Looking ahead to the 2020 season, one of the parks we stay at every year has a new way for reserving sites that I never encountered before. Aune Osborn (awesome park for ship watching) which is a city owned park in Sault Ste. Marie Michigan which for this upcoming season has it set up so if you are staying a month or more you get the first couple of days once the reservation window opens up. Then after those two days are up the people with 2 weeks or more get the next two days, and then finally it's open to everyone else which includes us as we usually stay for only a few days. Problem is its going to be impossible to reserve the river front sites that we always have had as we get last chance after the longer term people. I guess it probably makes sense for filling sites but the fact it is no longer a level field really stinks. We will see what happens, if we can't get the river front sites we will most likely move on to somewhere else. :(Aune Osborn scheduleDan

I feel your pain. But they probably got tired of seeing a bunch of empty spots on weekends and people complaining they wants weeks and months and not just a weekend. We have Reserveamerica in Florida which I hate. And one reason is they let weekends book up 11 months in advance. So we can try for a week or two and there are no weekends only weekdays open.

Maybe not the answer for you here, but we've found it more and more difficult to make 2 week reservations almost anywhere east of the Mississippi River. So, if the game rules shift, then we shift our camping strategy. We simply quit trying to book a spot for the 2 weeks, and sometimes, even a week. We split up campgrounds. We attempt to book the week-ends first, as they are usually harder to get. So, if we have 3 weekends, over a 2 week period, we'll book each weekend somewhere different, but still within a reasonable driving distance from each other so we can stay in the same geographical area.Then, we see how many days before and after the week-end we can attach more days. And if we can't, then we look for different campgrounds for the middle of the week.A couple years ago we did this approach and ended up making reservations at 5 different State Parks over a 2 week (3 week-end) trip. And actually, about 3 days at each location was just about right! One day to break camp and travel and set up camp in the new location, 1 good day to explore the area, maybe 2 days. Next day do it again. Yes, it means setting up and then breaking camp multiple times, but in a way, there is a lot of fun in that process too!The lesson I've learned, when the rules change, change the strategy. It works! Be flexible, and try new approaches to your camping methods. It does keep things interesting!

Clearly they are looking for long term tenants which give them a stable income stream. Tells me they want to be a mobile home park and less a campground. Ask them how about reserving some spaces for campers away from the long term.

Or if you can’t beat em join em. Rent a month and go back and forth on weekends.

DutchmenSport:Good point! We end up doing the same thing, but still hate making reservations at parks that we are new to and determining which site is best from a 2x3" pic.

Unfair Reservation System? | Good Sam Community

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Nov 16, 2019
Maybe not the answer for you here, but we've found it more and more difficult to make 2 week reservations almost anywhere east of the Mississippi River. So, if the game rules shift, then we shift our camping strategy. We simply quit trying to book a spot for the 2 weeks, and sometimes, even a week. We split up campgrounds. We attempt to book the week-ends first, as they are usually harder to get. So, if we have 3 weekends, over a 2 week period, we'll book each weekend somewhere different, but still within a reasonable driving distance from each other so we can stay in the same geographical area.

Then, we see how many days before and after the week-end we can attach more days. And if we can't, then we look for different campgrounds for the middle of the week.

A couple years ago we did this approach and ended up making reservations at 5 different State Parks over a 2 week (3 week-end) trip. And actually, about 3 days at each location was just about right! One day to break camp and travel and set up camp in the new location, 1 good day to explore the area, maybe 2 days. Next day do it again.

Yes, it means setting up and then breaking camp multiple times, but in a way, there is a lot of fun in that process too!

The lesson I've learned, when the rules change, change the strategy. It works! Be flexible, and try new approaches to your camping methods. It does keep things interesting!
Big_Katuna
Explorer II
Nov 16, 2019
I feel your pain. But they probably got tired of seeing a bunch of empty spots on weekends and people complaining they wants weeks and months and not just a weekend.

We have Reserveamerica in Florida which I hate. And one reason is they let weekends book up 11 months in advance. So we can try for a week or two and there are no weekends only weekdays open.

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