Cool Memorial Day weekend means local parks are expecting big crowds

PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- One of the hot things to do for the Memorial Day weekend is to go camping, and the cool weather makes it even better.

Many area campgrounds are expecting big crowds. Many would be campers area already cruising up the I-17 to find their perfect hideaway, but with the great weather, they won't have to go far.

For Jed Freemann, camping, sunshine and 70-degree weather is crazy, but in a good kind of way.

"The weather is a little crazy, snowed in Flagstaff I heard. It's been real cold here. Downpours last night, about 20 degrees cooler than we would expect," said Freemann.

Jed his wife Kathy and best friend Dexter are camped out at McDowell Mountain Regional Park, where visitors are up because the temperatures are down.

"We've got really great weather this weekend, and we've seen an increase in people coming out to camp. If you live in Valley, you're like one more weekend," said Park Supervisor Ossana Wolff.

McDowell Mountain Regional Park isn't alone. The Lost Dutchman and Picacho State Parks are seeing anywhere from a 20% to 40% increase in reservations compared to Memorial Day in 2018. Meanwhile, officials at Lake Pleasant are calling it "scary busy".

The State Parks won't know if they are setting records until after the weekend, but it seems to be heading in that general direction.

For some campers, the colder the weather, the better.

"We get to have campfires and snuggle up, that's why we want to leave the Valley to head up where it's cold," said Sasha Deering.