OXFORD, Ohio — Every weekend since Memorial Day, Hueston Woods has seen a nearly full campground. Managers said each of its nearly 350 sites is booked with trailer after trailer and camper after camper pulling every Friday afternoon.
Its hiking and riding trails as well as its marina have long attracted visitors from across the country, but this year, park managers have noticed most of their guests pulling up campers are looking for a getaway not far from home.
The Hubbards are spending the week at Hueston Woods, just miles away from home.
About 30 minutes from their home in Hamilton, Buddy Hubbard and his wife April said they came to the park for some outdoor relaxation and the chance to put a few miles on their six-year-old camper.
“When you stay in a motel you don’t get that kind of view,” Buddy said showing off pictures of their last trip.
For years, they said they’ve been hauling the trailer around the country, happy to have their own place to rest their heads every night.
“Last year, we had a big vacation so we went to Maine, New York, New Hampshire, all of the northeastern states,” April said.
This year, though, the Hubbards decided a weeklong stay miles from their own backyard was a more practical choice.
“You know, trying to save a little bit of money,” Buddy said.
Hooked up to their diesel truck, the Hubbards said they can get around 11-14 miles per gallon hauling their camper. In a typical year, Buddy said he’d consider that fairly fuel efficient, but with diesel costs hovering around $6/gallon in Ohio, he said any long trips need to be worth their while.
The Hubbards are far from alone. A survey by Gas Buddy revealed 70% of respondents said their summer plans have been impacted by high gas prices, though 58% still plan to make at least one road trip.
The common solution seems to be travelers staying closer to home, most of those Gas Buddy surveyed plan to drive two to three hours, and Hueston Woods said their most common visitors this year have been travelers coming from less than an hour away.
The Hubbards said that’s their plan for the rest of the summer, exploring a few great state and local parks in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
“For now,” Buddy said. “I don’t know when things are going to get better, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be anytime soon.”
While there are still some braving the high prices for the trip, Hueston Woods staff said those travelers are often in town for multiple reasons such as baseball tournaments or visiting the nearby Miami University campus.
April and Buddy Hubbard said they still plan to take their camper out on the road to further destinations in the future, but until gas prices stabilize, they plan to wait.
“Maybe in a couple years, we can travel more,” Buddy said.
