There’s a lot in the news about the economy turning around. Here’s a headline about foreclosures leveling off. There’s one that says housing starts are up. Says here the stock market is rallying and consumer confidence is improving. I say blah, blah, blah: Let the bad times roll. Before brandishing the pitchfork, hear me out.

Does the idea of vacationing at a 1,500-acre rustic resort with its own lake beach and manicured trails through the woods have some appeal? The Virginia state park system offers those kinds of amenities at prices many people can afford, said Chuck Wyatt of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Virginia has 35 parks with thousands of campsites, hundreds of cabins, more than 500 miles of trails and easy access to waterways. And the state parks, voted America’s best and widely considered Virginia’s best value for vacationers, provide plenty for people to do.

The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is accepting applications from high school students for the Virginia State Parks’ Youth Conservation Corps program this summer. About 125 YCC participants will work on improving wildlife and fisheries habitats, building and restoring trails and campgrounds, improving forests and shorelines, and beautifying landscapes.

Spring can’t be long in coming. Virginia State Parks have opened their cabins and campgrounds. For many campers, the new season might bring a week in the wilds. For people like Bill and Virginia Stallings or Charles and Diane King, it means months making sure that other people’s weeks are pleasant. The Stallingses and Kings are camp hosts. For years, they’ve been trading volunteer hours for a free campsite for months at a time in a state park.

Even in the face of the slowing economy, people visited Virginia’s state parks last year in near-record numbers, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.