Substancial deposit required

I would not pay more than a one night deposit! Unless your staying longer and the deposit is for electric which is billed seperately.

Have run into multiple types of deposit situations. If I don't like it I just go elsewhere.

Their campground: their rules.
No shows are a big problem, specially with multi night reservations. If three nights are reserved and they don't show the first night, what does the CG do? Have an empty space for the second and third night, or rent to someone else and have the original renter show up and find is reservation is gone, or keep the spot open and turn away business?

At State Parks, NP's, USACE campgrounds, you pay for the entire reservation upfront, there are no partial deposits. You pay it when booking, sometimes up to 11 months in advance, or you don't and go elsewhere.

If you plan to stay there pay the deposit no harm no foul.
If you don't plan to stay there don't pay.
Once you understand the problems no shows create. You'll understand the need for full deposits.
Small $$$$ deposits lead to abuse.
If you only make a small deposits there is a higher likelihood that you will encounter a last minute death in the family. If you pay a full deposit you will be there as planned and the deceased will be put on ice...lol

We've experienced all variations from no upfront fee to full amount charged to your card when you reserve(Florida state parks I think). Georgia requires a down payment and balance upon arrival.

Yep - I run into it all the time. Around here, the higher demand/holiday weekends often require full payment at the time of reservation. I can still cancel and get a refund if need be (usually for a $10 fee or so), but about 1/2 of my 2020 camping costs are already paid.

Lantley wrote:
If you plan to stay there pay the deposit no harm no foul.
If you don't plan to stay there don't pay.
Once you understand the problems no shows create. You'll understand the need for full deposits.
Small $$$$ deposits lead to abuse.
If you only make a small deposits there is a higher likelihood that you will encounter a last minute death in the family. If you pay a full deposit you will be there as planned and the deceased will be put on ice...lol

This pretty much sums it up. And no, park owners don't have some secret investment account that earns us some fantastic amount of interest on a deposit. We keep our deposits in our normal operating accounts that might earn .15%. Even if your deposit was for $1000.00 and we held it for 6 months we would earn a whopping 75 cents. Considering each credit card transaction costs over 2% of the transaction amount holding that money has cut our costs of that deposit from $20.00 all the way down to $19.25. Simply another example of the rich getting richer....not.

The more popular campgrounds want 1/2 deposit and sometimes paid in full a week or 2 before you arrive.

I've encountered it from time to time.

I'd actually often prefer to pay the full fee with the reservation, rather than have to bother with two separate transactions. Regardless, it doesn't really bother me one way or the other.

Quite a few other businesses work in this basic way, too. If you book a round-trip flight, you have to pay for the whole thing up front, not just for the first leg.