Forest Service Campground - First Come, First Serve & hosts

[WhitehouseLV]

went up the mountain to Sibley Lake Campground in Bighorn National Forest to see if there any sites available because on Recreation.gov they have a few sites that are listed as First-come, First-serve.

Most as expected were full, except for one site. The site number matched the First-come, First-serve site on Recreation.gov but the issue was that it was open tonight, but reserved tomorrow. This is supposed to be a first-come, first-serve site :h

The campground host said it was an administrative decision.

Are they allowed to do that?

Seems to me they are using their position/power to reserve a site that isn't supposed to be reservable?

Anyway, I didn't make a big scene because frankly I wasn't sure what all they're allowed to do and not allowed to do. Had it been a true first-come, first-serve site my son & would have stayed and spent a few nights with the rest of the family joining us in a few days.

[teejaywhy]

WhitehouseLV wrote:

cptqueeg wrote:
Locals here become friends w the hosts at non-reserved FS campgrounds so they get a call when something opens. The host typically puts the lawn chairs out to hold the spot until the camper shows up.

sounds like a good approach

Sounds like lack of ethics.

[bobsallyh]

monkey44, we do the FS camps also. Love the first come, first serve. We might take 2 days, then re-up for more days, can't do that with reservations. Or smoke and fire get bad, we can bail, not lose money. Another thing is that a lot of FS camps is there is no wifi or internet available. So that means the host must travel somewhere to pick up the reservations or someone must deliver the info to the host. We have been in a couple FS camps that had that very problem. A real cluster. Use the KISS theory. And be flexible.

[monkey44]

azdryheat wrote:
First come - first served is a terrible way to operate a campground. If I'm gonna drive all day I want some assurance I will have a place to park at the end of the day.

Then you need a reservation before you go, or don't drive all that way. Some folks like free-travel camping. We like FCFS. Should be some of each for everyone who camps.

[azdryheat]

First come - first served is a terrible way to operate a campground. If I'm gonna drive all day I want some assurance I will have a place to park at the end of the day.

[mockturtle]

First COME first served should mean just that.

[WhitehouseLV]

mockturtle wrote:

Home field advantage. It seems a little selfish to me.

Me, too! 😞

I agree! shouldn't be like that

[monkey44]

Some people get a little power or responsibility, they use it irresponsibly. THEN, we campers wonder - or maybe not wonder - why the system does not work as designed.

[mockturtle]

Home field advantage. It seems a little selfish to me.

Me, too! 😞

[monkey44]

Yup. Tough enough to get a FCFS campground anywhere without someone taking advantage. Selfish is right the word.

[cptqueeg]

WhitehouseLV wrote:

cptqueeg wrote:
Locals here become friends w the hosts at non-reserved FS campgrounds so they get a call when something opens. The host typically puts the lawn chairs out to hold the spot until the camper shows up.

sounds like a good approach

Home field advantage. It seems a little selfish to me.

[bobsallyh]

Pitch and Profdant both bring up excellent situations.
Pitch, don't feel "but" or "bad". I absolutely hate when double dipping happens on campsites. The All American Greed Factor.

We always try to put the tag etc. in a baggie just in case. Also, we don't have the problem because our fiver is sitting in the site, but always recommend to tent campers, van dwellers etc. always let something sit on the site and make sure your occupancy tag is where it is supposed to be.

[profdant139]

pitch, we had the opposite experience in Great Basin Nat Park. On a rainy day (key fact), we spotted a totally vacant site that was first come, first served. We set up our trailer.

After a half hour of work, a guy shows up in a panel truck, claiming that this was his site! It turns out that he had posted his little ticket stub on the stake in front of the campsite but that the rain had washed it off the stake and onto the ground. When we found it, there was his name and date.

He had failed to leave any evidence of occupation in his site -- when we asked him why, he told us that he had no excess possessions and had to pack everything up when he drove his truck from the campsite to the visitors' center.

So we had to leave. Moral of the story: even if you think the site is vacant, check carefully for those ticket stubs!!

[pitch]

We were in California, don't remember where. Looking for a spot. Campground had plenty vacant sites. We called for reservation headquarters said no vacancy. Checked with camp host,He pointed to an empty site said that is in use for a week but the people packed up go ahead. We set up fully expecting an outraged camper to show up in the middle of the night. Nope, stayed three quiet days.
Did not pay either. Host said thesite was paid in full and the system would not accept payment on an occupied site. Felt a bit guilty but?

[Yosemite_Sam1]

Ivylog wrote:
We are headed West next week and stay mainly in first come CGs. Should be interesting with the reports of 30%+ increase in activity this summer.

Ditto in July to Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonland where campgrounds are mostly first-come-first-serrve.. Also with reports of congestions.

Would appreciate updates and experiences from those who'll be swinging by that way ahead of us.

[profdant139]

A very similar thing happened to us at Difficult Campground (really!) near Aspen, a few years ago. We didn't fight it or put up a fuss -- life is too short. But it is annoying, that's for sure.