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Kalashnikov · 05-23-2021, 10:24 AM

I've concluded that reserving a spot in Big Bend is impossible - for all practical purposes. You'd need a computerized "Bot" in order to 'snipe' the spot for yourself.

Tried last year, but it turns out they must be reserved 6 months in advance. Waited until this year, turns out it's _exactly_ 6 months in advance, to the day. If I want Nov 22, I must book on May 22.

So waited until today, May 23, figured I could book Nov 23. And *bam* there were a half dozen sites "available" this morning when I rolled out of bed. Added one to my cart for two nites. Bzzzzzzzzt!! No sir, you must wait until 10AM Eastern to book! Please come back later.

Ok, went to church, came home. Went to the page. Add to cart.... Ooops sorry sir! This is a popular campground it turns out someone else has booked it.

Forget Big Bend. I shall never see it. And I don't care!! Nothing is worth that much trouble.

Lily&Me · 05-23-2021, 11:19 AM

I’m told it’s going to be an unprecedented year for travel.

Maggie

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalashnikov

. . .
. . . Nothing is worth that much trouble.

Then you might want to re-calibrate your 2021 travel plans . . . think it's crowded now?

Let's touch base after Labor Day . . . a bonkers summer lies ahead IMO.

JBBeaubeaux · 05-23-2021, 01:43 PM

We have been traveling full-time since July 2016 in our 2001 30’ Airstream trailer. 47,000+ miles, 330+ campgrounds and 48 States/4 Canadian Provinces so far.

For the past 5 years we have not booked advanced reservations many times. Just showed up and something would work out.

Well, from all the talk online, we decided to book December 1, 2020 to Labor Day 2021. We did that all in September 2020. AND GLAD WE DID.

Every place we have gone to so far since December has been totally booked up, especially weekends. And since we stay 2 weeks at a time, if we hadn't done all this planning and booking, we would be faced with limited choices.

Hopefully things will go back to normal soon. Whatever we call 'normal' nowadays.

We write and podcast about the good and bad, pros and cons, tips, ideas, suggestions, locations and travel philosophy at: https://livinginbeauty.net/

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBBeaubeaux

. . .
Well, from all the talk online, we decided to book December 1, 2020 to Labor Day 2021. We did that all in September 2020. AND GLAD WE DID.

Every place we have gone to so far since December has been totally booked up, especially weekends. And since we stay 2 weeks at a time, if we hadn't done all this planning and booking, we would be faced with limited choices.
. . .

Thank you for this excellent real-world update.

Peter

PA BAMBI II · 05-23-2021, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I’m told it’s going to be an unprecedented year for travel.

Maggie

It will be an unprecedented year when all of these new "campers" go the heck back to their hotels.

It's laughable to me that the world pandemic opened so many eyes to the freedom and chosen isolation of camping. This isn't news.

I went on my first camping trip at six days old. I have known the joys of camping and getting away from people for nearly five decades.

Now people, out of fear, have flooded the campgrounds and drained the inventory at all the RV lots. Ridiculous. Can't wait for the bottom to fall out of this fad so we can get back to camping without so many unnecessary disruptions.

Greenjeans · 05-23-2021, 02:20 PM

Same results with Glacier NP this year. I had a great spot reserved last summer, canceled, COVID.

n2916s · 05-23-2021, 02:27 PM

Sad thing is that “booked” doesn’t mean “occupied”. Just came back from 5 days at Bahia Honda SP in the Keys. On 4 of those nights, there were 5 empty sites overnight and one night, there were 6.

This is one of the toughest reservations to nab in the Florida State Park system, yet…

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 03:18 PM

All the park systems are going to have to implement new rules for these "paid-in-full-no-shows" -- but that will not happen soon IMO.

Lots of great camping opportunities are being lost!

brokeboater · 05-23-2021, 03:41 PM

Well I'm not much for developed campgrounds but I see no problem with people not showing up if they've paid in full. They have paid for a product and have a right to use it as they see fit. Besides it's income for the park, less wear and tear and less crowded parks for those that do show up.

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokeboater

Well I'm not much for developed campgrounds but I see no problem with people not showing up if they've paid in full. They have paid for a product and have a right to use it as they see fit. Besides it's income for the park, less wear and tear and less crowded parks for those that do show up.

So a rich person is entitled to bogart a commodity, which is in limited supply, and hoard that product for him or her self, even if they toss it in the trash?

Hmmmm . . .

"Money talks" maybe, but in this case it blasphemes IMO.

The park systems would be well within their rights, as landlords, to set rules for these miscreant no-shows IMO.

Amazing "entitlement" . . . [IMO]

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 04:04 PM

PS -- If a kind and decent soul is not going to use a reserved site, would it be too much trouble to call or email in a cancellation?

Why does this question even have to be asked?

_____________________
“While you live, shine"

brokeboater · 05-23-2021, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

So a rich person is entitled to bogart a commodity, which is in limited supply, and hoard that product for him or her self, even if they toss it in the trash?

