By Emily Woodbury
When we published this poll on May 3rd, we dreaded asking you this question: Have you cancelled your camping reservations for this summer?
I have three campground reservations for this summer (unlike you, I’m a tent-camper and I usually only go for the weekend… I know, I’m an outcast). The first reservation I have is over the 4th of July weekend. I’ve already let go of any hope I had about there being a 4th of July celebration with fireworks, but my hope is still high that I can at least enjoy the campground and a good ol’ campfire. After all, camping is my favorite part of summer.
The campgrounds here in Washington are supposed to reopen within the next month, which makes my heart pretty happy. Yes, I’ll need to use the public restrooms (and certainly can’t camp for three days without one), unlike you lucky folks who have RVs with bathrooms. But, as many of you have said, camping seems like a pretty safe option right now and a healthy way to be able to get outside. Oh, my fingers are crossed…
According to our poll, 51 percent of you are hopeful like me and have not cancelled your summer reservations just yet. A little over a quarter of you, 28 percent, have cancelled some, and just under a quarter of you, 21 percent, have cancelled them all.
Many of you pointed out in the comments that the parks you had reservations at have done the cancelling for you. Yup, that makes sense. At least most of you are getting your money back!
It’s one of those things where we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. We’re all taking this darned thing day-by-day, aren’t we?
There are many small toilet options from buckets to portable toilets. I would choose those over a public restroom these days.
I think we will be staying home this year. I’m waiting to hear about those non-refundable deposits I made back in February.
We cancelled al of ours back in early March and have resigned ourselves to staying home this summer. If the current virus situation gets “a lot” better, we may make a quick trip up to our rv resort n Oregon….otherwise, we’ll sweat out the summer here n the Mojave desert.
Actually the campground canceled it for me! Didn’t even knew it happened till I saw a refund on my credit card, never sent me a courtesy email But I did know that the area in Bishop Ca was shut down to at least May 31. We really need to get out SOON, as of now we still have reservations at Yellowstone for September, took us 5 years to finally get one!!
We have a reservation for 5 days at the Grand Canyon RV park at the South Rim next month. It’s an annual visit for us. The park is only open for day use now, but even if it fully opens by the time we’re to be there, we may opt out. So many people. I can’t imagine safe social-distancing.
I have had several cancelled ON me, because WA State Parks are shut down. Being in an RV, we can stay away from others, but being an ‘essential employee’ and after having several friends lose friends or family to COVID19, I certainly understand and support being very cautious with reopening.
There should be another option in this poll…. did your state cancel your camping plans…. The State of Oregon Parks has already cancelled one of my camp spots for the end of May. Our Governor made all Oregon State Parks close and no one knows for sure when they will reopen the campgrounds!