went up the mountain to Sibley Lake Campground in Bighorn National Forest to see if there any sites available because on Recreation.gov they have a few sites that are listed as First-come, First-serve. Most as expected were full, except for one site. The site number matched the First-come, First-serve site on Recreation.gov but the issue was that it was open tonight, but reserved tomorrow. This is supposed to be a first-come, first-serve site :h The campground host said it was an administrative decision. Are they allowed to do that? Seems to me they are using their position/power to reserve a site that isn't supposed to be reservable? Anyway, I didn't make a big scene because frankly I wasn't sure what all they're allowed to do and not allowed to do. Had it been a true first-come, first-serve site my son & would have stayed and spent a few nights with the rest of the family joining us in a few days.

I would have stayed the night, then watched for departing campers the next morning. Switching sites can be a bit of a hassle but it's a way to stay in the CG. If I like the CG or its location, it can be worthwhile to move. Just a possibility; doesn't work every time.

I can't speak from any experience, so this is just conjecture. It sounds like a question that really should be asked of someone at the National Park Service rather than here if you want an accurate answer of what is permitted/expected.I'd imagine that there would be a little bit of latitude for hosts (or others they report to) to do this sort of thing in at least a few circumstances. For instance, they may have had to move a camper from their reserved site because that site became unusable and needed repair or maintenance. Or perhaps there was some sort of a screw-up in the reservation system that somehow resulted in a double-booking.

rexlion wrote:I would have stayed the night, then watched for departing campers the next morning. Switching sites can be a bit of a hassle but it's a way to stay in the CG. If I like the CG or its location, it can be worthwhile to move. Just a possibility; doesn't work every time.I would have but everything else was booked for the next few days so we would have had to pack up and leave the next day. I just don’t understand how a first come site can be available today but reserved tomorrow without making any other sites a first come site. I’ll call the Forest Service tomorrow and get clarity on how things work.

The CG Host may have been holding it for a buddy of his. I've seen that before.

I'm with the others in calling the FS office. We often go in to a campground and pick a site that's open, then check with the host on when the other more desirable sites will be open, then move. If you have a good host, they will work with you and come around to tell you that the current occupants are about to leave so you can go over and grab it.

Forest Service Campground - First Come, First Serve & hosts

WhitehouseLV
Explorer III
Aug 04, 2021
hotjag1 wrote:
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

You'd never know, unless you saw the host place the chairs to hold the spot so it looks as if someone left for a few hours.

That's why I said "if I was told" by the host that I had to vacate my site.

Oh sorry didn't catch that. There was no mention of vacating sites before you brought it up.

The original post(OP)stated that there was an empty FCFS site available when he arrived but he could only stay one night and would have to vacate the site the next day because the host let someone reserve a FCFS site. Because of that, it sounds like the OP didn't stay the one night.

yep that's correct
monkey44
Nomad II
Jul 06, 2021
Chairs on a FCFS site which you can stay in for one night means someone reserved a FCFS site for tomorrow. Can't do that, no matter what other issues come into play or into a discussion.

Obviously, a host playing favoritism for a buddy.

I imagine host and buddy would complain loudly if another camper did that.
cptqueeg
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2021
Pls disregard my comments, clearly I’m not paying attention.
hotjag1
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2021
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

You'd never know, unless you saw the host place the chairs to hold the spot so it looks as if someone left for a few hours.

That's why I said "if I was told" by the host that I had to vacate my site.

Oh sorry didn't catch that. There was no mention of vacating sites before you brought it up.

The original post(OP)stated that there was an empty FCFS site available when he arrived but he could only stay one night and would have to vacate the site the next day because the host let someone reserve a FCFS site. Because of that, it sounds like the OP didn't stay the one night.
cptqueeg
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2021
hotjag1 wrote:
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

You'd never know, unless you saw the host place the chairs to hold the spot so it looks as if someone left for a few hours.

That's why I said "if I was told" by the host that I had to vacate my site.

Oh sorry didn't catch that. There was no mention of vacating sites before you brought it up.
hotjag1
Explorer II
Jul 06, 2021
cptqueeg wrote:
hotjag1 wrote:
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

You'd never know, unless you saw the host place the chairs to hold the spot so it looks as if someone left for a few hours.

That's why I said "if I was told" by the host that I had to vacate my site.
Ivylog
Explorer III
Jul 05, 2021
Couple summers ago, we went into S Lake Tahoe on Labor Day without reservations, getting into our first choice, the city CG. NO, not on Friday but on Monday…thank goodness for the working folks who have to go home.
We usually leave on Friday (except 3 day weekends) to reposition and resupply at a Private CG. On Sunday afternoon we’ll try and get into our next CG…rarely have we not in 20 years of doing it this way…even last summer and so far this summer. Close to National Parks doesn’t thin out as muck as other areas on the weekends.
cptqueeg
Explorer II
Jul 05, 2021
hotjag1 wrote:
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

You'd never know, unless you saw the host place the chairs to hold the spot so it looks as if someone left for a few hours.
NamMedevac_70
Explorer II
Jul 05, 2021
I am also FCFS only and camp only in off season and not on weekends or holidays to avoid crowded jammed up noisy campgrounds. Spent all of May camping and fishing in California and all 3 campgrounds at Lake Davis were nearly empty during the week so I had free choice of all FCFS sites. Also spent a week at Brannan Island SP and camp host (American Land and Leisure) allowed me site 98 even though new system allowed only reserved camping at all sites. On monday both large campgrounds were nearly empty for entire week. Spent another week at Air Force Inn at Travis AFB. Happy trails and happy days
hotjag1
Explorer II
Jul 05, 2021
We are in the group that likes FCFS campgrounds. We like to do do spur of the moment or short notice camping trips, so FCFS works good for us. Never had a problem with FCFS sites being reserved. I'd be heading to the nearest regional office if I was told that I had to leave a FCFS site because the host decided that he would reserve it.

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