The slanted and eroded gravel pads weren't worth using, even if the picnic table wasn't sprawled across it. (Do maintenance staff ever think that the last thing a late-arriving camper wants to deal with, especially in rain or other bad weather, is moving a picnic table that weighs slightly less than an elephant?!)Tired would be the best word for it, though neglected would also work. The last campground I stayed at, NY's Chenango Valley State Park, a potentially beautiful spot, was so-so.
The ambivalent rating would be attributed to the general un-maintained campgrounds and RV essentials--especially the dump area. Then my pet peeve--no recycling. No hosts were apparent to me. Ill-placed garbage bin provided feeding opportunities for squirrels. Bone-jarring potholes. No signage to guide people out and minimal to get newbies in.
State parks undoubtedly are feeling budget crunches, and probably have for sometime, despite a short period of many states being flushed with cash. Those boon times are now bust times, and I fear that if state parks continue to ignore their charges we all will be the worst for it.
What do people see in other areas? What states do a good job?
Posts
