Record number of campers turn out for busy season
Yearning for the great outdoors, Tricia McDuffie abandoned the creature comforts of her Evans home and set out on her monthly camping excursion.
Joshua McAlister, 11, (from left) Alexis McDuffie, 6, and Heather Quiley, 8, try to feed the geese at their campsite at Mistletoe State Park.
Photo by Donnie Fetter
Visiting a different locale each trip, she recently loaded up her 1988 Ford Coachmen with camping gear, hitched up her boat, brought along her husband, son and four grandchildren and headed to Mistletoe State Park for the weekend.
"I left behind my two-story home to be in the middle of the woods," McDuffie said. "I just love the peace and quiet of it all."
She wasn't alone.
In the midst of the camping busy season, hundreds of campers in recreational vehicles and tents claimed a spot at one of Mistletoe's camp sites. In fact, all of the park's 93 camping sites and cabins have remained booked on weekends since Masters Week, said Mistletoe Park Manager Bill Tinley.
"Normally, July 4 is the last big hoorah," he said. "After that, we won't be full every weekend. Until then, we fill up every weekend. That's pretty much the busy season, but the cabins stay full on weekends yearround."
This year's camping season had been particularly busy.
Heavy rainfall during the first half of 2003 discouraged many campers from venturing out. Prior to that, four years of drought produced severely low lake levels that drove away hundreds of campers and thousands of dollars in revenue, Tinley said.
"The drought cut into our revenue by 40 percent, but this year's real good," he said. "Everyone is chomping at the bit to get back out because a lot of them had not been out for four years."
Columbia County's lake-side campgrounds are reporting record numbers of visitors.
"This year, since the water's up, and it's not raining every weekend, I've been really busy," Little River Marina owner Pam Bugg said. "Now that they have a place to go, it seems like families are once again wanting to do things, away from TV and telephones, where they can just be a family again."
While McDuffie took her camping trip to spend quality time with her family, others simply wanted the peace and quiet provided by Mother Earth.
"We just wanted to be outdoors," said Augusta resident Don Sloan, who camped out at Mistletoe over the weekend with his wife Carolyn. "We just wanted to get away from all the hustle and bustle and enjoy the lake."
Columbia County Campgrounds:
Little River Marina and Family Resort
Address: 4271 Old Lincolnton Road, Appling
Camping: Opening 10 campsites May 5, six cabins and four motel rooms, electric and water service
Fees: camp sites rates undetermined, cabin rates range from $65 to $100 per night
Amenities: beach area, volleyball court, fishing pier, canoe, kayak and bike rentals, basketball court, croquet field, horseshoes and badminton court
Reservations: Call 541-1358
Mistletoe State Park
Address: 3723 Mistletoe Road, Appling
Camping: 92 campsites with hookups, four walk-in campsites, three hike-in campsites, pioneer camping area for groups, cabins
Fees: $17 per night for tents, $19 per night for campers, $80 per night for weekday cabin rentals, $90 per night for weekend cabin rentals
Amenities: beach area, hiking trails, nature trails, nature center, live entertainment on weekends, canoe and john boat rentals, fishing pier, boat ramps, volleyball and shuffleboard
Reservations: Call (800) 864-7275
Wildwood Park
Address: 4612 Holloway Drive, Appling
Camping: 61 Campsites
Fees: Up to $18 per night or $16 per night for seniors
Amenities: Two 12-mile horse riding trails, mountain bike trail, eight boat ramps (six mega ramps), future home of National Disc Golf Headquarters & Hall of Fame, beach area, picnic area and three covered pavilions
Reservations: Call 541-0586
Ridge Road Campground
Address: 5886 Ridge Road, Appling
Camping: 69 campsites (most with electric and water, some primitive)
Fees: Between $14-$18
Amenities: Beach area, playground, boat ramp and courtesy dock
Reservations: Call (877) 444-6777 or go online at www.reserveusa.com
Winfield Campground
Address: 7701 Winfield Road, Appling
Camping: 80 campsites (all feature electric and water)
Fees: $18 per night
Amenities: Beach area, playground and boat ramp
Reservations: Call (877) 444-6777 or go online at www.reserveusa.com
Petersburg Campground
Address: 3998 Petersburg Road, Appling
Camping: 93 campsites (most with electric and water, some primitive)
Fees: $18 a night
Amenities: Beach area, boat ramp, courtesy dock, fishing pier (currently out of order) and picnic shelter
Reservations: Call (877) 444-6777 or go online at www.reserveusa.com