RV visits to Alaska down this year, may get worse

RV campgrounds from Anchorage to the Alaska-Canada border report that their business is off 10 to 20 percent this summer. Alaska Highway traffic counts at the border show June crossings were down 14 percent from last June. Tips are down and vacancies are up, campground operators say.

Jan Richardson says business is way down this summer at her Alaska Trails RV Park in Wasilla. "Last year we were just lined up with big rigs," she said, averaging about 40 campers a night. "This year I've had somewhere between seven to 19 a night and I can't even claim I've had 19 every night because I just haven't," she said.

Last week Denali National Park and Preserve reported visitation downs 13 percent this summer.

Keith Halsey and his wife, Diane, who live near Chicago, bought a new, smaller trailer last fall hoping to save money driving to Calgary, Alberta for the Stampede and then on to Alaska. But the couple decided to scrap the Alaska leg and simply take in the Stampede and Banff before going home. "It was going to cost $9,000 for fuel. We figured that would put it at $15,000 or $17,000 for the trip," said Halsey. "That's just too much."

It may only get worse. "Next year is going to be scary," said Buck Bailey, who manages the Ship Creek RV Park in Fairbanks. Most people plan two to three years in advance, and gas is only getting more expensive, Bailey said.