As cross-country bicycling becomes more popular, towns like Saratoga are faced with a small dilemma of who is responsible to provide in-town campgrounds.
Should the town of Saratoga provide an in-town campground for bicyclers who ride through our town?
The Good Times Park behind the hot pool has been suggested as a place to have a campground for bicyclists.
When most bicyclists are planning a trip across America, they just don’t decide to jump on a bike and start pedaling.
They plan, prepare and research their route. Bicyclists should know their limits and be aware of the changes in climate and the amenities communities offer.
We, at the Saratoga Sun, do not believe it is the town’s responsibility to offer a camping area for bicyclers. We believe this should be offered by a private enterprise.
With the tightening town budget, now is not the time for the town of Saratoga to take on the additional expenses associated with an in-town campground.
Bicyclists are more than welcome to soak in the hot pool, use the showers at there and then travel to the campground, which is within a mile or two of town.
The town has worked with bike groups to offer mass campgrounds and showers. That effort takes lots of planning and lots of volunteers.
Lazy Acres Campground in Riverside offers a special area for bicyclists. They are a private enterprise and not funded by the town of Riverside.
Websites like warmshowers.org are available for bicyclists to find hosts that will put them up for a night.
If people in Saratoga truly believe there should be a campground in Saratoga to accommodate cyclists, then we encourage them to buy property in a properly zoned area and build the facilities for showers and restrooms.
If that is too much of a commitment, then consider signing up for warmshowers.org and host some bicyclers for a night. You could meet some very interesting people.
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