Question About "Walk-up" Camp Sites

2DHoop wrote:


Thank you for the information. This park is US Forestry and they have designated sites that are not reserveable on line/over the phone and no information is given through the reservation system other than colored coded as first-come-first-served. Say of the 20 sites in question, there is no indication if it's occupied and based upon the information folks have provided here, the logical approach is to show up mid-week and talk to the gate attendant...and I still have my backup plan of the basic site reservation I have. I won't be "homeless" when I get there which would be bad for our 24th wedding anniversary...

Any chance you can say exactly where you intend to camp?
Then people may be able to give you specific responses if they are familiar with that campground.
At US Forest Service (not Forestry - that generally refers to state campgrounds) campgrounds, there are generally about 40% of sits that are non-reservable or first come/first served, but that isn't a hard and fast rule. Most USFS campgrounds are primitive and have no electricity or water hookups at the campsite, although they are adding electricity at more of them recently. I've never been to a USFS site that has water hookup right at the campsite, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

There is no guarantee whatsoever that any of the first come/first served sites those won't be occupied when you get there. So as others have said, go a couple of days early. Even that is no guarantee that you will get an electric site, but non-electrics may well be available.

Terminology is all over the place.
A walk-up site generally means just that: You park your car and literally walk up to the campsite.
First come/first served means just that: You can't reserve it ahead of time, if you are physically first to register at the campground and put your unit in the spur, it is yours.
Same Day Reservable - pretty much the same as first come/first served.