Camping unavailable to locals

?
Fools Hallow has a full loop empty and available. Lyman Lake is half empty. Even White tank has availability. And, Dead Horse Ranch can accommodate you any day with multiple empty sites. I wonder if it's due to limiting where you plan on camping. Popular campgrounds near metro areas will fill up fast, but venture away from Tucson or Phoenix and the vacancy rates are still high. It's just like trying to find a hotel room in the host city during a major event.

Now, I do admit the number of camping spots have decreased. The states isn't building new ones and the feds are wary of continued campground development in environmentally sensitive or wildfire prone areas. You also have the loss of State trust lands to developers and we can't forget the vast number of RV campgrounds that are converting to Park Model communities. But, if you're willing to step outside the paved driveways, full hookup, nametag badge and resort clubhouse campsites and you have a whole bunch of camping available even today.

We experienced just the opposite in Nebraska over the summer. We stayed at a state CG and the host advised they were frequently at capacity in the summer because the place was a hot spot for locals. The problem with south central Nebraska (IMO) is there are too few CGs and too many people trying to use them.

Ralph Cramden wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
Yeah it's worse during the winter but the summer is bad too. At least Florida is adding many new parks, I think they are up to 125+ now. And they don't charge a fortune to camp either like California.

After having witnessed it first hand in your state when I was there for 8 months for a job a few years back, what the snowbirds do at most of your state parks from Dec until April is beyond ridiculous. Those Geezers have invented every way possible to game the system when it comes to max stay limits etc. If anywhere needs a regulation that state residents get first shot at campsites, Florida is it.

I believe that giving residents a break would be illegal, the Constitution bans treating residents of other states differently. They get around it slightly by making resident annual passes available but that doesn't fix the reservation problem.

X

It's pretty hard to find camping this time of year in Vermont, too, albeit for different reasons.

That's actually not quite true; camping off-season is allowed in the state parks (for free, with a no-charge permit) but the roads are not plowed, the gates are often locked, and the showerhouses are closed down for the season. If you are willing to hike in and pitch a tent, though, it's very available.

I don't know. We have no snowbirds up our way but often find campgrounds are filled when we want to go out. Easy to blame snowbirds but seems to me its just bad planning on your part.

The opposite is true in WI. In summer it's hard for the "locals" to get sites. It's high season, plan ahead.

When we camped, it was in the summertime - I didn't blame the "sunbirds" (aka the seasonals) from the southern states for the full campgrounds. I'm aware there are a lot more snowbirds than sunbirds.

Just something you have to plan for. (shrug)

In high season, it's best to plan ahead and make reservations. Sounds like winter is high season in your area.

I've never had a problem getting a campsite off season (Labor Day to Memorial Day). Of course, I choose public campgrounds without hookups for the most part.

Yeah it's worse during the winter but the summer is bad too. At least Florida is adding many new parks, I think they are up to 125+ now. And they don't charge a fortune to camp either like California.