Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Campers at Sampson State Park in Seneca County have been coping with an unexpected power outage since Saturday, when a transformer blew, according to the park.
Sampson State Park, located on the east side of Seneca Lake, is a popular summer and fall camping destination in the Finger Lakes, but the outage has left some visitors without electricity and with limited facilities ahead of the long weekend.
"This was not all full, but there were campers, there were tenters that were here, so they left when they found out," said Annie Bishop of Ontario, New York.
Bishop said she and fellow camper Jim Flanagan of Sodus have stayed and are adjusting.
"We just love camping," Bishop said. "So no matter what — the weather, whatever — no electricity is fine. We're enjoying it anyway."
The park said campground restrooms will not have hot water while the outage continues.
"It's nice in a way because nobody's here, so the bathrooms are free, you know, but there's no hot water," said Flanagan.
Bishop told 13WHAM some visitors aren't completely left in the dark.
"We have a generator, and so we can shower inside the camper, which makes it nice," Bishop said. "The only trouble is when you do have generators, that can get loud. So, if you don't have one and you're in a tent or a pop-up, sleeping may be a little hard."
In a Facebook post, the park said power is estimated to be restored later this week, but officials cannot guarantee it will be back before campers arrive. New reservations have been suspended in the meantime.
Campers with existing reservations can transfer them to a future date or another facility with transaction fees waived, or cancel for a full refund. Those who keep their reservations will receive refunds for nightly electric fees. The park has also waived generator quiet hours during the outage.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/power-outage-leaves-campers-without-electricity-at-sampson-state-park
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Campers at Sampson State Park in Seneca County have been coping with an unexpected power outage since Saturday, when a transformer blew, according to the park.
Sampson State Park, located on the east side of Seneca Lake, is a popular summer and fall camping destination in the Finger Lakes, but the outage has left some visitors without electricity and with limited facilities ahead of the long weekend.
"This was not all full, but there were campers, there were tenters that were here, so they left when they found out," said Annie Bishop of Ontario, New York.
Bishop said she and fellow camper Jim Flanagan of Sodus have stayed and are adjusting.
"We just love camping," Bishop said. "So no matter what — the weather, whatever — no electricity is fine. We're enjoying it anyway."
The park said campground restrooms will not have hot water while the outage continues.
"It's nice in a way because nobody's here, so the bathrooms are free, you know, but there's no hot water," said Flanagan.
Bishop told 13WHAM some visitors aren't completely left in the dark.
"We have a generator, and so we can shower inside the camper, which makes it nice," Bishop said. "The only trouble is when you do have generators, that can get loud. So, if you don't have one and you're in a tent or a pop-up, sleeping may be a little hard."
In a Facebook post, the park said power is estimated to be restored later this week, but officials cannot guarantee it will be back before campers arrive. New reservations have been suspended in the meantime.
Campers with existing reservations can transfer them to a future date or another facility with transaction fees waived, or cancel for a full refund. Those who keep their reservations will receive refunds for nightly electric fees. The park has also waived generator quiet hours during the outage.
READ MORE: 13wham.com/news/local/power-outage-leaves-campers-without-electricity-at-sampson-state-park
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13 WHAM Daily Local News Digest: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuTJB6tta5ar3Fu5CumAvlvVunEP6bc9A
For more information, visit 13wham.com
Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:
Email us: news@13wham.com
Call the Newsroom: (585) 334-8700
WHAM is a NY based station and a ABC Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today.
#13WHAM #News #Rochester #NewYork
