# Rant on our state parks



## poohbear (Jul 21, 2013)

I hadn't camped at a state park in about 3 years so my son and I decided to get reservation for Watson mill when I got online to make reservation there was a ad for some magazines  one of them deals where you get them free for 3 months and you can cancel anytime. Now I guess the state has to resort to this to pay the bills which maybe ok, but it was the way they did it that makes me mad. Down at the bottom of the list they wanted you to verify your email just like a lot of sites do, but in doing so automatically signed you up for the magazines. Trickery I would say. Now if they need help from private companies to pay bills is one thing but to trick the taxpayers of this state in this is ridicules. Just my old country boy thought. How do you all feel about this?


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## T-N-T (Jul 21, 2013)

I do not like any thing that you have do a special step to avoid signing up.  I agree, if the state needs money to keep parks going, then oh well.  But to automatically sign you up is junk!  oh well, this is how its going to be I guess


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## egomaniac247 (Jul 21, 2013)

Yea, I disagree with that completely.

BUT - as long as you didn't give a CC #, it's not like the magazine can charge you.


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## poohbear (Jul 21, 2013)

You have to give cc# to make reservation


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## greg_n_clayton (Jul 22, 2013)

poohbear said:


> You have to give cc# to make reservation



OUCH !! I have prepaid cards for doin any internet dealings of this sort !!


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## 7Mag Hunter (Jul 23, 2013)

You have to read stuff real close these days......

There was probably a small box you needed to check to make 
reservation without getting magazines.....


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## T-N-T (Jul 23, 2013)

greg_n_clayton said:


> OUCH !! I have prepaid cards for doin any internet dealings of this sort !!



HEy, thats a good idea for sure.


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## Milkman (Jul 24, 2013)

I agree with the ripoff stuff like you describe. I hate sites like that.

Were you at the DNR site or another reservation company site?   I have not seen the type ads on the DNR site.

http://gastateparks.org/


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## whchunter (Jul 26, 2013)

*Yea*

I've heard that if you camp and pay a camping fee you still have to pay a car pass on your towing vehicle.........

As a part of GOV I guess it gives you the right to take advantage of people and keep your hand in the other guy's pocket.


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## Laman (Jul 28, 2013)

whchunter said:


> I've heard that if you camp and pay a camping fee you still have to pay a car pass on your towing vehicle.........
> 
> As a part of GOV I guess it gives you the right to take advantage of people and keep your hand in the other guy's pocket.



It has been that way in Ga. for at least 5 years.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Jul 28, 2013)

whchunter said:


> I've heard that if you camp and pay a camping fee you still have to pay a car pass on your towing vehicle.........
> 
> As a part of GOV I guess it gives you the right to take advantage of people and keep your hand in the other guy's pocket.



Yep, also if you rent a cabin at $100 plus a night you have to buy the parking pass. I usually get a yearly parking pass just so I don't have to deal with the hassle every time.

I don't agree with having to pay to park at state and and national parks.  I used them a lot in my college student days years ago, and I wouldn't have had the $5 for a pass.


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## Oldstick (Jul 30, 2013)

Laman said:


> It has been that way in Ga. for at least 5 years.



Longer than that.  But as far as I know, we haven't been in quite a few months. the car parking fee is one time for the entire stay.  $5 whether you are staying one day or three weeks.

Still a very good deal to us and the annual passes even better if you go a lot.

The only gripe I might have is the strict cancellation policies that this contractor has on the the reservations.  Say you are a tent or pop-up camper and the weekend arrives and the weather is going to be a total washout 100% rain.  Forget about it then, you just lost your money if you don't want to spend the weekend in your tent in the rain.


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## swalker1517 (Jul 30, 2013)

We camp several times a year in GA state parks and have never had to pay for parking for either of our cars. On several occasions I've had to meet my wife where ever we camped after work and simply stopped by the office to pick up a pass. Are you guys talking about something different?


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## Oldstick (Jul 30, 2013)

They could have started including that in the campground fees, since I don't think we have been this year at all. 

I probably shouldn't have called it a parking fee, I think it is actually the park entry fee you would normally pay per car when entering the park.

I know in the past they just added the $5 onto the camping fees but I think you are correct, they allow at least two vehicles (plus RV) when you are camping, for no additional fees.


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## Unicoidawg (Jul 30, 2013)

swalker1517 said:


> We camp several times a year in GA state parks and have never had to pay for parking for either of our cars. On several occasions I've had to meet my wife where ever we camped after work and simply stopped by the office to pick up a pass. Are you guys talking about something different?



You paid it you just didn't realize it. I worked for the Parks for years and it is charged for everyone camping or Lodge rooms. Has been for many years now folks are just now realizing it because it is now 5 dollars not 2 like it used to be.


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## Milkman (Jul 30, 2013)

Here is the solution to complaints about State Parks fees.................http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=763389


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## saltysenior (Jul 30, 2013)

i believe the raise to $5 is in part to keep the ''riff raff'' under control..

   my complaint w/ the Ga. State Park system is.....How can a state w/ so many paper mills and so many trees use such an inferior toilet paper in their restrooms ??


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## T-N-T (Jul 30, 2013)

I rented a "meeting room"   OR social hall type building for an even.  A few hundred bucks.  When I got there they charged me $5 to park.  I was ticked to no end.  But the state got the $5 they wanted....


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## LTE (Aug 12, 2013)

When I reserved my site, I got the magazine offer.  I just clicked the "No Thanks" button.  Simple.


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## poohbear (Aug 25, 2013)

Yes but it should be the other way click if you want magazines not if you don't click you will get magazines . A little trickery there I believe


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## papachaz (Sep 1, 2013)

swalker1517 said:


> We camp several times a year in GA state parks and have never had to pay for parking for either of our cars. On several occasions I've had to meet my wife where ever we camped after work and simply stopped by the office to pick up a pass. Are you guys talking about something different?



if you got the tag to hang in your mirror, you paid for it. Unless you join the friends of state parks. membership for that gives you an annual parking pass, and a discount on camping, and gift shop purchases. It does NOT give you a discount on horse stalls if you're taking horses.

@oldstick - you have to have a parking pass to hang on the mirror of EACH vehicle, that's $5 per vehicle. Not sure about a motorhome towing a vehicle, but I'd guess both of those have to have one.
Yes, there is an opt out box on the magazine subscriptions. As far as the state making money, most of the state parks don't cover the cost of running and maintaining themselves. There are a few that are MORE than self sufficient, and they usually divide their funds out to some of the less revenue collectors. 

The thing that has chapped me about our state park system, is this year starting July 1st, the ones with lodges were 'farmed out' to an outside vendor, you know, kind of like they did our hunting and fishing licenses a few years ago.....AND just the same as that, the vendor is NOT a Georgia company.

Something else a park ranger told me at one of our stays this year, is that in a few years time, the park rangers are losing their 'law enforcement' certifications, so if you're staying at a park, and the folks next to you are a bunch of drunks or whatever, they'll have to call the sheriffs dept or county police (if you're in a county that has a separate police dept)

our government at work.......


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