Camping with no reservations

[monkey44]

We've been camping for over fifty years. Never make reservations and have always found a site when we need it. We usually spend only a few days in each, visit the sights and move on ... state to state across the USA. We camp in the shoulder seasons, not summer, and for several months each trip depending on weather. We live in Florida at the moment, and our trips usually cross country, sometimes south, sometimes north.
We are in a truck camper, and tow nothing.

As a general statement, would those of you camping now or in the next couple months think we can continue this type camping, with no reservations and still find spots here and there as we have been in the past? We generally use NPS, State Parks, COE, but are not immune to use private for a night or two, but not resort type CGs, we are just two, all kids are adults and no longer accompany us.

We know the virus has impacted camping, but are just looking for general "Fullness" of campgrounds, and the potential for one or two nights patched in as we travel.

[bikendan]

garmp wrote:

rvshrinker wrote:
Also if you don't have cell service, you can't make a reservation. We ended up in a WM this summer after calling a cg to make a reservation and leaving a VM.

OK> You got me. Maybe I'm slower today than normal, but lyou ended up in a WM? (Waste Management)? Please enlighten me.

WM- Wal-Mart

[garmp]

rvshrinker wrote:
Also if you don't have cell service, you can't make a reservation. We ended up in a WM this summer after calling a cg to make a reservation and leaving a VM.

OK> You got me. Maybe I'm slower today than normal, but lyou ended up in a WM? (Waste Management)? Please enlighten me.

[monkey44]

New England, no worries, we're heading to the central west states, UTAH, CO, Wy, Dakotas. Open air and lots of non-resort type CG. We like NF, NP, St Pk, COE, as first choice. Sometimes an off-beaten-track private ... which are usually quite different and interesting folks.

[agesilaus]

Good luck finding anything decent in a preferred area in New England without reservations

Two reasons we rarely visit those states.

First they contain the worst COVID hotspots and have insane governors.

Secondly: it is for the most part a solid city from Philly to Boston and we prefer scenic rural areas.

We did one trip mainly to see DC and the other historic US History areas for the kids and to complete their lower 48 states visited. But that was enough with the possible exception of NH, VT, and Maine possibly upstate NY and PA.

I was born in NJ and happily escaped.

[mdcamping]

Trekkar wrote:

agesilaus wrote:

You have everything to gain and nothing to loose by making reservations ahead and you avoid the possible frustrations and worry about finding an RV site every day.

I don't agree with that, calling to change or cancel reservations is a PITA for all concerned. Unless it is a NP, SP or other high use area we didn't find reservations to be required or desirable. We had zero problems getting spots in COE parks unless it was the weekend when the locals swarm the parks. We even made a reservation online at our last COE park sitting in front of the check in booth window. Having a reliable hotspot makes all this much easier.

We went thru FL, AL, GA, TN, AR, OK, NM, CO, UT, ID, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS, and MS. And camped in every one except UT. Obviously certain states are verboten and to be avoided: NM, the left coast, all of New England and the Mid Atlantic states. We cut thru the corner of NM before the governor clamped down again.

X2. Reservations are for sissies!;)

Good luck finding anything decent in a preferred area in New England without reservations 😉

Mike

[rvshrinker]

Weekdays should be fine. Weekends could be tougher depending on location. We weren't able to camp this weekend because as of Wednesday I couldn't find a reservable spot within 200 miles. Summer weekends in the PNW. Only first come first serve and with a Friday afternoon arrival I got nervous. Not saying you wouldn't find something, but it could be work. Course with a TC it's pretty easy to just pull over on some FS logging road. But that doesn't work for our size TT.

Also if you don't have cell service, you can't make a reservation. We ended up in a WM this summer after calling a cg to make a reservation and leaving a VM. We lost service after that so never got their call to call back and confirm one of their last spots. By the time we showed up they were full.

[garmp]

MarkTwain: :B US to!

[agesilaus]

COE cg are the same but as I noted above, if you have a hotspot you can make a reservation while sitting at the check in window, for that day too.

[JAC1982]

Sjm9911 wrote:
Just as an example this is off the NY state campground site. "New York State Parks 2020 

New York State Park campsites, cabins, cottages and yurts are currently open to existing and new reservations. Online reservations are encouraged. No walk-ins or same-day reservations will be permitted. "

So you can't get into a site without a resevation. Even if your not a sissy.

This doesn't apply to private places. But , as stated, depends on where you want to go.

They've done that at Colorado State Parks as well. Must have a reservation. There is now a Facebook group dedicated to "selling" your campsite if you can't make it. Thankfully most people just "sell" them for what they paid, but I could see it becoming like concert tickets with scalpers if things continue.

[Sjm9911]

Just as an example this is off the NY state campground site. "New York State Parks 2020 

New York State Park campsites, cabins, cottages and yurts are currently open to existing and new reservations. Online reservations are encouraged. No walk-ins or same-day reservations will be permitted. "

So you can't get into a site without a resevation. Even if your not a sissy.

This doesn't apply to private places. But , as stated, depends on where you want to go.

[JAC1982]

When you can only travel on your days off from work, reservations aren't necessarily for "sissies". We are getting ready to head out on a 430 mile one way trip here next weekend. We will be boondocking, but thankfully it's not in a super popular spot and my father in law is going up before the weekend to drop a trailer where we want to be.

I get a lot of vacation time with work, but it would really stink for someone who only gets 2 weeks, and then they can't find a spot after traveling for hours. Especially if they have kids.

[goducks10]

With Covid affecting RV travel, it might be harder to just wing it in some places. We have in the past made reservations for the 1st leg of a trip where we have a destination. After that we wing it on the way home. Never had an issue finding places to stay. In fact last year we stayed at an RV park we would've never stayed at had we not been just meandering back home.
Oregon's CG's are almost all reservation inclusive. Makes it hard to just show up on any given day as most are no walk ins allowed. That and most all are full everyday so finding a spot large enough is also harder.
Hopefully when this Covid things over in Nov we can get back to normal.;)

[CFerguson]

Off peak, no problem. As mentioned in another thread, we usually just call enroute or the day before at most. But we dont do national/state parks or touristy areas in peak seasons either. We also prefer private CGs fwiw.

That said, during summer we occasionally will leave a CG after a few days or have to swap sites if things get crowded. No biggie. Never have had to overnight at a truck stop/WM/side of road.

It really comes down to when and how you travel and what you are comfortable with. Everyones different.

[Trekkar]

agesilaus wrote:

You have everything to gain and nothing to loose by making reservations ahead and you avoid the possible frustrations and worry about finding an RV site every day.

I don't agree with that, calling to change or cancel reservations is a PITA for all concerned. Unless it is a NP, SP or other high use area we didn't find reservations to be required or desirable. We had zero problems getting spots in COE parks unless it was the weekend when the locals swarm the parks. We even made a reservation online at our last COE park sitting in front of the check in booth window. Having a reliable hotspot makes all this much easier.

We went thru FL, AL, GA, TN, AR, OK, NM, CO, UT, ID, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS, and MS. And camped in every one except UT. Obviously certain states are verboten and to be avoided: NM, the left coast, all of New England and the Mid Atlantic states. We cut thru the corner of NM before the governor clamped down again.

X2. Reservations are for sissies!;)