A 2021 campground summary for the City of Soldotna shows that this year was very busy, according to Parks and Recreation Department Director Andrew Carmichael. In a memo written to City Manager Stephanie Queen, he writes that campground revenues are up 21% from the last summer and are the highest they have ever been. From 2017-2021, the only areas that are trending in the downward direction are boat launches.
Carmichael writes that gross campground revenues, before fees and adjustments came in at $498,568 this year. The closest gross revenues came in the four-year stretch was in 2017, which came in at $428,828.
This summer, the abundance, and late push, of reds had a great return for visitors, and especially area businesses. The Department uses the Rotary Park revenues as a measure to what level visits and revenues are directly tied to the ‘red run’. 2021 recorded $26,704, 1.67 times that of 2020 and 1.41 times that of 2019.
2021 also saw the most single day use campground uses at 11,147, which covers Centennial, Rotary Park, and Swiftwater. The total day use visits are not known at this time and doesn’t count the visits by the 759 people who purchased the Season Day Use passes. In terms of ‘camp nights’ hosted, Carmichael writes that this summer tabulated 13,503 nights, likely the most ever in one summer and the first time 13,000 has ever been surpassed.
A 2016 survey puts the average party size at 3.34 people per campsite per night and spending levels and $118.90 per person. When taking the numbers of that survey into consideration, the total spending by Centennial and Swiftwater campers comes to over $5.36 million for Soldotna and Central Peninsula businesses.
Carmichael expresses excitement in saying that it was a very good summer.
