ontario parks reservation tips

[The_Kroc]

what 's the secret to getting an online reservation at a Ontario Prov Park? We're trying to get a site at The Pinery (Riverside electric site). I search this morning at 7:00 AM EST exactly 5 months out as required but all the sites were taken already. I can't believe all those sites along the river could be snapped up that quickly. What am I doing wrong? I'd appreciate any tips you could pass along to me.

[shum02]

hone eagle wrote:
Thats why when I fill out a survey from ontario parks
- what is the biggest problem ? reservations .
my suggestion , no refunds , you reserve it you pay for it.

cancel? tough.

stop all the shenanigans maybe

It's been suggested before....many, many times for at least a decade and I can guarantee you with 100% accuracy it will never happen.

[hone_eagle]

Thats why when I fill out a survey from ontario parks
- what is the biggest problem ? reservations .
my suggestion , no refunds , you reserve it you pay for it.

cancel? tough.

stop all the shenanigans maybe

[The_Kroc]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Our family spent many
summers at the Pinery in the 70's, 80's & 90's from our home in Toledo Ohio. In 2000 we had to move further away and could not make the trip from Cincinnati. We love the Pinery, and have so many fond memories of the white sand, the oak savanna and listening for the crashing waves from our campsite at night. I do hope that my wife & I can visit one more time before we have call it quits.

I knew we shouldn't have told so many people how special this place is.

[bdhoun]

I usually start keeping track of available sites a week or so before I can make my reservation. Then start crossing them off on a daily basis. The night before, I start looking at the site pictures to narrow down my choice of sites to just a few. At 7:00:00 I hit the reserve button for the site I want. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. I haven't been able to get a site at Kilbear for 3 years now.

[shum02]

When the kids where little and we had to book holidays way before we could book a site it was the only way to make sure you got something. Now with the kids grown and not coming we will just show up at a park and wing it 🙂 Having a generator really helps as well since we'll take non-powered sites unless it's too hot. I won't cook inside a camper if it's too hot and you can't run the genny all night, and that is the case at all Provincial Parks unless there is NO one there.

Now with the Loonie low again you'll also be fighting with more U.S visitors as well.

[almcc]

We've pretty much given up on southern Ontario provincial parks for the summer season as getting a reservation isn't possible unless you go on the website at 12:01 am on the first day that reservations are open for the period you want and try to book. We may hit a park in the shoulder season when it's quieter and we can get in during the week.

We've seen the same at some National Parks as well, we couldn't get a preferred site at Riding Mountain because I waited till noon on the first day reservations were open.

[JaxDad]

That, or as is becoming the trend lately, people book huge blocks of days and then post ads online reselling them.

Scalping is not just for rock concerts anymore.

[shum02]

The Kroc wrote:
do they then cancel some of days? It seems like a stiff penalty to pay if they then cancel unwanted reserved days

They do it,i've done it. You want it you do it.

[camp-n-family]

It can be tough to get into the Pinery. People will book the maximum number of days and then cancel the days before, pay the penalties, just to get the week at the end that they want. Not fair, but it happens.

[Jack_Diane_Free]

Reservations at the Pinery have been like that for years. Almost impossible.

[The_Kroc]

do they then cancel some of days? It seems like a stiff penalty to pay if they then cancel unwanted reserved days

[CoMoCo]

You did it right. But keep in mind that you can reserve a site for 21 days (I think) so people were booking reservations that started before your start day and finished after your start day.