Weird Campground Rule

[Tubby]

I've been trying to get a place at our local campground and found out they no longer take reservations. It's first come, first served and that's that. It was different before in that they accepted reservations. I have no idea why they have changed and it's irritating as a hair shirt. Has anyone come across any other campgrounds that are doing this?

 

[Grandpa]

That used to be the norm at forest service sites, but too many people would grab a site a couple days early, willing to pay the fee, then not use it till the weekend, so the FS went to RESERVEUSA. Then, people would reserve, and not show up, so they are going back to some of each. I'm just not aware of what private campgrounds do.

 

[LongShanks]

That's pretty much what's happening here too. If we reserve at the local park, we have to pay a certain amount of the fee. But it is a private park so I don't know what other ones do.

 

[Judy Ann]

In NC we have a lot of nonreservable sites within the State Park system especially up in the Smokies. Things change quickly and I'm not sure how much is due to budget cuts or other economic changes. I've started my camping trips on Sundays or Mondays to avoid any issues after traveling a few hundred miles and having my heart set on camping and hiking certain areas. One of the benefites include fewer people out on the trails!

 

[tentrus]

Wow, that would certainly suck! How would you know if you had a site - you couldn't travel far because you would not be guaranteed a site. I would not like that at all. To be honest I don't know of any of those campgrounds around here. You would think that the campgrounds would lose business.

 

[steves]

I just made reservations for labor day weekend at a Ma. state park

 

[Grandpa]

For our family reunion in August, the Forest Service group site we wanted near here was reserved all ready when my sister in law tried the first week of January.

Yellowstone backcountry starts taking reservations April 1st. I waited until April 3rd and had to totally readjust my itinerary to find acceptable mileage between sites. I often see empty sites that had been reserved and paid for and then they didn't show.

 

[Judy Ann]

I ran into a family of ~50 at Big Bend Campground, WV that had been camping there every Memorial Day weekend for over 25 years. They were glad when the Park allowed reservations because they could book their sites almost a year in advance. Like you said Grandpa, some of those key riverside spots were paid for yet remained unoccupied.

On the other hand, I'll book a week in September on the ocean in SC during hurricane season, but I call the campground to release the site if I can't stay the whole time because of mortal fear!!!

 

[Grandpa]

On the other hand, I'll book a week in September on the ocean in SC during hurricane season, but I call the campground to release the site if I can't stay the whole time because of mortal fear!!!

Somehow Judy Ann, I just don't see you in mortal fear :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[Judy Ann]

Somehow Judy Ann, I just don't see you in mortal fear :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

I lived in Charleston, SC and have been through a few hurricanes Grandpa. Sometimes we don't know what hit us until a few days later when the storms are upgraded from tropical storm to hurricane. Last year (3 months into teaching myself to tent camp) I hiked into my first primative spot on Hunting Island, set up the tent and soon afterwards wondered if me and my old dog would make it through the night. Let's just say I prayed that we would go together...old dog is too spoiled....

I have a deeper appreciation of what our soldiers go through in wartime with all of the thunder and lightening I went through out on that idyllic point not far from Parris Island where I water-skied as a teenager. I still don't know if it is better to stay in a tent you trust to keep you dry in adverse conditions or risk getting killed while getting lost trying to get back to your car.

Since then when camping in a storm, I might wonder about the lightening, cover the old dog up with a blanket, cover her eyes so she doesn't see the lightening, tell her everything is ok and go to sleep like I always do during a hurricane or a bad tropical storm. We always wake up!!!

 

[freedommachine]

Camping reservations! I wouldnt camp at a place that takes reservations, seems weird to me. Thats half the fun in going camping is not knowing where you will wind up. Take off with a full tank of gas and hope I get a spot I like, if not move on and see what else I find. Isnt that part of camping, is to going exploring. Wheres the fun and adventure if I have it all planned out.

 

[Barney]

I can't say I blame the campgrounds. Somehow the most natural solution would be to just show up and rent a spot, but I know during the season it may not be possible to do so.

 

[Forester]

That is absolutely annoying. But like what others have pointed out, if the reservation system was abused, then they have no option but to resort to First-Come-First-Served basis rather than have people pay in advance and don't turn up.

 

[ChadTower]

Really, there's nothing you can do either way. Either you take reservations and deal with people who paid but did not show or you do not take reservations and you deal with people who show up early and then don't use it until the weekend. No matter what you do there are going to be people who work the system to their own advantage without regard for others.

IMO, the mix of reserved and nonreserved works best. I can't drive my family 4 hours without knowing we'll have a spot somewhere. We don't get there friday night until 9 or 10pm. I just wouldn't be able to do it where we like to go if there were risk of wandering around that late with two kids in the car. OTOH, the nonreserved sites are great for people passing through without a solid plan. There is room for both.

 

[BUUZBEE]

we go to the lake each memorial weekend, they take reservations, but when we go to the sierras, and now this year yosemite, first come, first serve! fingers & toes crossed LOL

 

[ejdixon]

Camping reservations! I wouldnt camp at a place that takes reservations, seems weird to me. Thats half the fun in going camping is not knowing where you will wind up. Take off with a full tank of gas and hope I get a spot I like, if not move on and see what else I find. Isnt that part of camping, is to going exploring. Wheres the fun and adventure if I have it all planned out.

That's a great way of looking at it, freedommachine.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if I'll have search around to find a camping ground that's got a slot available if I'm alone, with my friends or my girlfriend. It might be a totally different matter if you're camping with children, especially if you'd want to start getting them to love camping and enjoying the outdoors.

 

[hummingbird]

Honestly, we don't usually camp at anything other than the primitive sites. The local spot doesn't take reservations so it's first come, first served. We usually have the choice of two or three spots so it's no biggie.