California State Parks dropping ReserveAmerica

Happy to see this,I was told about it by a Camp Host in April but could not find anything until now. Thanks Ron.

The new rolling window reservation system is a better way to do it,takes a lot of game playing out of it. LA uses it and it works very well.

With a major change that reservations are not being released a month at a time, but rather each day the corresponding day 6 months out will become reservable as an arrival date.

My gut says weekend reservations will become non-existent come Aug 1. I am guessing everyone who wants to make a weekend trip will start reserving Wed/Thursday - Sunday and just eating the cost for the extra nights just to ensure they get the weekend they are after.

Doesn't matter the system, CA needs more campsites developed along the coast and popular mountain locations.

Typing this from Seacliff SB, where we tried for months before getting a spot.

See https://www.reservecalifornia.com/ for FAQ's about the new system.

Also note that if you are currently using a veterans pass or a disabled pass issued by the CA state park system you will have to turn that in a get a new pass which works with the new system. Instructions are on the page linked above.

clubhouse wrote:
With a major change that reservations are not being released a month at a time, but rather each day the corresponding day 6 months out will become reservable as an arrival date.

My gut says weekend reservations will become non-existent come Aug 1. I am guessing everyone who wants to make a weekend trip will start reserving Wed/Thursday - Sunday and just eating the cost for the extra nights just to ensure they get the weekend they are after.

Doesn't matter the system, CA needs more campsites developed along the coast and popular mountain locations.

Typing this from Seacliff SB, where we tried for months before getting a spot.

Currently, if you do not show by noon the 2nd day of you reservation, they will cancel your reservation and open the site to walk-ins.

So, if you reserve Wednesday thru Sunday and don't show up by noon on Thursday, you lose your reservation for the weekend.

I don't believe that policy will change with the new system.

USFS in California operate this way and it hasn't been a problem. Seems Californians don't tend towards gaming the system like other regions.

Currently, if you do not show by noon the 2nd day of you reservation, they will cancel your reservation and open the site to walk-ins.

As it should be. The only way to fight gaming the system is to impose more than just financial penalties.

" Seems Californians don't tend towards gaming the system like other regions."

ROFLMAO...........Of course not.

Ron3rd wrote:
For those of us that camp in California and reserve through ReserveAmerica, you will receive an email (if you have not already) that California campgrounds will now be booked through a new site, ReserveCalifornia effective 8/1/2017. You will not be able to book California sites on ReserveAmerica after 7/26/2017 as the state has dropped them as a vendor.

Any current reservations you have will be carried over to the new site, BUT, you will have to set up a new account on ReserveCalifornia.

FAQ info here:

ReserveCalifornia

Maryland dropped them to this year. https://parkreservations.maryland.gov

Mike

toedtoes wrote:

clubhouse wrote:
With a major change that reservations are not being released a month at a time, but rather each day the corresponding day 6 months out will become reservable as an arrival date.

My gut says weekend reservations will become non-existent come Aug 1. I am guessing everyone who wants to make a weekend trip will start reserving Wed/Thursday - Sunday and just eating the cost for the extra nights just to ensure they get the weekend they are after.

Doesn't matter the system, CA needs more campsites developed along the coast and popular mountain locations.

Typing this from Seacliff SB, where we tried for months before getting a spot.

Currently, if you do not show by noon the 2nd day of you reservation, they will cancel your reservation and open the site to walk-ins.

So, if you reserve Wednesday thru Sunday and don't show up by noon on Thursday, you lose your reservation for the weekend.

I don't believe that policy will change with the new system.

USFS in California operate this way and it hasn't been a problem. Seems Californians don't tend towards gaming the system like other regions.

Unless you call the park and let them know you have been delayed, with that call they will hold your reservation till you get there.

What's worse, is there is no connection between that call to the local facility and the current reservation system so nobody is tracking how often it happens.

How many times have you been to a popular CG, that's sold out, yet there are open sites. How do you think that happens? It's worth $28-$60, depending on the CG, for many to secure their reservation.

If you think the USFS CG in California try to make a weekend reservation at Bass Lake, 4 USFS CG, that are sold out all summer long. Yet on recreation.gov Thursday and Sunday nights are rarely available for reservation, but the sites sit empty.

Not sure where you are camping, but this is a real problem along the central coast and central Sierra.

clubhouse wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

clubhouse wrote:
With a major change that reservations are not being released a month at a time, but rather each day the corresponding day 6 months out will become reservable as an arrival date.

My gut says weekend reservations will become non-existent come Aug 1. I am guessing everyone who wants to make a weekend trip will start reserving Wed/Thursday - Sunday and just eating the cost for the extra nights just to ensure they get the weekend they are after.

Doesn't matter the system, CA needs more campsites developed along the coast and popular mountain locations.

Typing this from Seacliff SB, where we tried for months before getting a spot.

Currently, if you do not show by noon the 2nd day of you reservation, they will cancel your reservation and open the site to walk-ins.

So, if you reserve Wednesday thru Sunday and don't show up by noon on Thursday, you lose your reservation for the weekend.

I don't believe that policy will change with the new system.

USFS in California operate this way and it hasn't been a problem. Seems Californians don't tend towards gaming the system like other regions.

Unless you call the park and let them know you have been delayed, with that call they will hold your reservation till you get there.

What's worse, is there is no connection between that call to the local facility and the current reservation system so nobody is tracking how often it happens.

How many times have you been to a popular CG, that's sold out, yet there are open sites. How do you think that happens? It's worth $28-$60, depending on the CG, for many to secure their reservation.

If you think the USFS CG in California try to make a weekend reservation at Bass Lake, 4 USFS CG, that are sold out all summer long. Yet on recreation.gov Thursday and Sunday nights are rarely available for reservation, but the sites sit empty.

Not sure where you are camping, but this is a real problem along the central coast and central Sierra.

If a reservation gets cancelled for a no-show, it is too late to put it as available online (there's a 2 day lag time). So instead it becomes a walk-in site. Those empty sites when you arrive are available.

I like to check out the different sites in a campground and when I'm out walking, I always look at the reservation tags. I have yet to see a campsite sit empty past the arrival date on the tag. And I have not been to a campground that showed as fully booked online that was obviously not full.

In talking to a State Ranger, NJ will be dropping ReserveAmerica this coming October as well.