StirCrazy wrote:
monkey44 wrote:
The unfortunate part of most reservation systems -- even if you want an open site for one night while traveling, the reservation fee still applies. That means the campsite is more expensive overall and often leaves one or more empty that would otherwise generate revenue.
We've seen a lot of empty campsites - state and NPS - over the past few years even when the CG says full.
When we think about senior and veteran and disabled discounts, then paying the reservation fee for one night nearly clears the discount for those that earned or qualify for the discounts.
here if you don't arive by 11am the day after your reservation is for it is cancled and can be opened for that period for FCFS as you have to book a site a minimum of 2 days prior to your arival in the reservation system.
Last year, we were at Cades Cove NP-CG in Great Smokys we booked a first come, no reservation CG Site mid-week for two days. Ranger told us beginning Monday - we still could get empty unreserved sites but also had to pay the reservation fee to book for one or two nights, and no Cash, only CC accepted. We haven't been back in that area since so don't know if that actually took effect. We were in Everglades NP several weeks later. In order to book for two days, we had to pay reservation fee - no cash, and use CC only to pay. Six sites in one camping lane were open when we arrived, we took one. Five were still open when we left two days later. All five were not reserved, and still first-come, and still empty and available for first come. ???
We have been camping all over USA for over fifty years. We have never made a reservation. Likely, pretty soon - maybe already - that will be unavailable as the parks try to accomodate the upturn in Camping with the added RV factor that's increasing month by month, and the reservation system appears unable to accomodate first-come for open sites.
