state and federal campgrounds are reporting a rebound as the summer progresses.

Across the Upper Peninsula, state and federal campgrounds report widely fluctuating levels of patronage week to week, with some campgrounds near Lake Superior and Lake Michigan receiving far more visitors than last year, and others receiving far less. Higher fees at state facilities may also have contributed to the early summer lull.

State park campground data collected around the busy July 4 holiday reveals that patronage at six Eastern Upper Peninsula facilities was up at three and down at three.

In the nine Western Upper Peninsula campgrounds, patronage was up at three and down at six.

Straits State Park Reports

Rebound; Brimley Stays Even

At Straits State Park in St. Ignace, manager Wayne Burnett reported 8,845 campsites rentals, from opening day April 15 to July 1. During the same period in 2006, there were 9,067.

Straits State Park received 600 fewer visits in June than last year, he added, and he attributed that to a cool spring and high gas prices.

There is one less ranger at Straits Park this season, owing to budget constraints. Another may be lost next year, Mr. Burnett said. The park employs 11 seasonal rangers.

Part of the overall decline in patronage this year resulted from rate increases, which began at highuse parks two years ago, he noted. It now costs $2 more per site to camp at Straits State Park, and smaller parks will raise their fees next year.

"Whenever you get a rate increase, you lose campers," Mr. Burnett said, adding that Michigan state parks are self-sufficient. All operation costs are paid through park fees.

All campsites have been reserved for the weekend prior to the 50th Labor Day Bridge Walk Monday, September 3, Mr. Burnett said, pointing to the reservations as evidence of the continuing mid-summer rebound.

Earlier this year, reservations were slow. Normally, for June's St. Ignace Car Show weekend, all 255 camp sites are reserved by February. This year, reservations were not complete until May.

Straits State Park has 18 new sites on Lake Huron, and they are popular, Mr. Burnett said.

Campers continue to stay longer, he added. Years ago, almost all stayed one night and then continued on their way. For the past six years, campers began averaging three to four days at the park.

Out-of-state traffic at Straits State Park is on the rise. Six to eight years ago, most campers were from Michigan. Now, there are more long-distance travelers. This week, visitors from Sweden and Afghanistan camped at Straits State Park. Most international visitors come from northern Europe and Japan, Mr. Burnett said.

On Lake Superior, Brimley State Park's 237 camp sites have experienced an "even year," except for two very busy weekends around Canada Day, on July 1, and Independence Day, July 4. Staffing remains at 14 employees, the same number as last year, reported Unit Supervisor Burr Mitchell.

The park, like Straits, is capable of serving large recreational vehicles.

The park's one-quarter-mile sandy beach has received a lot of visitors during the hot weather, Mr. Mitchell said. Owing to the configuration of the bay, the site boasts exceptionally warm Lake Superior water. The lake level is down, but the bay is sandy, so a good beach remains when water levels fluctuate, he said.

"Our location near Sault Ste. Marie brings in a lot of campers from Canada," he added. The park celebrates both Canada Day and Independence Day with bicycle rides through the park and games for children and adults.

This will be the second year Brimley State Park hosts Superior Shores Auto Show Saturday, August 25. The show has not drawn many new campers, but visitors enjoyed it last year and re-booked, Mr. Mitchell said, adding that such events take time to catch on. A Harvest Festival at the end of October last year created a surge of reservations for the repeated event this fall.

This Year Has Ups and Downs

for Rustic Campgrounds

State Forest campgrounds offering rustic facilities have seen fluctuations in patronage this year, said Fire Officer Charlie Vallier, who oversees Little Brevort Lake, Hog Island Point, Black River, South Manistique Lake, Millecoquins, and Big Knob campgrounds. There are 12 to 50 sites at each location. Black River offers the fewest, and Hog Island offers the most sites.

Camping fees have increased to $15 at rustic facilities. Last year, senior citizens paid $5 and other campers paid $10. Mr. Vallier suspects price hikes have reduced patronage.

Compared to 2006, Hog Island and Little Brevort Lake campgrounds have seen fewer visits. Little Brevort Lake campground may have lost patronage because motors are not allowed to be used on the water. The rule is being enforced, and some older campers are uncomfortable fishing for extended amounts of time without a motor, Mr. Vallier said.

The reason for the fluctuating turnout could be fuel prices, higher camping costs, and bad economic conditions in cities like Detroit, Lansing, and Grand Rapids, he speculated. Most visitors at these rustic campgrounds are from Michigan, although visitors arrive from Canada, out of state, and occasionally Europe and Australia, he added.

Mr. Vallier expected last week's heat wave to draw campers. Usually, when cities heat up, the campgrounds are busier, he said.

