Campground Logic is there any thought into assigning sites?

[LaPlaya]

I need to rant a bit... if you dont mind.

Where is the logic in a campgrounds method of assigning sites... We are two adults in our early 60's no kids no pets. This campground is virtually empty, we have had 4 sites on each side of us empty for several days, until now... a young family of 6 just backed in beside us in a pop up trailer, 2 adults 4 kids somewhere under 10 years of age and a big german sheppard dog that barks at everything that moves.. a hundred empty sites in this campground and they are assigned right next to us... so much for our peace and quiet. Yes we could pack up and move, but we have been here a week now and are kind of settled in to our site. ok, rant over.

[Pops]

The main reason I prefer Nat Pks, Nat Forests, COEs, St Pks: If a camper is in the next site, it is still far enough away to have your space/privacy. And the price is cheaper as a bonus.

[Naio]

I grew up tent camping and boondocking west of the rockies, where the unwritten rule is that you ALWAYS set up as far from anyone else as possible. This idea that some campers might prefer to be right next to strangers is completely new to me!

[TOOBOLD]

Maybe the family requested that site?

[jkmcmom]

Just back from 2 months travel. Traveled from GA to NM and back. Visited a # of different cgs. After reading the posts here I will now be more diligent in looking at cg maps at check-in & have added more questions to ask. We were in one park with 200+ sites. It was mid-week - they were not booked solid. They do have a # of permanents or locals who like to have their spot. So, we are assigned a spot right next to a permanent camper. There were 6 empty spaces on the other side of us. The couple traveling with us were assigned a spot that was so out of level if they had pulled into it, they would have gotten stuck. Luckily, one of the workers came by & radioed the office for another spot assignment. Have almost everything out of the rig & already wondering where we will go next. And I'll be ready for check-in now!

[Doug33]

This sounds similar to tables at a restaurant - inevitably we get placed next to a table with small crying kids when there are dozens of empty tables in other areas of the restaurant.

[Jim_Shoe]

I discuss it with the CG owner/manager when I check in. It doesn't matter to me where they put me because I'm either gone all day or sleeping, but I realize that other people have their favorites. I tell them up front that I don't need to be near the pool, playground or dog walking area. If that's all that's available, its still OK with me. I do, however want a pull thru, relatively level site. Most CG managers don't have a ROM module installed. (Read Operator's Mind).
If you don't speak up and its time to mow, I'd put everybody in the same area to make the mowing easier.

[tpi]

I was at a county campground in so. CA. where I was assigned a spot in a cluster of other campers. Large stretches of the campground were empty. These are small spots with little or no vegetation or separation.

The assignment must be made either for convenience of maintenance, or to simply work down a list of site numbers as people trickle in. It would be best if they assigned every other space in the tight campground when possible.

Good thing is on a second visit, armed with the campground map, I can usually work out a much better site.

[TexasShadow]

DH likes walking around and stopping to visit here and there. I prefer the quiet and solitude. I'm not against visiting or sharing a meal with a small group, but I don't seek it out for myself.

[atreis]

Different people want different things while camping. (I want to be alone with my family.)

I like to be able to pick my site, even when I've never been to the campground. Criteria include things like tree cover (Google Maps comes in handy for this) remoteness, loops vs. roads (low traffic loops are better for kids), size, proximity to water, sometimes proximity to bathhouse for overnights, steepness of hills (for kids biking), etc... On those rare occasions when we stay somewhere where we're assigned a site, they rarely take any of these things into consideration. They just base it on the size of my rig and what hookups I require (usually none).

[LaPlaya]

Well the neighbors with 4 kids and a dog are tolerable .... but I chose this site to be away from the playground and the traffic routes to the washrooms etc... The front office did offer to move me and offered no reasoning why they placed a family of 6 and a dog right next to me when there is 80% vacancy in this park. Call me snobbish hehehe, but really I just want to socialize with like minded elderly couples like myself, not 20 somethings with 4 kids and a dog...
They have their picnic table up tight to my drivers side slideout... I had to ask them to move it away a bit so I could get into one of my basement bays earlier. I keep the blinds pulled down along that side of my motorhome and ignore them except to say hi as I go for my walks.

[sfd4sew]

Its amazing that so many campers come to this site to network and share stories, and ask for advice from other campers, but it seens that when it comes to camping they dont want to be social anymore. Half the fun of going to CG's is meeting different people and sharing experiences. Having said that, I do understand if you get those rowdy neighbors or the ones that dont watch their kids or correct them when they run into your site (experienced that just last weekend). I have 2 kids and a dog and we keep them in our site. I like to relax when camping, so I do and I dont let the little stuff bother me, if I have neighbors I say hello and even offer to help back them in if im not doing anything when they arrive. I have always found fellow campers to be very friendly and I like the change of attitude from normal every day life.

[kgarrett9999]

Last year, we pulled into a National Forest campground that had only one other occupant in about 20 campsites. Of course the occupied site was the best in the campground due to proximity to the river and being at the end with no other neighbors beyond the site, etc, but we chose a site that was away from the existing campers. The other campers actually left later that day and we considered moving, but decided not to bother. The next morning we returned from a sight seeing trip to find a tent setup 10 feet from our travel trailer amongst 20 empty campsites including the one that we considered the best in the campground. He told us it was the most level spot he could find for his tent.
Point is everyone seems to have different criteria for selecting a campsite.
Nowadays, my wife requests that I book sites close to the camp restroom, to minimize the odor in our own bathroom.

[beemerphile1]

TenOC wrote:
I would go to the office and ask the same question. You may learn something.

I asked that very question once after being directed to a site next to another camper in a 20% occupied campground. The office worker happily changed my site but told me that most people like to camp next to other campers.

[Tvov]

When calling for reservations, we've always asked about sites and good spots. When we camped with young kids, we always asked for sites near (or next to!) swingsets, pools, etc. Memorial Day weekend, we camped with a rowdy group right in the middle of everything (YES, we were with THAT group!). Now that it is usually just wife and I, we scour campground maps for those out of the way sites, NOT next to pathways for the bathrooms.

Even with state parks that use Reserve America online reservations, we will still call the Ranger office and ask them about sites. At some of the lesser used parks, the Rangers are bored to tears and LOVE when people call! lol

Now, having said all that, in answer to the original posters question - "why do campgrounds assign sites that way?" ----- I have no idea. I would go with kcmoedoe's post, seems to cover it.