Camping reservations with Corp of Engineers parks

mtlakejim wrote:



This IS the number one issue with COE campgrounds in Arkansas. I have heard from dozens of other campers that would agree! What I am asking my fellow Good Sams to assist with is setting up a protest that will get the COE buracracys attention since they obviously don't listen to their gate keepers! If anyone knows how to send this on to the Good Sams issue resolution team it would also be appreciated.

I applaud you for wanting to tilt at the windmill however you are dealing with a government agency and government agency's do not listen to anyone or even answer to anyone.

Please note that we do in fact often carry our 5th wheel down a couple days in advance of actual camping just to get a spot. We can do that because we live close and I work an unusual schedule where I get days off in the middle of the week. We have even considered getting a tent to place on a site to reserve it so my wife can go to the campground to secure a site(You have to put something on the site if you show up in person). Still the idea that you have to do this is ridiculous.

Sounds like we are not the only people to have issues with the COE. The campgrounds are usually fairly nice (although you would think that a group with ENGINNERS in it's name would have full hookups at every site---the campground we use the most only has electric). Generally speaking we have had very good relations with the gate keepers. They seem just as frustrated with the reservation rules as we are.

As to calling or going online to make reservations my argument is that we should not have to go thru that hassle if we show up in person! I have NEVER seen that kind of issue before anywhere and we camp a lot in the South.

By the same token you should be able to go online and make reservations for the same day. We often decide at the spur of the moment to go camping (the lake is only 8 miles away). There is NO excuse for the reservation system to be so screwed up that it would not allow reservations any closer than 4 days out period!

This IS the number one issue with COE campgrounds in Arkansas. I have heard from dozens of other campers that would agree! What I am asking my fellow Good Sams to assist with is setting up a protest that will get the COE buracracys attention since they obviously don't listen to their gate keepers! If anyone knows how to send this on to the Good Sams issue resolution team it would also be appreciated.

Have only stayed a COE one time. Had a reservation arrived during "Lunch" everything was closed waited over an hour. During the hour I was told I was not allowed in the parking lot since I was "camping" but to go to my site and then come back to register. Went to my site just backed in and was told I was not allowed to be in my assigned site till I was registered so back to the parking lot. When "lunch" was over stood in line for over 30 minutes and saw so much confusion and frustrated people. Then back to my site and found someone already set up in it and the host could not do anything had to wait for a actual COE employee to come to move them and then they wanted to me move to a non hookup site instead.
COE not again for me
COE will be my VERY last choice.

mtlakejim wrote:
Ed,
Do you work for the COE? If yes, can you tell me how to address this issue with the COE buracracy?

No, I do not work for or have ever worked for the COE, but I have been a camp host for the past two winters in one Corps district. If you have an issue with the way your local Corps district handles their reservations you should contact the local district manager. I have seen two night minimum requirements for weekends changed, 14 day maximum stays changed during winter months when the park was mostly empty, and other "requirements" also. The company that provides the reservation system doesn't set these local requirements, the individual parks do or the in the case of the Corps it is the managing district.

fla-gypsy wrote:
I've never had an issue getting a reservation with a COE or any other Rec.gov reservation.

X-2, we reserved at quite a few COE CGs, have never heard of a waiting period, other than you can't reserve for more than 6 months out.
I make a reservation and get a confirmation email in a few minutes.

mtlakejim wrote:
We got the camper and came back but the gate keeper would only let us pay for 3 nights because he was worried about the online reservations. Turned out we had to leave on Sunday because someone did in fact reserve the spot for that night. The gate keeper was as frustrated as we were that he couldn't accept our money right at the gate for beyond the 3 days. It should be noted that there is no internet in the park so you can't go online and reserve the 4th night. Granted we could have driven back to our house and got online to reserve the 4th night but my point is we should not have to go thru that hassle and what about all the folks who travel in from much further away?

Even if you don't have internet service you could immediately call the reservation line and request the nights you wanted. Works just as well as going online.

edatlanta wrote:
Each Corps park can set their own special requirements. The 4 day waiting period isn't a Corps wide change.

Might also add, that each COE 'Project' (Lake) sets their own guidelines as to which sites are reservation, which are first come/ walk-up sites. Some lakes are all reservation, some have a lot which are not.

mtlakejim wrote:
Don't know what to tell you folks who don't have this issue in your state but it is a fact in Arkansas and has been for at least three years. It affects thousands of campers going to Greers Ferry lake in Arkansas.

Arkansas Lakes are under a couple different regional COE offices. Lakes Ouachita, DeGray and Greeson are under the Vicksburg District (They drain into the Ouachita River).

Other lakes in Arkansas are under the Little Rock District.

First, I'd start with the local project office. Try to see who is the head person at Greer's Ferry and talk with him.

Then go up the COC to the Army Col Paul or Maj Jugan in Little Rock. Above them is the Southwest Division Office in Fort Worth - Brig Gen Hill is the commander.

Corps Lakes Gateway is the web site to find out specifics about the individual lakes.

The reservation website really doesn't have such information. Might also add that news about specific projects / lakes is better found on Corps Lakes because they have filters in place which prevent search engines like Google and Bing for indexing their news announcements and other information.

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I grew up on Lake Greeson - spending 20 weekends a year at the lake in the second half of the 60s. My father loved Kirby Landing CG. He would have lived there if they let him.

But by 1970, we had found that mom had to head to the lake and arrive before 3 pm Friday to get one of our preferred waterfront sites.

By the 80s, my parents had to get to the lake by Thursday afternoon.

Was just talking with some friends in Arkansas three weeks ago, if you want a good spot for the weekend - be there on Sunday evening or Monday morning because other folks will come in and park their trailers/ MH for the week to have a good spot for the weekend.

That CG is 105 sites with 50 Amp power - 20 sites are reservable - but your cannot reserve a specific site - only one of the 20 sites. That makes sure you will have a site if you show up on Friday evening and it will not be waterfront.

The FHU sites are reservable before Memorial Day only. The rest of the time they are First Come/ Walk-up.

People are complaining and want the COE to make the CG all reservations.

Secondly if you show up in person the gate keepers can only guarantee your site for 4 days! If someone else goes online and reserves the site your already on then you HAVE to move!!!!

Having to move is easy to avoid because the idea is the gate keeper will give you the site for four days and you can reserve for the remainder of your stay.

I'm very familiar with a two day wait as it is the typical wait in the SC/GA/NC area but this is the first I've heard of a four day wait. Part of the reason for this is a lot of COE campgrounds don't have internet connection so the reservations are transferred or hand carried to the individual parks. The reservation wait is to handle the time delay in getting the reservations to the parks.

Curios to know which lake this was on.

Ed,
Do you work for the COE? If yes, can you tell me how to address this issue with the COE buracracy?