Two Badger State lawmakers have proposed a law that would give Wisconsin residents a jump on campsites. Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) and Representative Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) think their state’s residents are getting the short end of the stick when competing with non-Wisconsinites for state park campsites.
“Highly stressful situations”
“Under the current system, the online campsite reservation window opens exactly at 9 a.m., 11 months prior to the date of the reservation. This leads to highly stressful situations for groups who are trying to reserve their favorite campsite for family reunions or holiday weekend vacations. I have heard stories from families needing to use multiple devices just to reserve a campsite,” Senator Marklein said. “Wisconsin residents should never lose out on a campsite to a non-resident because their internet is too slow or they couldn’t click on the campsite soon enough.”
To resolve these “highly stressful situations,” the proposed legislation would give Wisconsin residents two weeks to reserve campsites at Wisconsin’s most popular state parks before non-residents would get a crack at them.
The devil is in the details
Of course, for some, the devil is in the details. To give Wisconsin residents a jump on campsites, there’s a small catch. Under the legislation, Wisconsin residents would have to pay the non-resident camping fee. That’s $10 – $15 more per night, to get the jump on out-of-staters.
The two lawmakers have floated their idea, and are currently shopping the legislation for co-sponsors.
“Under the legislation, Wisconsin residents would have to pay the non-resident camping fee. That’s $10 – $15 more per night, to get the jump on out-of-staters.”
WHY????
Out of staters already pay more than a resident I say leave it the way it is and I am a WI resident.
Thank you, Russ and Tina. Well, that seems fair. Residents probably pay some tax (taxes?) that ends up funding the state parks.
Back in the day it was nice. First come first serve basis. Guess those days are over with. I’m a Wisconsin resident and I would not pay the extra money to get a jump on the non resident to book a state campground.
As a resident, I would still need to reserve 11 months in advance to even have a chance to get a spot on the weekend. This doesn’t solve much.