OXFORD, Iowa (KCRG) – An Eastern Iowa campground is at capacity this Fourth of July weekend, saying data center workers are filling most sites and making it harder for longtime campers to find a spot.
Campground manager Stephanie Chrisman says Unhitched Sleepy Hollow RV Park in Oxford is the busiest it’s ever been this year.
Chrisman said about 85 percent of campsites at the Johnson County campground are occupied by data center workers. She said families who have camped there for years are having a harder time finding space unless they plan ahead.
“This is the busiest of all time that I’ve ever seen,” Chrisman said.
Longtime campers squeezed out
For Kynsie Anderson’s family, spending the Fourth of July at Unhitched Sleepy Hollow is a tradition. This year, Anderson could not get a campsite of her own and is sharing a camper with her family.
“My family’s been camping here for as long as I can remember,” Anderson said. “It’s a little crammed. My two parents, and then me, my two kids and two dogs are all in one camper.”
Some visitors have found their regular spots no longer available.
“We’ve even had people show up and say, ‘I’ve been coming here for ten years and my spot has now been given to a data center worker,’” Chrisman said.
Financial benefit for campground
Despite fewer spots available for holiday campers, Chrisman said having long-term guests such as data center workers is financially beneficial for the campground.
Anderson said her family’s July 4th tradition remains worth keeping.
“We make it work,” Anderson said.
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