Recreation.gov website

I have used Reserve America for years and I have never paid a reservation fee. In fact I just made a reservation thru Reserve America for a corp of engineers site near Birmingham Al. and there was no reservation fee there..

Each federal agency has a different fee policy with Reserve America who runs the Recreation.Gov web site.

The US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Park Service do not pass on a service fee to the customers, just the fee for the campsites.

The OP mentioned National Forests reservations. The USFS does impose a $9 fee for each reservation made.

Oasisbob wrote:
I read somewhere a large percentage of that fee goes to the software developer.

Sorry - a myth.

Reserve America gets set fees based on their contract with the various agencies.

The highest fee per reservation I'm aware of is approx $3.25 per reservation for a small state with low business such as Louisiana.

For federal agencies - the COE probably pays RA about $1.50, the NPS about $1.75, the USFS about $2.

The rest of the fee goes to pay the extra equipment the agencies had to install in the campgrounds to link with the reservation contractor a few years ago, and the maintenance on such systems.

Various states and agencies impose cancellation fees to simply try to keep people from making reservations on a 'maybe' basis.

It really doesn't work as a deterrent in my opinion.

I use the site as well. I don't mind the reservation fees either. Still cheaper than a commercial campground and you don't have rigs parked on top of each other. Scenery is better too.

It is a really user friendly website. This coming from a nuckle head like me. The $9 per reservation stings but they are a monopoly unless one wants to go without a reservation. Too risky INHO. I read somewhere a large percentage of that fee goes to the software developer.

We had a $9 transaction fee with each of our reservations at recreation .gov. Just part of the process.

I never got hit with those fees.
I only book National Parks on line.

Depending on the campground selected, there may be a $9 reservation fee. This fee is based on a single site for a consecutive period. That means if you book 2 campsites for the same 3 days, you will be charged $9 for each campsite; if you book 1 campsite for May 3-8 and May 10-15, you will be charged $9 for each set of dates.

It doesn't bother me as I'm paying for the convenience of knowing I have a campsite when I arrive in high season. Off season, I won't bother with reservations.

What reservation fee?
The only fee I get is the normal camping fee at 50% off.
What I don't like is having to re-enter my senior pass number for every reservation.