Amid all of the plans people are making for household tasks with the spring-like weather folks are also working in time for some vacation.   More and more are choosing to spend it closer to home in a West Virginia State Park.

Mail-in and phone call reservations for State Park campsites for the summer have concluded and Parks Chief Ken Caplinger says early indications are the numbers of campers in West Virginia State Parks will increase two to three percent over last year--which was also up two to three percent.   

"We firmly believe people are trying to stay closer to home and looking more in their backyards for quality outdoor recreation and vacation experiences,” said Caplinger.  "That's certainly the niche that West Virginia State Parks occupy."

Beyond the economic difficulties of travelling out of state, Caplinger says what his agency offers is still an affordable option for a vacation.

"You can get a full hookup campsite for 20 to 22 dollars or a standard site for tent camping for 14 to 18 dollars," said Caplinger. "Start comparing that to a hotel room, a condo at the beach, or a vacation cottage, it's pretty reasonable."

West Virginia has 20 State Parks and Forests where campers can reserve space ahead of time.  There are six more sate campgrounds that are first come first serve.   The park system has a policy that no more than half of the campsites in an area can be reserve ahead of time.  Caplinger says there's a market for the more spontaneous vacationer.  He says it's also not uncommon to have cross-country travelers pull into a State Park at dark.  They want to be able to accommodate as many of those visitors as possible.

With the growing popularity of camping, Caplinger says there is additional development for more sites underway.   The most recent addition will be a 75-site state-of-the-art campground at Little Beaver State Park in Raleigh County.

"That's right outside Beckley where you've got two interstates coming together.  Plus there's a real lack of camping up in that vicinity,” said Caplinger. 

Reservations can still be made by phone, mail, or in person.  To learn more about the West Virginia State Parks, log onto their website.