Rich is kind of a vague term, but yes, in our capitalist system, that is how it works.

OTRA15 · 05-23-2021, 04:21 PM

And that system is without any flaws?

If there is a flaw, who fixes it?

What about "while you live shine?"

brokeboater · 05-23-2021, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTRA15

And that system is without any flaws?
If there is a flaw, who fixes it?
What about "while you live shine?"

Every system has it's flaws because all the systems are creations of man and man is innately flawed.

Of course while you live shine. Memento Mori.

kscherzi · 05-23-2021, 08:21 PM

I managed to book sites a Capital Reef NP and Gros Ventre Campground in the Tetons for this season, both extremely popular and notoriously difficult to get reservations. Persistence and fast action is what's needed.

When booking a site 6 months out as they come open you need to have the campsite, or two, loaded in the browser with you finger hovering on the mouse button watching the countdown clock. Everyone else is doing the same so the first click wins. If you get skunked, stay online and keep refreshing the screen. Once held a reservation needs to be completed (paid) in 15 minutes or its automatically released back for booking. A person might score two sites and just book one.

The other was to get a site is to simply keep checking back day after day, different times of the day. People will book out the maximum two weeks to secure a preferred weekend then cancel the days they don't want for a refund.

It can be done. Good luck.

OutdoorIdaho · 05-23-2021, 09:28 PM

I grew up in Northern California, some 40-50 miles from Lassen Volcanic NP. My folks would take the family up there to camp whenever they wanted and have no trouble getting one of their few favorite sites. That is, until the reservation system was put in place. Site availability and, correspondingly, our family trips to Lassen went away.

I suppose that is why I enjoy boondocking as much as I do. Finding a nice spot, claiming it as mine for a short while, and then leaving it as if I had never been there has such a beautiful simplicity to it.

Of course, the small bit of stress and worry that a vacant spot will not be found helps me understand the comfort in planning that comes with having a reservation in hand.

Hittenstiehl · 05-24-2021, 02:04 AM

I don't think the newly caught on fad will go away. It may receade a bit though. Pandemic popularity is partly the reason but it was surging a bit before that too.

Hash Tag Van Life, Overlanding, Boondocking, Living Your Best IG Life, Tiny House, Skoolie Buses have all soared these last years. Living a fulfilled adventurous life is more about experiences.

I find that the online reservation system are challenging and annoying. Each one different and most not showing what's available outside your specific parameters. Always nice when you get an actual live body customer service person who helps you snag a reservation even if you do have to move around a couple of times during your stay.

alligatorob · 05-24-2021, 06:01 AM

Back in the 70s I used to camp Big Bend, no problems then. You could camp anywhere, along the river anyway, no reservations, no fees, no designated campsites. Just boondocking I guess, but we didn't know the term then. Had a few exciting nights, once a bunch of very large trucks with lights out forded the river from Mexico and passed within 10 ft of our tent. Wasn't tempted to stop them or ask questions. Guess the times have changed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokeboater

Well I'm not much for developed campgrounds but I see no problem with people not showing up if they've paid in full. They have paid for a product and have a right to use it as they see fit. Besides it's income for the park, less wear and tear and less crowded parks for those that do show up.

I understand the thinking here, but National Parks and the like are different. The camping fees are not enough to cover the costs, these are subsidized by the government, us... So leaving one unused is not the same as paying for a hotel room and leaving it empty. Not sure I have a solution, maybe an additional deposit that's only refundable if you actually use the spot?

**richard5933** · 05-24-2021, 06:21 AM

The no-show situation could be solved by releasing the reservation, whether paid for or not, to walk-ins after the pre-set arrival time.

Someone needs a later arrival time? Charge an extra fee. With limited availability, there is nothing outrageous about charging more for extra conveniences. I've traveled to some really busy vacation hot-spots where hotel rooms were done like this. You don't show up by a pre-set time, your reservation is cancelled, your deposit is NOT returned, and the room is released for walk-ins. Usually there are people waiting in the lobby for the no-show rooms to release.

This is not a new way to handle reservations in highly sought after commodities, and you are made aware of the non-refundable deposit when you place it.

I'd also make it more difficult to cancel a partial reservation - reserving two weeks to snag the weekend at the end of the two weeks and then plan to cancel all but the final weekend. If the penalty for doing this was either cancelation of the entire reservation OR still having to pay for the entire reservation, the practice would be reduced.

Seems like the potential loss needs to be high enough to discourage people from reserving multiple sites to cover their bases or reserving over multiple weeks to get the few days at the end of that time they really desire.

There are lots of problems with the campground reservation systems and there have been for years. It's not a new problem brought on by the covid camping craze, but it's been highlighted recently as campgrounds became packed.

My main point isn't about any of these suggestions in particular, but rather to point out that there are steps which can be taken to lessen the problem.