camping outlook 2021

We are mainly Thousand Trails campground campers, and did not see massive overcrowding.

But state parks in New Mexico closed unexpectedly, cost me $180 in a bunch of reservations the state cancelled without notice. They have a non-refundable $10 fee per reservation. Had a couple months planned.

Texas State parks were reserved almost every weekend. Even in Jan and Feb, it is very hard to find a weekend spot. Which is not unusual. Much of Texas is pleasant, but cool for camping during the winter. But so many people do not know of hundreds of open COE and dozens of USFS cg open in Texas during the winter.

I've seen some 'rush to reserve' for federal COE campgrounds for weekends.

Now, many folks got upset when the realities of trying to get a spot in the major national parks hit them.

We had no real troubles. But the uncertainty bothered a lot of people.

And I'm willing to bet a dinner or cold beverage that the uncertainty continues through the 2021 main camping seasons.

What I have seen over this past winter is more scary. The number of people with low end rigs without enclosed underbelly, tanks heaters, etc - trying to full-time is much higher than I've ever heard of happening.

I must have seen photos of 50 different rigs across the middle of the US in this cold snap with ice covered floors, big ice sickles from broken plumbing in their rigs. Folks not knowing how to take the most simple precautions.

And whining that the full-timing is supposed to be cheap and easy.

A major RV event was just cancelled for early April, so we are starting to consider changes for the summer. We have a grandchild wedding near Dallas on Mar 20, then fly to Miami for another grandchild wedding Mar 27. And a grandson HS graduation near Dallas the first weekend in June.

Probably we will try to travel the southeast US, maybe as far north as the Ohio River. I'm not going to stress over changing plans. Stay flexible. There are places to go. I know I won't get into Pigeon Forge or a CG in Great Smokey Mountains NP, but we will be able to find decent CG to enjoy the journey.

My impression is that it depends on where you are camping. For example we left Florida, proceeded thru 21 states and and over 30 camp spots. All the way up to Idaho, back thru MT and the Dakotas and then southback down. 10,000 miles and never got an advanced reservation. Our tactic is to locate a camp a few hours ahead when we are ready to stop, call then for a spot and we got a place every time except once and that was right outside Yellowstone. And there a second call to another place got a spot.

So no in the center, SE and most western free states there did not seem to be a campground glut. However in states where they close the state parks and limit camping ro every other spot, thus eliminating more than half the camping spots then I believe there is an overcrowding situation. This is mainly the NE states and maybe the left coast. Plus NM is an outlier with a major campground lockdown

My daughter just booked 3 weeks at their favorite campground.