Western Pa. residents flock to campsites for safe, social-distanced summer fun

As people search for summer fun in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, camping has quickly become a popular alternative to bustling beaches and large crowds.

At Ohiopyle State Park, park manager Kenneth Bisbee said attendance has skyrocketed this season.

“Since the governor issued the stay-at-home order in March, our attendance figures have been up,” he said, noting that outdoor recreation was permitted even during the stay-at-home mandate.

At Ohiopyle, attendance in May was 67% higher than usual. In June, attendance was up by 73% from the norm.

Campsites, in particular, have seen a notable surge. Campgrounds at Ohiopyle are full for most of the summer, especially on weekends, Bisbee said.

“People are reserving overnight facilities at double the rate they have in the past,” he said. “Going into the Fourth of July weekend, for the first time in history, our overnight facilities were 99% booked statewide.”

At Keystone State Park in Derry Township, overnight facilities have been booked at full capacity every weekend since their campsites reopened in mid-May, said park manager Chris Baker.

“One recent weekend, there were only seven sites available for overnight stays in the whole commonwealth,” Baker said.

At Bear Run Campground near Butler, owner Todd Wehr said he’s seen similar trends.

“We have seen an uptick in attendance in mid-May. It continues to be strong,” he said.

And the demand isn’t slowing down.

Overnight facilities at Keystone State Park are already nearly booked to maximum capacity every weekend through mid-September, according to Baker.

RV dealers are also seeing the effects of this new camping surge. Sales are soaring at RV Leaders & Camping Outlet in Adamsburg, said Tricia DeLisle, director of marketing.

“Covid-19 has absolutely impacted the way that people feel about camping, because they feel safer in a camper than they do in a hotel,” DeLisle said. “We have seen a surge from around the country. I think people sheltering inside for a period of time has kind of increased that feeling that people want to go outside and enjoy their lives.”

At Hufnagel & Majors Trailer Sales in Harmony, sales manager Brian Hooker said their sales over the last two months were double what they were that time last year.

But, like many hot commodities, RVs are harder to find, thanks to the virus. Many RV manufacturers shut down for about two months — and some are still operating with limited staff to allow for social distancing, DeLisle said. And demand is high.

“We have been putting in larger orders so that we can accommodate our customers,” DeLisle said. Customers ordering campers may have a longer wait, she said.

Hooker said he’s having similar experiences.

“A lot of stuff has been selling out before it even gets here,” he said.

The recent spike in outdoor activities like camping is likely because people feel safer at a campground than many other vacation spots, Bisbee said.

“People can do a better job of isolating,” he said. “They can get away from everybody else and enjoy the outdoors.”

Even novice outdoorsmen are pitching their first tents this summer.

“We have had a lot of first-time users coming out this year,” Baker said.

Baker said most visitors have been coming as family units. For him, it’s the silver lining of the pandemic.

“It’s bringing families together. They talk with each other,” he said. “That’s a nice thing that’s coming out of the covid-19 pandemic. Families are more tight-knit.”

“We’ve seen families enjoying the simplicity of a campfire and doing marshmallows and s’mores,” Wehr said.

Though camping inherently lends itself to social distancing, Bisbee warned that people should still be cognizant of covid-19 guidelines. He urged visitors to maintain social distancing from other groups and bring a mask to enter park buildings or other nearby businesses.

He said park officials are working to keep up with increased demand, as well as the heightened cleaning and sanitation standards.