On both of our drives to Alaska I made a reservation at every stop on the way. That was difficult because 99% of the campgrounds were closed for the winter. What I liked about that experience was that none of those taking the reservations asked for any deposit or credit card information. That was refreshing. But when we arrived many of those campgrounds had no record of our reservation and explained that they were never full so reservations weren’t necessary. But during holidays and at popular destinations reservations were a must.