Pricing and Services at Larimer County Campgrounds

[Ted Hendrickx]

Dear Director Figgs,

I wanted to write to you after an experience that my wife and I had camping at Hermit Park Open Space last month. I am copying Chair Shulman and Commissioner Kefalas because the Larimer County Parks Advisory Board has a high degree of involvement in recommendations having to do with budgets and operations for LC parks and open spaces.

First off, I want to say that we greatly enjoy Larimer County parks and open spaces and the great opportunities that they provide for both Larimer County residents and others who visit those areas. We visit Horsetooth Mountain Open Space quite regularly for hiking and camp at Hermit Park Open Space each year. We have been purchasing annual visitation passes ever since we moved back into Larimer County a little more than four years ago. 

I realize that operational expenses increase each year and that LC needs to keep up with providing the same level of services and public safety at all properties. Years ago I was a seasonal ranger at Horsetooth Reservoir, working both the South Bay and Inlet Bay areas and helping patrol at MTMOS and elsewhere on the reservoir, so I recognize and appreciate what it takes to manage public areas and the visitors. I am writing now about our camping experience at Hermit Park OS last month. We camped for two nights over a weekend at the Hermit's Hollow Campground. We have camped there and at Bobcat Campground. We prefer certain spots at Hermit's and the fact that camper/trailer size is limited and there are no generators. As you are all aware, nightly camping fees have been increasing and currently are on the higher end of what one might pay for a night of camping, especially for no electrical or water hookup sites. Granted, the sites are well maintained, and with bear boxes which are important. During our recent visit one of the nearby restrooms had completely run out of toilet paper by early Friday morning and campers at a nearby site had to flag down a maintenance person who was driving through on a UTV to get some TP. I think that they may have given one or two rolls to the campers, which they ended up keeping for themselves and their group. It was several more hours until another LC maintenance person came by and restocked the restroom fully. Now, we were in a trailer so we had our own bathroom, but tent campers and others who rely on the shared public restrooms should not have to face empty TP dispensers for several hours for what LC charges for camping. And in Hermit's CG, there are no onsite hosts who check on facilities throughout the day like at other LC properties and USFS campgrounds.

As increases in both daily use and camping fees are considered by LC I want to point out that LC should focus on the value provided for those dollars right now. One could argue that fees go toward maintenance, upkeep, and public safety. But users pay additional daily fees on top of camping fees so a case could be made that ranger presence and the safety that provides are coming from daily use fees. That leaves a void at times, for what visitors are actually getting for their camping fees, when things like TP run out and someone has to drive elsewhere to get water (in the case of Hermit's CG). Continued increases in camping fees could very possibly price out families getting out and experiencing the outdoors. It is getting very, very expensive to camp in northern Colorado. Someone can save on daily fees by buying an annual visitation pass but the ever-increasing camping fees cannot be avoided or minimized except by choosing to come in off-peak times.

I just wanted to share my views and our recent experience. In closing, I'd also like to say that I support finding a way to have out-of-county visitors pay a bit more in fees. This is especially important as surveys by LC have shown that several properties get a great deal of use from non-county residents. This is reflected in annual pass fees now, and has been for years, but the challenge will be how to do so with daily use fees.

Thank you in advance for your time considering my observations and comments.

Ted Hendrickx

770-843-5774   

[John Kefalas]

Thank you for your constructive feedback Ted, and I am certain that Daylan will respond accordingly. 

	John Kefalas County Commissioner, District 1
	Commissioners' Office 200 W Oak St | 2nd Floor PO Box 1190, Fort Collins, CO 80522-1190 W: (970) 498-7001 Cell:  (720) 254-7598 jkef...@larimer.org | www.larimer.org

[Deborah Shulman]

Ted,

Thank you so much for your feedback, description of your experiences with Larimer County Parks and most especially your respectful dialogue.  As a former employee, you know we strive to provide the best, high quality experiences and yes, we do discuss the fees that are charged and try to be sensitive to income levels when we make fee recommendations.  The past couple of years have posed a big challenge in visitor services so your comments are well received and appreciated. We can only remedy what we know about.  I am a lifelong avid tent camper so also relate to what you describe.

Daylan Figgs will likely pass this along to the Visitor Services director, Chris Flemming and her staff. 

Again, thank you.

Deborah Shulman

On Tue, Sep 7, 2021 at 9:29 AM Ted Hendrickx <ted.he...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Deborah Shulman, Ph.D.
DrD.Bod...@gmail.com
970-481-2523