Florida State Parks

This is a "Dog-eat-dog world" you know! He who gets to the reservation hot line first wins the spot! Some plan very aggressively. Some are just not so aggressive and they loose out! But, no one is breaking any rules. I suppose the best you can do is talk to your local representatives and see if the "rules" can get changed.

Meanwhile, I'm just SOL for Memorial Day in Indiana because I was one of those who was just not "aggressive". When we finally decided to go ahead and go out Memorial Day week-end, well ... everything was booked! I can't blame that on all the visitors to Indiana this week-end who are coming in from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Kentucky! Just because we have this little annual event called The Indianapolis 500 ... well ... I should know better! So the "tourists" beat me (the local yocal) this year! Next year ... well ... I'll just need to reserve a campsite earlier! (It will probably rain anyway ... it seems to do that a lot on race day!)

There is an article in the Wash Post that says people are using computer bots to make reservations. The bot checks for cancellations every 15 mins and if it finds one it messages the person running it.

Stormy Eyes wrote:

FloridaReLoaded wrote:
Well let me throw more fuel into the fire, I'm ranting about the ones that take over the Florida Keys state campgrounds in the winter. They have a monopoly on them and I've about had it! We also own a Condo in Florida and Florida is my permanent residence. I'm trying to set something up where I can go speak in Tallahassee explaining to them what's going on. I'm going to suggest that they use Ft Desoto in Pinellas County as a model. Where county residents can reserve sites up to 6 months in advance but in this case Florida residents would be able to reserve early. I don't think they are aware that campers are staying two weeks then move for a night then stay another two weeks so on and so on. The Florida Keys is the only campgrounds that needs this sort of thing implemented. So now your saying you would boycott, I don't think it would work. If you want to spend the winter in the Florida Keys do so in a private campground, state parks are not made for long term stays!!!

As a Floridian, I would, of course, like an advantage in booking our parks in the Keys.

For sake of accuracy, after one reaches the 14 night max stay, one must leave that specific park for three nights, then they can return for another 14 night max.

So, if somebody has a strong ability to book, they can stay2 weeks in a park on the Keys, then move to another park (still in the Keys) for up to two weeks, then either back to that first park (or onto the third park in the Keys). They can stay a max of 56 nights in each park in a defined six month period, so if they are able to successfully book on line, they theoretically can be in the state parks in the Keys for 24 of 26 weeks (or 48 weeks a year).

With such high demand, I like you point about a regional designation for parks in the Keys...if treated those three parks as one unit for camping reservations (14 nights stay any/all state parks in Keys, then lock out of all three for at least three nights; no more than 56 total nights (or maybe less) in any/all parks in the Keys in the defined six month period. I think it would be nice that the parks are available to many different people at reasonable rates for short periods (rather cheap rates for fewer people for many nights), so I would not mind seeing nightly rates climb for those staying more nights ( so for example, if nights 1-14 are $40/ night, nights 15-28 are $80/night and night 28-42 are $120/night and nights 43-56 are $160/night; though perhaps not for locals).

Thanks for clarifying a few things and you brought up some great ideas !!

FloridaReLoaded wrote:
Well let me throw more fuel into the fire, I'm ranting about the ones that take over the Florida Keys state campgrounds in the winter. They have a monopoly on them and I've about had it! We also own a Condo in Florida and Florida is my permanent residence. I'm trying to set something up where I can go speak in Tallahassee explaining to them what's going on. I'm going to suggest that they use Ft Desoto in Pinellas County as a model. Where county residents can reserve sites up to 6 months in advance but in this case Florida residents would be able to reserve early. I don't think they are aware that campers are staying two weeks then move for a night then stay another two weeks so on and so on. The Florida Keys is the only campgrounds that needs this sort of thing implemented. So now your saying you would boycott, I don't think it would work. If you want to spend the winter in the Florida Keys do so in a private campground, state parks are not made for long term stays!!!

As a Floridian, I would, of course, like an advantage in booking our parks in the Keys.

For sake of accuracy, after one reaches the 14 night max stay, one must leave that specific park for three nights, then they can return for another 14 night max.

So, if somebody has a strong ability to book, they can stay2 weeks in a park on the Keys, then move to another park (still in the Keys) for up to two weeks, then either back to that first park (or onto the third park in the Keys). They can stay a max of 56 nights in each park in a defined six month period, so if they are able to successfully book on line, they theoretically can be in the state parks in the Keys for 24 of 26 weeks (or 48 weeks a year).

With such high demand, I like you point about a regional designation for parks in the Keys...if treated those three parks as one unit for camping reservations (14 nights stay any/all state parks in Keys, then lock out of all three for at least three nights; no more than 56 total nights (or maybe less) in any/all parks in the Keys in the defined six month period. I think it would be nice that the parks are available to many different people at reasonable rates for short periods (rather cheap rates for fewer people for many nights), so I would not mind seeing nightly rates climb for those staying more nights ( so for example, if nights 1-14 are $40/ night, nights 15-28 are $80/night and night 28-42 are $120/night and nights 43-56 are $160/night; though perhaps not for locals).