tatest wrote:
What is wrong is that the sites are reserved by people not actually using them. It is not unusual for someone to reserve (and pay for) a site for a two week window in order to have it for two or three nights at the end of that period. For the people doing this, the value of those nights is sufficient to justify the cost of a two week rental.
It may or may not be against the policy of a public park to tie up a facility but not use it, but separating the reservation system from park management makes it just that much more difficult to police, where policy considers it abuse of the reservations system. And for some parks, all they care about is whether or not the site is paid for, and so don't consider it abuse.
That doesn't make a lot of sense to me (reserving sites for a week and then only using 2 or 3 days)but I value my hard earned dollars too much I guess. I have been known to book several days and allow the first night to go by unused due to work or transport problems but that's it. On the bright side since I pre-registered I can enter the campground early in the morn before the office opens, settle in and present my paperwork later in the day.
Separating the reservation system from the parks happened in part because people were abusing the system and living at the park for the entire camping season. Saw that happening back in the 80's when I attended college near Taughannock Falls State Park outside of Ithaca, NY. Students, locals renovating homes and others just looking for less expensive housing, found a spot and NEVER moved until it got cold or the park closed for the season. This of course meant less of the public could use the campgrounds. And sometimes money exchanged hands under the table. RA and similar computer systems made for a more level playing field as well as allowing states to cut costs associated with payroll. It has it's problems but is inherently fairer and faster than past ways of making reservations as I see it.
