New Hampshire campground has long history

Some campgrounds are notable for their scenery. Some are notable for their trails, some for their facilities. And some are notable for a person whose name they bear.

Dolly Copp campground, in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, is in this category. Dolly Emery Copp (1807-1891) and her husband Hayes settled in the area known as Dolly Copp campground in the early 19th century. Making a success of farming in New Hampshire wasn't easy and the legend is that after a road was built beside their farm in 1851, the Copps established an unlicensed inn to supplement their income.

Dolly soon became known for friendliness and her homemaking skills, providing guests with "good food and comfortable beds." Stories about Dolly vary somewhat but the campground built on her farmland has, over the many years, grown since those first visitors camped there some 150 years ago and enjoyed her hospitality.

Today, Dolly Copp campground has 175 campsites in 12 loops and four spurs stretching along the Peabody River and bisected by Culhane Brook. Okay, there are no hookups for RVs and the toilets are vaults, but the campsites are spacious, the woodland scenery breathtaking, and the Daniel Webster Scout trail provides access to a network of trails in the Great Gulf Wilderness. And it's only about five miles to the top of Mt. Washington, an attraction since 1887.

Dolly would be proud her hospitality in the New Hampshire wilderness is memorialized as a delightful family campground.

Suzi Dow and her husband Fred operate the excellent website Forest Camping.

New York campground directory for 2012 now available

The campground owners association of New York has released its 2012 Campground and RV Park Guide. The publication is free and available by visiting www.nycampgrounds.com and filling out the online request form or calling toll-free at (800) 497-2669.

The 100-page directory highlights the features and amenities for more than 200 privately-owned and operated campgrounds and RV parks across New York State, and is designed as a planning tool for RVers. It's available in print format as well digitally.

"Whether you are tenting, staying in a cabin, or traveling in an RV, the healthful benefits of getting outdoors is a great reason to go camping," says Donald Bennett, Jr., President and CEO of CONY. "We're living in much more sedentary and disconnected times, and camping is one of our last ways to stay truly and deeply in touch with our health, our family, our friends, and the world around us."

The directory includes website addresses and driving directions for all the campgrounds and RV parks, and advertisements for vacation destinations and RV service providers.

The camping season in New York kicks off in late April. Reservations are now being taken at many parks across the state.

Campground Owners of New York was founded in 1963. It's dedicated to the promotion, growth, improvement and development of privately owned campgrounds in New York State.

New Jersey park plan draws fire, concern

Like most other state park systems across the country, New Jersey has its own share of financial woes. Tiptoeing through the mine field of outside funding, state project developers are taking more than just a few pot-shots from folks concerned that Garden State Parks could become clones for commercial enterprise. In a story carried by philly.com (an e-version of the Philadelphia Inquirer) it would seem the lines are drawn and the guns may start blazing at any time.

A spokesman for the Sierra Club of New Jersey warns, "Next thing you know, you have to pay more for everything and the public's access is limited. You'll be getting fee'd to death." That's the opinion of Jeff Tittel, the group's director.

On the other side of the spectrum comes Lou Valente, the architect of the state's plan to generate more income through alliances with non-government entities. Valente started feeling the heat last October when the state rolled out its plans to rely less on government funds and more on outside income.

Valente told the paper, "We're planning substantial change by 2015." If plans go the way of his vision, over a third of the park monies would come from outside groups, raising funds from concessionaires and the leasing of some park properties like golf courses. Valente says the money is needed badly--parks take in $8 million a year, but the annual budget runs $40 million.

Critics envision chain restaurants operating on park grounds; huge gatherings where groups could rent out park venues for weddings--or worse. The state contends they have much more down-to-earth and park-friendly views. A non-profit group taking over life guard staffing and charging a fee for lessons and exercise classes. But others wonder what will happen if other operations are taken over by vendors. Sierra Club Tittel: They're not professionals and don't have the same level of caring for the parks," he said. "Who's screening them? Will valuables walk away? Then, there's the loss of access,"if you can make more money on a Saturday afternoon renting out a park area, then the public doesn't have access."

It's a contentious issue, and one like other states across the union are dealing with. Some states are simply closing parks, or turning them over to private entities for operations. Others are looking to fee programs that increasingly ding users as they come in the gate. California is increasingly looking to "friends" groups of non-profit organizations who either directly operate parks, or provide funding to pay for state employees to continue to do their jobs.

To read the complete Inquirer story, visit the site.

photo: Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection