Are campgrounds more crowded or is it just me?

[garmp]

We just upgraded our RV to a new Phoenix Cruiser 2351D and picked it up in Elkhart, IN after their lock down of a month and a half. On our way home, which we wanted to take our time getting back home to check everything out. Any way, most all the state parks enroute were packed. Lucky to even get in.
Planning an early July trip and have to make reservation most of the way, which is very unlike us. Parks we wanted to stay over were booked and had to replan. We'd find a park of 43 sites and 9 openings and a day or so later only one or two were open.
We're not use to making reservations, as we are never really sure when we'll be where. I mean if we really like a place we'll stay a couple of extra days or leave eralier than planned. Besides I hate "ordering" a site based on a couple inch square picture. Looked at Google Earth, but that won't show the incline of the site, how far the power pole is, or if it still has shade or not, etc.
We are state park, COE & municipal/county park campers. Commercial/private parks just don't cut it for us. Even FamCamp will fork for a nigh.
So any way, is it me being locked down for so long that every thing seems more crowded or are there more people out and about?

[dodge_guy]

We cancelled our Texas trip and had to reschedule a new trip (RMNP). Around the park was easy found a Resort type park 20 miles from the south entrance. Trying to find a stopover on the way was near impossible. I found one place that had one spot left and it was a pull through. Same with leaving. The KOA in Hot Springs SD had one spot left. The first stopover was 2 days before we left. The SD stopover was a very last minute one. I found a place with one spot left in Sioux Falls for the weekend. I’m here now.
Even though all mine were less than 3 days to get one it still looks like there are very many full places. I seen a lot of RV’s on the road. Way more than I have ever seen. I do think this will be short lived by a couple years. Then it will be back to the way it was before.

[bobsallyh]

We just left West Yellowstone, MT. yesterday after 16 days. The RV parks/CGs seemed to be maybe a little busier than usual. We are usually there the same time every summer. Some of the pressure on the parks/cgs is probably coming from so many of the campgrounds closed in YNP. Another strange thing, there are no tour busses.

[mdcamping]

Just returned from our yearly trip at Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, PA. Campground is usually packed with Vacationing families. This year about 40% full. Amusement Park had re-opened on July 1

Mike

[4runnerguy]

Our observations on NFS CG's here in Colorado:

In early June, things were unbelievably busy. At a lake near our cabin in southern CO, I've never seen it so busy as it was on Saturdays in early June. And I've been going there for nearly 60 years. It wasn't just campers, people were day tripping just to fish. Wall to wall people all along the shore. Reminded me of the "combat" fishing we'd seen up in Alaska on the Kenai.

In mid June, we took a week trip to the Upper Arkansas River Valley between Leadville and Salida. Arrived on a Sunday. Huge numbers of vehicles on the road travelling both directions. Campground hosts said it had been a madhouse all spring. The company they work for is a concessionaire for a number of NFS CG's in the area.

But when we left a week later, again on a Sunday, the traffic on the roads was maybe 25% of what it had been the previous Sunday. All but two of the campsites in the CG we had stayed in left that Sunday. Things were definitely quieter as we went through the towns.

Then last week it was back to the cabin. On Saturday, July 4th, we walked through one of the CG's. Of the 15 sites, 3 were still available. On a Saturday afternoon on the 4th of July weekend!

Again on Tuesday our travels took us back through Leadville, Salida, Buena Vista. Even fewer people than a week earlier.

So what we have seen was a real rush in early June. Things are now slowing down quite a bit. We have talked to others who have traveled elsewhere in CO and it seems to be a statewide trend.

I would also say that Colorado license plates represent a greater proportion of those out in the mountains than in years past. Yes, we still see out-of-state plates, but not as many as usual.

[Gjac]

I camped several times in the NFS CG's in NH, one week after memorial day w/e once June 15th and once the week before July 4th usually these CG's would have no vacancy on the w/e's but there were always sites available.

[mdcamping]

We just returned from a local trip over a extended july 4th weekend. Campground was booked solid. Everyone was quiet, respectful and kept to themself's...lots of social distancing :C

Mike

[2_Retired]

Its always been like that in most state parks in SC, particularly in the ones near any body of water! "Peak time" is even more PEAK than ever! We now live in Va, and almost nothing anywhere, public or private CG, is available on weekends. Fortunately, we are retired and can enjoy better chances for a site during the week. As land values rise along with property taxes (particularly in the Midwest and Northeast) maintaining a campground is getting too costly for many owners. Fewer parks, fewer sites. Combine that with the current interest in privacy while traveling, the RV industry is in boom! More rigs, less site availability. Yes, it is almost everywhere.

[JAC1982]

richclover wrote:
All the state park campgrounds in WY are booked full this weekend.

And, from my experience a couple of weeks ago, one will be hard pressed to find a suitable spot in the National Forest, Uinta Mountains, UT.

We have plans to stay up on the Upper Green near Green River Lakes in Asugust. I see you're in SW WY so I'm guessing you know where I'm talking about? Anyway, we were there last Labor Day weekend and week following with very few people there. Hopefully it's not too crowded this year. My Father in Law lives in Pinedale and is going to go up during the week to park their campers to "reserve" a spot for when we arrive on a Thursday.

[goducks10]

We have a favorite spot we go to several times in the summer. Went 2 weeks ago for 4 nights Mon-Fri. It was full. There's a string of 7 CG's along a river and most all were full or very close to full. Last year you could just show up on a Sun-Mon afternoon and get a decent spot. Now every site in ever CG is reserve only. Last year it was a mixed bag.
Saw plates from WA, ID, CA and TX. I'd say it's definitely more crowded. Drove up to another CG about 5 miles away and it was full as well. And this is during the week.
Not a good sign.

[JoeH]

We are in Maine now and the CG we have stayed at for the last 10 years that is normally booked solid, is maybe 10% occupied.

[richclover]

All the state park campgrounds in WY are booked full this weekend.

And, from my experience a couple of weeks ago, one will be hard pressed to find a suitable spot in the National Forest, Uinta Mountains, UT.

[mdcamping]

No one camps/rvs in my family, recently I have been getting tex messages from them asking advice for thier friends on places/rv parks to go. I don't think this would have happened a year ago.

Mike

[JAC1982]

time2roll wrote:

JAC1982 wrote:
I'm in a Facebook group for Colorado RV camping, it has over 9,000 members. Every single day there is a new member posting something along the lines of "We just bought an RV, where can we go camp". With other types of travel being ill-advised, I think this will just be the norm this summer.

Next year might be a good time for used RV deals 😉

Yup! My boss wants to buy a trailer this year (they sold theirs last year), I told her to wait until next year to get a better deal!

[wapiticountry]

monkey44 wrote:

wapiticountry wrote:

bucky wrote:

Bears Den wrote:
After weeks of trying to get a reservation at a state park in the Keys for next May, I finally got into Curry Hammock. Fortunately, we are flexible with our dates. It’s aggravating to see 8 spots open at a state park and at 8 am when you can reserve, all 8 are taken by 8:01 am.

Actually they are taken by 8:00:01 AM. There are folks out there running bots or having 15 of their friends on laptops all hitting the button the split second the window opens. Florida is constantly trying to keep it honest but it's a losing battle.
Friends that travel with us in the winter months are on their own from now on. Near impossible to get 1 site much less 2.

The only way it will ever be made close to fair is to make the deposit and the cancellation fees painful. A $10 or $20 fee stops no one. A fee equal to one night's stay isn't much more effective. Require payment in full and make the cancel fees 25% if cancelled with more than 60 days notice, 50% with between three days to 60 days notice and no refunds on either weekend or holiday reservations and that might make people think twice about reserving multiple sites in different locations on the same days or reserving multiple sets of dates so they can choose which they will use later.

And after the first night no-show, then the site is open first-come at least two days, then reservable. I'd prefer first-come, but others are less flexible so a little chance for everyone in these cases.

Yes, good point. After a first night no show the site should become available one way or the other.