Mass DRC (State Parks) Email Warning
Received this today from DRC, I guess they are having a problem with people not following the spirit of the rules, and they have decided to get serious. I have never received one of these emails in th...
Forum Discussion
I believe the answer to some of these issues can be found in the reservation rules. IF you can reserve all sites, then people will continue to abuse the "number of days" rule to skirt the reservations system.
One answer: Make half sites reserve, half sites first-come. It allows the campers that don't want or need reservations to come and enjoy the parks.
OR at least, if a no-show by 7PM with no phone call for arriving late, then it should be available.
In fact, I'd be willing to bet anyone that if we completely dumped a reservations system altogether, the majority of campers would be able to camp and could arrive and book a campground (except possibly long weekends) and it would eliminate the empty sites due to skirting the system.
I know, I know, some NEED to book at certain time, but if NO ONE could reserve, then all empty sites would be empty and bookable, instead of empty and, well... empty.
For example: We were at Everglades, and a small part of that national park has electric HU (41 sites out of about 300). We saw eleven open 'E' sites at 7PM, and tried to book one. All reserved ... so we took a no HU site. Next morning, eight were still empty, over the next few days, we could not book an 'E' site, but each day a similar number was available, and mostly the same ones some folks booked and never showed, or booked longer than used.
One answer: Make half sites reserve, half sites first-come. It allows the campers that don't want or need reservations to come and enjoy the parks.
OR at least, if a no-show by 7PM with no phone call for arriving late, then it should be available.
In fact, I'd be willing to bet anyone that if we completely dumped a reservations system altogether, the majority of campers would be able to camp and could arrive and book a campground (except possibly long weekends) and it would eliminate the empty sites due to skirting the system.
I know, I know, some NEED to book at certain time, but if NO ONE could reserve, then all empty sites would be empty and bookable, instead of empty and, well... empty.
For example: We were at Everglades, and a small part of that national park has electric HU (41 sites out of about 300). We saw eleven open 'E' sites at 7PM, and tried to book one. All reserved ... so we took a no HU site. Next morning, eight were still empty, over the next few days, we could not book an 'E' site, but each day a similar number was available, and mostly the same ones some folks booked and never showed, or booked longer than used.
