Grand Haven Michigan State Park IMPOSSIBLE to Reserve

[Rockwoody]

Has anyone else noticed that you cannot get a site at this park 6-months or less in advance for the summer? I swear, every time I try and get a site at the exact time I'm able to reserve the 6-months in advanced, they are gone at that exact nano-second! Impossible!

Has me thinking there is something else at play here, like some underground reservation system that this Ohioan doesn't know about!

[michigansandzil]

I feel your pain. It can be impossible to get into some parks. Why? Because they're awesome and everyone wants to go there, it's that simple. Even if someone changes their reservation, another person takes it immediately. You won't see a popular campground like that with empty sites, they're too popular. People complain about "cheating" etc to get a reservation. The problem is supply and demand. Too many people want too few sites. If people stop altering their reservations and only book for the exact days they want, not much will change. There will still be a ton of people complaining they didn't get a site.

I managed to get a site at Assateague island in Maryland this summer, (I think practicing with Michigan state parks gave me skills to get the site..... ok it was probably just luck!) I like how they do their reservations. They open booking for an entire month at a time. All sites for the whole month were gone in a minute, but it prevents anyone really from over booking. You take what you can get. Good and bad with that just like Michigan park system. No system is perfect.

[deereone]

deleted above poster said it all.

[GordonThree]

chevor wrote:
Sounds like they should charge more and a down payment for a reservation.

You pay for the entire res up front, plus a reservation fee.

They need to make the res non refundable like some other online systems, that'd cut down on the cheaters I'd think. Then again, maybe not. Even $30-35 a night for 14 nights is much less than a motel room on the beach would cost during peak season.

To the Original Poster: Have you looked at Hoffmaster? It's only a few miles fron Grand Haven, and much more park-like rather than parking-lot in the sand like Grand Haven.

[deereone]

I think most all of the more popular State parks in Michigan are this way. Algonac state park on the east side of the state is near impossible to reserve more 5 days in a row. However in that park there are a number of non-reserve-able sites that can work. But you have to take a chance and go there ready to camp and then be lucky enough one is open. If your lucky you can stay the 15 days.

[chevor]

Sounds like they should charge more and a down payment for a reservation.

[sch911]

You have to be quick for some of these parks. Are you trying exactly 6 mo ahead? At 12:01 AM? Also there are those "cheaters" who will reserve a two week block, two weeks ahead of the planned weekend, and then cancel everything but the weekend originally wanted...