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Tennessee camping reservations up 52 percent
A recent survey shows that Tennesseans seem to be enjoying old fashioned camping trips now more than ever.
From 2015 to 2020, Recreation.gov reported a 52.7% increase in camping reservations made in the state of Tennessee. Again, a 52.7% climb in camping reservations in Tennessee alone over a small five-year period.
Camping Started to GROW Before COVID, but Exploded During COVID
Camping was steadily growing in popularity prior to 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated its growth as Americans sought safe, outdoor vacations away from crowds.
According to a research report by the Kampgrounds of America (KOA), over 10 million households camped for the first time in 2020, accounting for one-fifth of all camping households. Data from Recreation.gov—a trip planning and reservation portal for U.S. public lands—showed that camping reservations numbered nearly 3.3 million in 2020, up by about one-third from 2019 and by more than two-thirds from five years prior.
Camping is GROWING like Wildfire in Tennessee
The increased popularity of camping has been fueled by a combination of long-term trends and more immediate factors related to the pandemic. Over the past several years, camping trends such as “vanlife” and ”glamping,” as well as the increased availability of wifi and better cell phone service at campgrounds, have helped attract new campers and offered seasoned campers new ways to enjoy the outdoors without completely foregoing modern-day comforts. In particular, Gen Zers and Millennials are camping in greater numbers and account for an increasing share of all campers. In 2015, members of these generations accounted for 34% of all campers according to KOA. By 2020, this number climbed to 48%.
In addition to these longer-term factors, changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic—such as safety concerns, travel restrictions, and business closures—encouraged a flood of first-time campers. According to KOA, the majority of first-time campers in 2020 decided to do so for reasons directly tied to the pandemic. In addition, campers that year ventured further from home than in past years, suggesting that Americans increasingly chose to travel by car and camp than travel by airplane and stay in a hotel. Compared to 2015, the percentage of campers who traveled more than 200 miles to camp increased from 17% to nearly 30%.
In 2020, California led the country in camping reservations according to Recreation.gov. California camping reservations totaled 634,000 for the year, accounting for 19% of the nearly 3.3 million total camping reservations on U.S. public lands. Some of the most popular destinations in California were Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and several national forests in and around the Sierras. Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Texas rounded out the top five states with the most camping reservations on public lands in 2020.
Camping in TENNESSEE
To find the states where camping has grown in popularity the most over the past five years, researchers at Outdoorsy analyzed data from Recreation.gov. The researchers ranked states according to each location’s percentage change in camping reservations from 2015 to 2020. Researchers also calculated the total increase in camping reservations from 2015 to 2020, total camping reservations in 2020, and the public land (national park, national forest, lake, etc.) with the most camping reservations in 2020.
The analysis found that from 2015 to 2020, Recreation.gov reported a 52.7% increase in camping reservations made in the state of Tennessee.
Here is a summary of the data for Tennessee:
• Percentage change in camping reservations (2015–2020): 52.7%
• Total increase in camping reservations (2015–2020): 39,124
• Total camping reservations (2020): 113,324
• Most popular destination: Great Smoky Mountains National Park
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
• Percentage change in camping reservations (2015–2020): 68.1%
• Total increase in camping reservations (2015–2020): 1,323,031
• Total camping reservations (2020): 3,267,142
• Most popular destination: Yosemite National Park
-Thunder Radio news partner WGNS helped with this report.
SNOW PATROL: TUESDAY, JAN 4, 2022
SNOW PATROL FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2022
presented by the bread and milk experts at Spring Street Market – 801 S Spring Street in Manchester
* Bedford County Schools – CLOSED
*Cannon County – CLOSED
*Coffee County School System – CLOSED
* Grundy County Schools – CLOSED
*Manchester City Schools – CLOSED
*Temple Baptist Christian – CLOSED
*Warren County Schools – CLOSED
*Webb – CLOSED
*** this post will be updated if/when other school districts decide to close or make schedule changes. If you do not see your school district, assume it is on normal schedule.***
Birthdays- January 3
Brittany Rogers- 33
Chris Hansell
Nathan Cunningham
Shannon Smith- Pizza Winner!
