camping
next may will be going out west to see national parks etc just wondering how other folks do this make reservations for every stop? don't really like having to get from point a to point b and all the...
Forum Discussion
It depends; I don’t know what sort of rig you have. I’ve been to Yellowstone numerous times and have never made reservations. Only twice have I not gotten a spot, even in prime time. Once I boondocked outside the park and got a site in the morning. The other time I had to take a spot in Fishing Bridge for a night, a real downer to me. But I have a 16’ TT and can get into almost every cg in the park; a large unit wouldn’t have that flexibility.
I almost never make reservations; it’s incompatible with my wandering type of travel. Only if I’m near an urban area and there’s no public land will I do that. When I know where I’ll be in the evening the DW calls ahead and finds a spot and we’ve never failed to get one.
There’s a lot of public land in the west and if you’re amiable to boondocking you’ll have a lot of options there. Then there are parking lots, something I’ve never done but it might work in a pinch. gbopp’s links for free camping would be another good source and there are a couple of books out that list free campgrounds across the country that would be a good resource. There are 2 volumes, one for the east and one for the west and I’d guess they’re probably $15-$20 apiece. Sorry I can’t recall the titles but it shouldn’t be hard to track them down.
If you’re uneasy about not having a reserved spot and maybe having to wing it, or if you have a bigger rig, reservations may be the best idea for the parks. I think, though, that on the trip itself you’ll do fine just calling ahead to various cg’s when you know about where you’ll be. Not having reservations is unnerving to some, but I think the freedom of not having your day dictated by a schedule far outweighs any downside. Have a great trip.
I almost never make reservations; it’s incompatible with my wandering type of travel. Only if I’m near an urban area and there’s no public land will I do that. When I know where I’ll be in the evening the DW calls ahead and finds a spot and we’ve never failed to get one.
There’s a lot of public land in the west and if you’re amiable to boondocking you’ll have a lot of options there. Then there are parking lots, something I’ve never done but it might work in a pinch. gbopp’s links for free camping would be another good source and there are a couple of books out that list free campgrounds across the country that would be a good resource. There are 2 volumes, one for the east and one for the west and I’d guess they’re probably $15-$20 apiece. Sorry I can’t recall the titles but it shouldn’t be hard to track them down.
If you’re uneasy about not having a reserved spot and maybe having to wing it, or if you have a bigger rig, reservations may be the best idea for the parks. I think, though, that on the trip itself you’ll do fine just calling ahead to various cg’s when you know about where you’ll be. Not having reservations is unnerving to some, but I think the freedom of not having your day dictated by a schedule far outweighs any downside. Have a great trip.
