"Non-resident? Go Away!!!" Proposed new Michigan State Park tag line

[SinkorSwim]

Wow are Michigan state park user fees every unfriendly towards traveling Class As towing toads!!! We had read on forums to expect an $8 PER DAY user fee on top of the $21-30 camping fee but to charge another $6 PER DAY for a toad was a bit much.

We are travelling up the Michigan coast staying at a different state park each night and had read about the $8 per day park access fee charges on top of the camping fee, which is not all that clear on their web site, but were absolutely shocked when they charged us another fee for the toad. A fifth wheel with a trailer, one fee.... an RV with a toad 2 fees..... tell me how that makes sense.... and we never caught that on their website or in the forums. I'm even struggling with the fee not being a once per stay fee as opposed to daily(this is the way it was in Indiana). We paid $58 for what a resident would have paid $20 for.

Tourism friendly state??? NOT!!!

[jd-ford-hd]

Hmmm..! Interesting, to say the least. Thanks for the heads up.

[SinkorSwim]

Guess I should have mentioned that there is a non-resident annual pass, which we did purchase for $29 (versus the $10 resident fee). The issue is needing a second annual pass for a toad....

[Joe S]

If you Purchase the non resident pass it should cover your toad as well. Our resident pass now comes with your Vehicle registration and all is included except camp site.

[Joe S]

Shoot I take that back because your RV would be the covered vehicle so you would probably still have to pay for your toad..

[bean]

Originally Posted by SinkorSwim

A fifth wheel with a trailer, one fee.... an RV with a toad 2 fees..... tell me how that makes sense....

A fifth wheel with a trailer is ONE vehicle.
A RV with a toad is TWO vehicles.

I'm not saying I agree with is, but I do understand it.

Bean

[Triguy]

Come to Wisconsin. Toads are free

[cyclepuck]

Welcome to michigan! We have pay for all that advertising some how so why not double dip the tourist. But in all seriousness what every is hooked to vehicle should be covered.

[comfun1]

They do the same thing in Kansas. We have a corp of engineer lake not 5 miles from town. You pay a fee for each vehicle you bring into the state park and another fee to camp. The good thing is if you drive a little further there is a federal campground and it's around $16 per night and half that with the old age pass.

[TURBS]

What makes me mad is there is even such a thing as non resident ANYTHING.
fishing hunting snowmobile trail pass camping. Its bs
why not charge a non resident fuel food motel and shopping while there at it!
Gotta love state government!

[lbrjet]

Two motor vehicles = two fees. What is so hard to understand about that? If you don't like it then stay in a private campground. Residents pay other state taxes that support their parks. No reason tourists can't chip in as well.

[Triguy]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

What makes me mad is there is even such a thing as non resident ANYTHING.
fishing hunting snowmobile trail pass camping. Its bs
why not charge a non resident fuel food motel and shopping while there at it!
Gotta love state government!

I agree. But the alternative might not be good either. I bet the way our state works if they changed it would be to charge the residents the same premium State Park fees that non-residents pay. I doubt they would lower the non-resident fee.

[St1tcher]

Not to mention the price of gas or diesel fuel that you had to use to get there. It all adds up one way or another. Oh the joys of having toys!

[trudinator]

I guess we should be glad that Michigan doesn't have some antiquated law on the books that states only a small percentage of sites at state parks can have electric hook ups. Private campground lobbyists have lined the pockets of our legislators with gold to keep this assinine law on the books for far too long. If you want a site with electricity in summer, you have to book it 11 months in advance. Driving up to most state parks in Wisconsin and finding an electric site available without a reservation is like winning the lottery. I see no reason for this law to exist.

[schrederman]

There's a petition going around to get a fishing-license exemption across the U. S. for anyone 62 or older. I'd like to see that expaneded for camping fees, hunting licenses, and anything else for recreational purposes, with the age dropped to 60, with veterans exempted altogether, regardless of age... Sadly, I doubt it will ever happen. The "non-resident" issue galls me. Que las tima... (what a pity)...

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by schrederman

There's a petition going around to get a fishing-license exemption across the U. S. for anyone 62 or older. I'd like to see that expaneded for camping fees, hunting licenses, and anything else for recreational purposes, with the age dropped to 60, with veterans exempted altogether, regardless of age... Sadly, I doubt it will ever happen. The "non-resident" issue galls me. Que las tima... (what a pity)...

This rule should be for seniors and vets imo

[SinkorSwim]

I've gotta take a little exception to the 2 vehicles 2 fees response. There is zero difference to driving in a 37' Class A with a Toad vs a 37' 5th wheel with a truck..... Once one is parked, it stays parked and becomes your accommodation, while the other becomes your transport. Dinging one for extra fees makes little sense to me.

I see the issue is they don't have a clean mechanism to manage the pricing of the toad/RV when their current pricing model is "vehicle" based.

And having spent over a decade running an eco-adventure resort and sitting on the board of directors of a number of provincial tourism boards it does not surprise me to see governments being penny wise and dollar poor when it comes to promoting toursim in their areas. Grab the money for the gov rather than making the region attractive as a whole and bringing more tourism revenue into the economy as a whole is not an uncommon story. What folks spend on accomodations in the parks is peanuts compared to all the other things they drop money on while in the area.

Still a poor strategy to me, at least make it really clear on your websites, I watched two other couples leave the check-in pissed about the extra fees just in the short time I was there. Multiply that over all the parks and a whole season and thats a whole lot of negative advertising for the state....

Wisonsin, here I come!!!

[youroo]

Originally Posted by f1100turbo

What makes me mad is there is even such a thing as non resident ANYTHING.
fishing hunting snowmobile trail pass camping. Its bs
why not charge a non resident fuel food motel and shopping while there at it!
Gotta love state government!

Yes,Canadians pay 35.00$ a year to snowmobille in Mich. USA,snowmobillers pay 100.00$ a WEEK to ride in Ont. & 150.00+ a WEEK in Qbeck. Stay in the USA! Youroo!!

[lbrjet]

Originally Posted by SinkorSwim

I've gotta take a little exception to the 2 vehicles 2 fees response. There is zero difference to driving in a 37' Class A with a Toad vs a 37' 5th wheel with a truck..... Once one is parked, it stays parked and becomes your accommodation, while the other becomes your transport. Dinging one for extra fees makes little sense to me.

I see the issue is they don't have a clean mechanism to manage the pricing of the toad/RV when their current pricing model is "vehicle" based.

And having spent over a decade running an eco-adventure resort and sitting on the board of directors of a number of provincial tourism boards it does not surprise me to see governments being penny wise and dollar poor when it comes to promoting toursim in their areas. Grab the money for the gov rather than making the region attractive as a whole and bringing more tourism revenue into the economy as a whole is not an uncommon story. What folks spend on accomodations in the parks is peanuts compared to all the other things they drop money on while in the area.

Still a poor strategy to me, at least make it really clear on your websites, I watched two other couples leave the check-in pissed about the extra fees just in the short time I was there. Multiply that over all the parks and a whole season and thats a whole lot of negative advertising for the state....

Wisonsin, here I come!!!

It is not a 'vehicle' policy it is a 'motor vehicle' policy. A fiver is not a motor vehicle hence no charge.

[Hob]

I'm glad this discussion came up. I'll just plan on staying away from Indiana. We don't travel with 2 vehicles anymore however, if Indiana is that way with out of staters they don't need any of my money. I won't even fill with diesel there.