Madeline Duncan
Birthdays- January 2
Tim Sanders
Tricia Sanders
Cheyenne Vickers
Savannah Cooper- Pizza Winner!
Birthdays- December 31
Birthdays:
Trish Lowery- Pizza Winner!
Weekly Winners:
Cake- Jack Oliver
Flowers- Donnie & Loretta Bennett
Weather postpones Monday night basketball games
Monday, Jan. 3 was supposed to mark the return of middle school basketball after a two and a half week break for the holidays.
But mother nature tossed a wrench into those plans.
Snow forced the postponement of Westwood Middle at Forrest and Coffee Middle hosting West Tullahoma. Both games will be made up on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m.
Sunday night snow makes for beautiful photos; brings down power lines
A weekend of wacky weather culminated in a heavy snowfall in the Thunder Radio listening area Sunday night into Monday morning.
After temperatures in the mid-70s on Saturday that brought severe storms, tornado watches and wind damage, a cold-front plowed through the area on Sunday night and brought with it several inches of snow.
According to official snowfall totals with National Weather Service, areas of Shelbyville received north of 8 inches of snow overnight Sunday. Meanwhile, Manchester officially received 4.5 inches of snow according to NWS. However, multiple photos submitted to Thunder Radio News have shown between 5 and 7 inches of snow at various locations throughout Coffee County.
The snow did cause some travel problems early Monday morning and left approximately 3,500 Duck River Electric Membership Corporation members without power. The heavy snow on electric lines and tree limbs caused some power lines to come down completely, according to first responders. DREMC crews worked through the day Monday to restore power.
The inclement weather forced closure of Coffee County government offices. Manchester city government offices opened late Monday and teachers for the Manchester City and Coffee County School systems reported late for their scheduled professional development on Monday.
Gas prices remain virtually unchanged from prior week
Tennessee gas prices have risen 0.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.98/gallon today (01/03/2022), according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 3,821 stations in Tennessee. Gas prices in Tennessee are 8.1 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 95.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.
The average price in Coffee County is $3.00 per gallon, which is down a few cents from last week and just 2 cents above the state average.
The National Average price is $3.28. The most expensive gas remains out west – $4.66 per gallon in California.
Body found by hunters in Rock Island has been identified
A body discovered by hunters Friday morning in the Rock Island area has been identified by authorities as Richard McCormick, age 51.
Warren County Sheriff Tommy Myers said McCormick was identified by tattoos and a wallet found with the body.
McCormick was last seen on November 21 and was reported missing on Nov. 25.
Time of death could not be determined and authorities are waiting on toxicology results. The investigation is ongoing.
McCormick’s body was found near a pond on Rayburn Walling Rd in Rock Island.
TAX TIPS: H&R Block offers instant refund
By Rosalyn Partin, H&R Block
HAPPY NEW YEAR from the tax professionals at H&R Block, Manchester! If you made a resolution to get your maximum refund this year, we can help you! Book an appointment online at the Manchester office or call us at 728-9462 to schedule an appointment over the phone. And if it’s hard for you to plan ahead, walk-in clients are also welcome. Our office is open Monday through Saturday (and some Sundays) to serve you.
There are many changes to this year’s taxes and possibly carryovers from your 2020 return. With professional help from H&R Block, you won’t have to worry about filing an accurate return and getting all the credits and deductions for which you are eligible. Our preparers are trained to deliver complete interviews which uncover all the benefits the tax code offers. If you want to meet face-to-face, we offer in-office service or virtual appointments with one of our tax professionals in Manchester. We can also help you upload your tax documents to us to minimize your time in our office.
For those who need money fast, when we prepare your tax return you could get up to $3,500 within minutes of filing with our no cost, interest free Refund Advance Loan.
So, now that it’s a new year, begin to gather your tax documents, and when you have all of them, call us or come in. Let the tax professionals at H&R Block take the stress out of preparing your tax return. We are open and ready to serve you at 2161 Hillsboro Blvd, in the Whispering Pines (Goodwill) shopping center, Manchester.
If you have questions or want to schedule an appointment, please call H&R Block in Manchester TN at 931-728-9462. H&R Block Has Your Back!