Richland County committee keeps camping at Rockbridge and Viola parks, approves $25 fee and 7-day limit

The Richland County Parks Committee voted to keep camping at Rockbridge and Viola parks, approved a $25 nightly camping fee and set a seven‑day consecutive stay limit followed by a seven‑day period during which a camper may not re‑register.

The vote came at the committee’s quarterly meeting (date of meeting noted on the county calendar) after extended public comment and staff reports on park maintenance, sanitation and registration. Committee members also discussed porta‑potty placement, campsite mapping and how to collect fees online.

Committee Chair opened the meeting and recognized Josh, a Richland County highway department staff member, who reported maintenance work across county parks and said Rockbridge will have 10 signed, identified campsites while bridal (Bridal/Bride?) areas will have nine. Josh told the committee that the county has no staff available to patrol parks weekends and after hours and recommended an online registration system so visitors could pay remotely: “we would take away from it physically going anywhere in person to take that payment and proceed forward with the online platform,” he said. Josh told members MIS is working on an online payment solution but warned it will take time.

A resident who volunteers and leads interpretive hikes at Rockbridge described repeated instances of visitors walking through campsites near the Natural Bridge and asked where campers should register now that the park store is closed. The resident said the tourism website still lists registration at the store and asked which agency enforces extended stays. Josh responded that camping currently requires in‑person payment at the highway department during business hours and that “we have no way to be able to police or monitor who is coming and going from those grounds” on weekends.

The committee considered, then voted on, a motion to change Rockbridge and Viola parks to day‑use only. That motion was made, seconded and failed on a verbal vote (yes: 1, no: 3). After that vote the committee resolved to continue allowing camping at those parks while pursuing the operational and signage changes discussed in the meeting.

On a separate motion, the committee approved a $25 nightly camping fee for Viola and Rockbridge parks (motion by John; second by Eric). The committee also approved that campers be allowed to occupy a site for seven consecutive days and that after those seven days they must wait seven days before registering again. Committee members discussed aligning county rules with the city’s system but left the county rule independent: “I think you'd give more people opportunity to camp if you went 7 days,” one member said during discussion.

Other operational points discussed: - Signage and online maps: staff will place signs and publish virtual campground maps on the parks website identifying campsite numbers and noting any no‑camping zones near the Natural Bridge and tunnel. Josh said the maps are underway. - Sanitation and access: porta‑potties were moved onto a new concrete pad; committee discussed whether additional portable facilities are needed on the park’s back side but noted access and flood risk complicate servicing them. - Trash/dumpsters: the committee said dumpsters were removed after repeated abuse and illegal dumping; residents reported less roadside trash after removal. - Enforcement: the committee emphasized limited enforcement capacity. Josh and members said the sheriff’s office handles complaints when needed, but there is no dedicated weekend ranger to check registrations. - Local business impact: several commenters—residents and business‑area representatives—warned that eliminating camping could reduce local visitor spending during trout season and other peak events.

Next steps the committee identified include drafting a county board resolution to formalize camping rules and fee changes, finalizing signage and campsite mapping, and continuing work with IT/MIS on an online registration and payment platform. Josh gave an approximate timeline of July (staff estimate) for the resolution drafting work to reach the county board, and the committee scheduled its next meeting for Thursday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m.

The committee did not adopt a formal new enforcement program; members repeatedly noted that without additional staff or a weekend ranger the county will rely on the sheriff’s office and on signage/online registration to reduce violations.