To the north, rustic campgrounds have reported unusual fluctuations in visitation, but they are "holding their own," said Pat Hallfrisch, unit manager at Sault Ste. Marie.

DeTour State Forest Campground, which has 20 sites, is doing well this season. It has been within one or two sites of filling every Thursday through Sunday, Mr. Hallfrisch said.

For the fourth year, Munuscong River State Forest Campground, east of Pickford, has had few visitors. The reason for low patronage is clear: The river is low. It is a fishing facility, and few boats can launch, Mr. Hallfrisch said.

Lime Island is somewhat of an anomaly.

"You never know what may be going on there," Mr. Hallfrisch said. Cabins on the Island are receiving higher numbers of visitors this year, despite a 44% increase in fees. Cabins now cost $65. Rustic campsites on Lime Island are also receiving more campers than last year.

Wide Fluctuations Reported

at Federal Campgrounds Like rustic state campgrounds, similar federal facilities in the eastern unit of the Hiawatha National Forest have experienced fluctuations in visitation, said recreation planner Kari Vanderheuel. Area campgrounds were slow until the end of June, but patronage is picking up and numbers are good near St. Ignace, she said.

Traditionally, national forest campgrounds in the EUP are busiest on weekends. This year, visitation has been sparse on some Saturdays and Sundays, yet hosts have turned campers away mid-week, owing to a lack of sites, she said.

There have been notable ups and downs in patronage at both northern and southern campgrounds, she added, citing numbers collected this June compared to June 2006.

This June, Brevort Lake campground reported the highest visitor increase, with 14,502 uses of its sites this year, compared to 8,153 last year.

At Carp River campground, there were 783 uses of sites this June, compared to 785 last June.

At Foley Creek, there were 928 uses of sites this year, compared to 900 last year.

Lake Michigan campground numbers were "cut right in half," Mrs. Vanderheuel said. This June, there were 2,557 uses of the sites. June 2006, there were 4,200.

The St. Ignace area campgrounds have been on a reservation system for the past four years, she noted. This caused a drop in patronage for the first year. Since then, visitation has rebounded and campers like the system, Mrs. Vanderheuel said.

Northern Hiawatha campgrounds were added to the reservation system this year, which could have led to fewer visits near Sault Ste. Marie, Mrs. Vanderheuel speculated.

Soldier Lake campground reported a severe drop in use. Last June, there were 1,058 uses of camp sites. This June, there were 612.

At Three Lakes campground this year, there were 58 uses of camp sites. There were 159 uses of sites in 2006.

Monocle Lake campground reported an increase this June. This year, there were 1,895 uses of its sites. There were 1,751 last year.

Bay View campground also noted an increase. This June, there were 932 uses of sites. In June 2006, there were 639.

Campgrounds in southern portions of the Hiawatha near St. Ignace now cost $16, a $2 increase over last year. Fees at northern sites remain $12. There have been no staffing or infrastructure changes at Hiawatha campgrounds.

Year Starts Slowly for Parks

Across Michigan

Taking the whole state into account, between October 1, 2006, and the second week of July, patronage at state park campgrounds across Michigan was down 2%, compared to the same period last year, but "things are improving since earlier this year," said Cheryl Greaney, promotional agent for the Parks and Recreation division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

At press time, statewide data was available for October 1 through July 10.

In June alone, state park campgrounds throughout the state experienced a 2% decrease in use, compared to June 2006. This followed a 5.9% slump in February compared to February 2006: a figure that combines the number of reservations sold with camp nights bought by people who drove in and stayed at Michigan's 10 year-around campgrounds. This July, the DNR recorded an increase of .04% in park patronage campgrounds, compared to July 2006.

Gas-price spikes, which have consistently occurred around holidays, appear to have caused the overall decrease in state park camp nights sold, Ms. Greaney said, adding that a substantial drop in patronage at western U.P. campgrounds around July 4 appears to be tied to exceptionally high fuel costs for downstate patrons.

If gas prices remain stable, the recovery is likely to continue, Ms. Greaney added.

Excellent weekend weather in July and statewide efforts to increase entertainment for state park visitors have contributed to the camping rebound, Ms. Greaney said. This year, the DNR is offering more than 400 events at state parks.

Patrons need motor vehicle permits to access state parks. By July 1, sales were down 1.5% for the year compared to sales during the same period last year. Hot summer weather continues to draw campers to the parks this season, and permit sales have followed suit. This June, they were up 3.25% over June 2006, Ms. Greaney noted.

This spring, the DNR canceled its $5 registration fee, which it imposed on campers who did not pre-register for campground sites last year.

"The feedback was negative. It was a deterrent to camping," Ms. Greaney said.