Cool early summer weather and a spike in gas prices later in the season decreased campground use, especially in the Upper Peninsula. Campground use in the Eastern Upper Peninsula is down between 5% and 18%, depending on the area, with many northern sites hit harder than sites near St. Ignace.

A handful of campgrounds have received roughly the same use as in 2007. Some reports show that high gas prices have caused campers to set aside recreational vehicles in favor of tent camping.

To promote camping and help campers save gas, state parks have initiated a popular storage program in which they allow free storage of a limited number of recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats at their facilities. Campers are able to travel without hauling vehicles, as long as they return in 15 days with proof that they have stayed at a state facility in the meantime or camp at the site upon their return.

Helping patronage at federal campgrounds, operators opened earlier this year and will close later. The decision was a response to requests by anglers and hunters who wanted campground space during peak spring fishing and fall hunting periods.

"We have had more people in tents, and many have left their RVs behind because of gas prices," said Calvin Cummins, area manager for eight federal campgrounds in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Mr. Cummins has spoken to many visitors at Carp River, Foley Creek, Lake Michigan, and Brevort Lake campgrounds in the southeastern part of the Hiawatha National Forest. He also works at Soldier Lake, Three Lakes, Monocle Lake, and Bay View campgrounds twice a week in the north, closer to Lake Superior.

Overall, he estimates patronage is down 10% to 15%, with Brevort Lake and Lake Michigan campgrounds getting the most use, and the northernmost campgrounds getting the least.

The season started slowly, with sparse patronage in May through early June. Use increased, then dropped off again in early August. Holidays have been the strongest times for patronage, he added.

For the most part, campgrounds in his area have been used by local people, notably by St. Ignace and Rudyard-area residents in the southern U.P., however, the southern sites hosted the most out-of-state traffic of the eight sites. The northern sites were used most by residents from the Sault Ste. Marie and Newberry areas. Out-of-state traffic was very sparse in the north, however, the campgrounds were used by several international travelers, mostly Canadian, but also including campers from Germany, France, and Belgium, he said.

Lyn Hyslop, recreation program manager for the eastern Hiawatha, said campgrounds were opened May 7 and will stay open until October 15 at the request of anglers and hunters. This adds several weeks of potential use by campers on the shoulder seasons, she said.

"We've extended them as long as we can without pipes freezing," she said.

Statewide Report

Based on reservations, campground use at state parks was down 6% this June, compared to June 2007.

Since this June, use has increased steadily. It was down 5.1% this August, compared to August 2007, said Cheryl Greaney, promotional agent for the Parks and Recreation division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

"Gas is a huge factor. People are staying closer to home," she said. That is why the U.P. may not have received the same traffic as last year, she added.

The new storage program, she said, "helped immensely with patronage."

As of July 30, 247 people stored equipment for a total of 1,802 nights at state parks, and returned to pick them up and camp again. Campers reported savings of hundreds of dollars in gas on individual trips, she said.

To further increase park use, with a focus on getting children to experience the outdoors, every state park is required to hold three special events a year, such as guided exploration trips, harvest festivals, races, and reenactments.

Straits and Brimley

State Parks

Straits State Park in St. Ignace, which has 255 campsites, experienced a slump in May and June, owing to bad weather, followed by an increase, and then a sharp drop after July 4, when gas prices spiked. The park filled July 4, during St. Ignace Car Show weekend, and Labor Day weekend.

This was not a hot summer, and heat waves last year brought more people to the park, said Wayne Burnett, park manager.

This year, from April through Labor Day, there were 12,753 uses of the park's campsites. In 2007, there were 15,587 uses of the sites during the same period. Most of the decrease of the roughly 2,800 stays was during the cold spell, he added.

For the second year, campers have been staying at the park longer.

"We used to be a one-night park. Now, the average is three nights, with people taking day trips from the park and returning," Mr. Burnett said.

Straits hosts a lot of tent campers as well as people camping in large motor homes. A handful of campers said they decided to camp in tents and leave their RVs home, he said.

The equipment-storage plan was popular, also. The park has eight spots to store campers' RVs, trailers, and boats.

"People have been taking advantage," he added. Several have reported saving more than $100 in gas.

For example, a camper from Holland, Michigan, who had left his trailer at the park, returned home, then came back to get it Thursday, August 28, on his way to Seney National Wildlife Refuge, reportedly saving $160 in gas, Mr. Burnett said.

Straits held a free fishing weekend, in which children were taught the basics of angling, June 6. The park hosted a geocaching event July 12. This is a treasure-hunting game in which participants use global positioning systems to find hidden containers. The project drew about 47 people to the park. Next, the park will have its Fall Festival October 4, which will include decorating campsites, and pumpkin carving.

"The purpose is to bring new users and campers into the parks and hold events that will draw visitors year after year," Mr. Burnett said.

To the north, at Brimley State Park, cool temperatures in May and June "had us running slowly," reported Unit Supervisor Burr Mitchell.

More campers arrived in July and August, which saw about the same number of visitors as the same period in 2007, he added.

From October 1, 2007, through July 30, 2008, there were 3,823 uses of the park's 237 sites, hosting an estimated 26,214 campers. From the previous year, there were 5,675 uses of the sites, hosting an estimated 30,675 campers in the same time period, Mr. Mitchell reported.

Most of the drop was during the wet, cool, early portion of the summer, he added, echoing Mr. Burnett at Straits.

To draw campers, Brimley will hold a Harvest Festival October 3 through October 5, which will include pumpkin carving, trick-ortreating, a costume parade, and a haunted house.

Mr. Mitchell also reported seeing a lot of tent camping this year.

There was especially strong patronage by Canadians, notably around Canadian holidays like Canada Day and Victoria Day, he added.

Mr. Mitchell said he expects the rebound to continue. The demographic will change when school begins, however, when the park switches from hosting families, to retirees.

Although not as popular as expected, the equipment storage program was appreciated by campers at Brimley, he said. Most campers leaving equipment at Brimley Park returned to camp there. One told him he may not have had sufficient funding for another weekend of camping without the program.

Brimley has three sites to store equipment.

Rustic Campgrounds

in the E.U.P.

Overall, state forest campgrounds that offer rustic facilities were down this year, said Fire Officer Charlie Vallier, who oversees Little Brevort Lake, Hog Island Point, Black River, South Manistique Lake, Milakokia Lake, and Big Knob campgrounds. The campgrounds vary in the number of sites offered, from 12 at Black River to 50 at Hog Island Point.

June was especially slow. Camping increased in July and August.

"We're still trying to recover," he said August 28.

Most patrons at campgrounds under Mr. Vallier's authority are local, he said.

"People just aren't driving over the Mackinac Bridge," he speculated.

The drop in revenue means less money for maintenance of the sites.

For the fifth year, despite higher water levels, Munuscong River State Forest Campground east of Pickford has had few visitors, said Brian Burford, fire officer for the DNR.

For a time, low water levels decreased the popularity of the rustic facility, once a heavily used campground by local and downstate walleye anglers.

About eight years ago, the campground had 50 sites. It now has 34. Small craft can still launch, but larger craft cannot, Mr. Burford said.

As few as three sites have been occupied on certain days, and as many as 20 on others. Almost all patrons have been area residents, he said.

Traditionally, it was a popular site at the beginning of walleye season, but even die-hard fans of the site have moved on, he speculated.

In contrast, DeTour State Forest Campground has done well this summer, probably owing to its beach location, Mr. Burford said.