The Stutsman County Park Board has made a unanimous decision to increase the rates at Lakeside Campground (North Dakota).
The new rates will come into effect this year, with campers paying $30 per night and cabin dwellers paying $55 per night. The increase in rates is due to the campground’s planned improvements, including electrical upgrades, paving the campground loop, a water heater, and improvements to Wi-Fi and tent sites.
As per a report from Jamestown Sun, Karl Berghe, Stutsman County Park superintendent, compared the county’s camping rates with similar campgrounds in Montana, Minnesota, and South Dakota before making a recommendation to increase the rates by $3 per night for campers and $5 per night for cabins.
Stutsman County Commissioner Joan Morris put together information on how much revenue the Lakeside Campground could generate from the rate increases.
Morris stated that the identified cost within the last year for improvements at the campground is about $150,000 and did not include the costs for improvements to Wi-Fi and tent sites.
Morris proposed an increase of $5 per night for campers and cabins. She calculated that increasing the rate by $3 for campers would generate an additional $9,000 in revenue per year and increase the revenue from more than $76,000 to more than $85,000. It would take about 17 years for the county to pay for the improvements at Lakeside Campground with an increase of $3 per night for campers.
If the rate is increased by $5 per night for campers, it would generate an additional $14,000 in revenue per year and increase the revenue from more than $76,000 to over $90,000. It would take about ten years to pay for the improvements at Lakeside Campground with an increase of $5 per night for campers.
Stutsman County Commissioner Jerry Bergquist said adding the Wi-Fi will incentivize campers to pay an additional amount.
Morris said the cost of the Wi-Fi improvements is unknown, but the county may need to pay for some infrastructure improvements to support what Dakota Central wants to do at the campsite.
The rate increases are centered around the planned improvements at the campground, which are not the regular operating expenses. They are investments into the campground that will ultimately benefit both campers and the county in the long run. With these improvements, campers can expect to enjoy better amenities and a more pleasant camping experience.
According to North Dakota Tourism, Lakeside Marina and Campground features 48 RV sites with electric, water, and dump station, located near a public beach, playground, boat ramp, picnic shelter, fish cleaning station, and walking and bath paths. The campground has four sleeping cabins and can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
Featured image from North Dakota Tourism.