La Crosse-area campgrounds prepare for busy 4th of July weekend

LA CROSSE (WKBT) — The looming holiday weekend offers many people the perfect time to dust off their campers.

The high cost of gas is not keeping people from heading out into nature. Employees at local campgrounds are expecting full lots this weekend.

At Pettibone campground in La Crosse, Jayne Geissler and her husband are seasonal campers. They have been at their campsite since April.

“A very simple, nice way to live. I’ve enjoyed it even more than I thought I would,” Geissler said. “It seems like more people come and go and use this as a weekend retreat.”

Since they arrived, they’ve seen plenty of people come and go.

Managers at Pettibone say they’re booked for the 4th of July. Geissler said she isn’t surprised.

“I’m expecting it to be pretty full this weekend,” Geissler said.

To the Geisslers, it is a no-brainer why it is busy.

“We ride our bikes — it’s downtown and eating breakfast in 15 minutes,” Geissler said.

Pettibone isn’t the only site in the La Crosse area that is attracting tourists.

Goose Island campsites are filling up.

“We have 326 sites here, so at this point in time we’re at 90% capacity,” said Tamara Falk, an employee at Goose Island.

Both campgrounds are all geared up for a weekend of fun.

“We’re just hoping everyone has the safest, funnest time they can this weekend,” Falk said.

A manager at Pettibone said that now is too late to get a spot for this weekend, but if you’d like to get outside later this summer, now is the time to put your name in.

If you’re looking for a spot the following weekend, Goose Island has some spots available

You can search for those openings on the La Crosse County website or call Pettibone’s office at (608) 782-5858 for openings there.

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