State parks blaze trails for wireless Internet service

[fgoodwin]

State parks blaze trails for wireless Internet service

 

 

 

April 10, 2008

By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

 

Outdoor enthusiasts may dislike the idea of a laptop in every tent, but the number of state parks with wireless Internet service is growing rapidly.

 

State officials say park users want Wi-Fi, so parks are installing it in campgrounds, lodges and visitors centers. Some states, including Tennessee and Kansas, plan to equip every park with it.

 

According to a USA TODAY survey, 28 states have at least one park with wireless Internet service. Officials who were surveyed say that of 3,208 state parks, 194, or 6%, have either free or pay-per-use Wi-Fi. Often it is at a single location, such as a campground or a lodge lobby.

 

A 50-state USA TODAY survey found that 28 states have installed Wi-Fi in at least one of their parks.

 

ST #parks Wi-Fi Parks with Wi-Fi

======================================================================

AL 22 11 Blue Springs, Buck's Pocket, Cheaha, DeSoto,

Frank Jackson, Gulf, Lake Guntersville,

Lakepoint, Monte Sano, Oak Mountain, Joe Wheeler

AK 22 0

AR 52 6 Bull Shoals, Crowleys Ridge, DeGray Lake, Lake

Dardanelle, Mount Magazine, Queen Wilhelmina

AZ 30 0

CA 278 50 See:

CO 42 2 Chatfield, Cherry Creek

CT 106 0

DE 15 0

FL 161 0

GA 45 13 Amicalola Falls, General Coffee, George L.

Smith, George T. Bagby, Gordonia-Alatamaha,

Indian Springs, John Tanner, Little Ocmulgee,

Sapelo Island, Red Top Mountain, Skidaway Island,

Smithgall Woods, Unicoi

HI 54 0

IA 48 0

ID 20 2 Bruneau Dunes, Ponderosa

IL 44 5 Giant City, Pere Marquette, Starved Rock, Wayne

Fitzgerrell, White Pines

IN 24 7 Brown County, Clifty Falls, Fort Harrison,

McCormick's Creek, Pokagon, Spring Mill, Turkey

Run

KS 24 2 Elk City, Tuttle Creek

KY 53 17 Barren River Lake, Blue Licks Battlefield,

Buckhorn Lake, Carter Caves, Cumberland Falls,

Dale Hollow Lake, General Butler, Greenbo Lake,

Jenny Wiley, Kenlake, Kentucky Dam Village, Lake

Barkley, Lake Cumberland, Natural Bridge,

Pennyrile Forest, Pine Mountain, Rough River Dam

LA 20 4 Bayou Segnette, Fairview-Riverside,

Fontainebleau, Poverty Point Reservoir

MA 338 0

MD 49 0

ME 32 0

MI 98 5 Holland, Grand Haven, Ludington, Mears, Traverse

City

MN 66 0

MO 84 2 Bennett Spring, Roaring River

MS 25 0

MT 50 0

NC 32 1 Haw River

ND 15 2 Fort Abraham Lincoln, Lewis & Clark

NE 8 1 Eugene T. Mahoney

NH 72 0

NJ 42 0

NM 34 0

NV 12 0

NY 178 0

OH 74 17 Alum Creek, Burr Oak, Deer Creek, Dillon, East

Harbor, Geneva, Grand Lake St. Marys, Hueston

Woods, Jackson Lake, Maumee Bay, Mohican,

Mosquito Lake, Punderson, Pymatuning, Rocky Fork,

Salt Fork, Shawnee

OK 50 1 Sequoyah

OR 236 3 Harris Beach, South Beach, Valley of the Rogue

PA 117 0

RI 10 0

SC 39 4 Devils Fork, Hickory Knob, Myrtle Beach, Table

Rock

SD 12 0*

TN 54 6 Fall Creek Falls, Henry Horton, Montgomery Bell,

Natchez Trace, Paris Landing, Pickwick Landing

TX 84 16 Balmorhea, Bastrop, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley,

Big Bend Ranch, Blanco, Cedar Hill, Davis

Mountains, Galveston Island, Goose Island,

Government Canyon, Hueco Tanks, Inks Lake,

McKinney Falls, Ray Roberts Lake, Seminole

Canyon, Tyler, Washington-on-the-Brazos

UT 42 1 Willard Bay

VT 52 2 Burton Island, Seyon Lodge

VA 34 3 Hungry Mother, Claytor Lake, Douthat

WA 120 1 Fort Worden

WV 35 10 Blackwater Falls, Cacapon, Canaan Valley, Chief

Logan, Hawks Nest, North Bend, Pipestem,

Stonewall, Twin Falls, Tygart Lake

WI 41 0

WY 13 0

 

* Wi-Fi is available in Oahe Downstream state recreation area

 

[excerpted]

[Oak Tree]

I personally think this is great. Philmont has it, our Scout camp has it, why not at some state parks? The coverage area will be pretty small, though. You might need to go park outside the park office.

 

I think it's soon to be a moot point anyway, with most people soon being able to move to some type of cellular coverage.

 

It's hard to believe that we ever survived in the past without instant communications available in all locations, but once you have it, it's hard to go back. It's fun to go back, and it's good to get away from it at times, but it's not always convenient to do so.

[GernBlansten]

Those Colorado state parks listed are suburban Denver parks. Because of the topography of Colorado, we have a real hard time getting even cell phone coverage outside the metro area, except of course ski areas.

I kinda like the idea of wifi at camp though. Would allow the SM to have a laptop to email daily status to the helicopter parents.

[scottteng]

our local scout camp has constructed a brand new SM lounge with wifi for just that purpose or maybe they were just tired of all the laptop users clustering in one corner of the camp to pirate internet service from the development beyond.

[Gold Winger]

I love the fact that I have neither cell phone nor computer at summer camp. Last year for Philmont, I went for three weeks without email, that was wonderful.

 

If I'm camping, I want to watch a campfire and listen to the tree frogs, not surt the web.

[Lisabob]

I'm with GW on this one. Generations of campers have survived a week without internet access and we can too. Gimme a break! Go outside!

 

On a nearby tangent - a few weeks back my son did a backpacking weekend with a handful of other guys and a few adults. He had a blast and is planning another one. One of his only complaints? One of the adults spent half the trek yapping away (loudly) on his darn phone!

 

 

[fgoodwin]

I had mixed-feelings about this when I first saw it on a blog (the article is over two weeks old, but it was news to me). I think I come down on the side of the park ranger (or whoever it was) who said the increased connectivity may incent more people to get outside and visit our state parks.

 

I understand those who say getting away from it all should mean disconnecting, and in general, that's what I do, especially on weekend campouts.

 

But like many others, if I'm gone a week or more, my company and my boss expect me to be available, at least for emergencies. So having connectivity makes it easier for me to take my vacations, but help out if absolutely necessary (and admittedly, those cases have been rare in my own situation).