MookieKat wrote:
2gypsies wrote:
Having volunteered in national parks we know that the site size listed is a 'recommendation'. If you can fit into a site, it's yours. If not, you're out of luck. It's not cheating!
Thank you!! So glad to hear that!! Do you have any idea how much wiggle room there might be?
I have no idea on wiggle room for Yosemite. Unfortunately, there is no set standard. Every park will be different as to their site size determination. Some will measure them acurately. Some will allow leeway for the tow vehicles. Some list the maximum size by the 'average size' of all the campsites. You would find some smaller and some larger. One of our assignments in Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park was just to walk the campground and eyeball the sites and rate them as being fit for a small RV, medium RV or large RV with size ranges in each category. From that we constructed a easy to read chart for the check-in booth. At the time, that's how sites were assigned. When folks drove up to the check-in booth we could see exactly what kind of RV they had and assigned them to a site that matched their RV. Specific sites weren't assigned online. They marked the size of their RV on the reservation but the actual site was assigned in person. Things may have changed by now. I agree, it's very confusing.
Personally, we wouldn't recommend you making reservations for a site you 'think' you might fit into without first checking out their typical sites and the roads and turns getting into those sites.
Also, if there's a barrier behind the site such as a RR tie then it also depends on your RV as to how far you can back up so your tires touch that barrier and the rear of the RV extends beyond the barrier. It depends if you have anything hanging low under your RV that might get caught up on the RR tie. Jacks cannot go beyond the barrier in some parks. There are RVs that can't physically cross that barrier without scraping something underneath.
Many parks also place large boulders at the rear of the site so you can't back up. Also, boulders are placed at the edges of the site at the road which makes it difficult to make the turn. There are many variables.
Public parks are always our first choice. That's why we choose not to make reservations and we really have no problem getting sites. Having a motorhome we will even disconnect the Jeep and drive that through the campground to check it out even before taking the motorhome into it. We're full-timers and not on any kind of schedule so we can take our chances and also we can get in early morning when there are more choices. Those on vacation time can't do it that way. Many national parks have campgrounds that don't even accept reservations such as Yellowstone and Grand Teton and we always get spots there. Also, some reservation campgrounds will even have a certain percentage open for no reservations. I really wish they were all consistent.
However, Yosemite is not one we'd try for because we've seen the campgrounds and know that we probably wouldn't fit with our 40'. Plus, you really need reservations for Yosemite.
