Forum Discussion

kopy_kat's avatar
kopy_kat
Explorer
Dec 18, 2020

Oregon state campgrounds

Does anyone know the minimum and maximum lead time for making reservations with Oregon state campgrounds?

Is it within 30 days only or as far out as 6 months?

Thanks, Larry
  • On the bright side - old farts like me who aren't used to having to make reservations have a chance now. In the old days I never made a reservation - just made sure I didn't camp on weekends. Then things changed and I discovered that not only did I have to make reservations I had to do it months in advance - I never had a schedule which allowed that. In fact - I bought an RV because my schedule was always chaotic and when I had a few days off I just used the RV for spontaneous mini vacation. We were always an hr drive from plenty of great camping spots. Those days are gone.
  • Wow...I've already got my whole 2021 camping schedule reserved for WA state parks... 9 months out is what we can reserve and you have to cheat to even get that for specific parks and sites!

    The parks I like to go to only 'reserve' from May 15th thru Sept 15th, so that's the window you have to work with..

    Do it all online, but you gotta play the game to get the park/site you want for the time you want..

    Good luck! Mitch
  • rhagfo's avatar
    rhagfo
    Explorer III
    Yes, 30 days out is the current maximum. The parks are about normal for winter campers. Weekends are still busy, but mid week is pretty empty.
    The governor just extended the Covid state of emergency until March 3rd 2021, so likely the 30 day limit will last until then.
  • Right now, it's 30 days:

    New reservations are accepted one day to 30 days in advance for stays that begin within this time period. This change, from the former nine-month reservation window, is in response to covid-19. The shorter window means that when services change abruptly — as with a pandemic or massive wildfires — we do not need to change, cancel or refund a large number of reservations. Not only are reservation changes a huge inconvenience to visitors, they can be complicated and time consuming. Also, refunds are a big financial hit at the worst possible time: when we are trying to restore operations safely with far fewer staff. A 30-day window offsets some of the uncertainty, and enables us to better predict revenue and expenses.

    We do plan to return to a longer window at some point, and we will make a public announcement when we do.

About Campground 101

Recommendations, reviews, and the inside scoop from fellow travelers.14,716 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 18, 2019