State Parks

austinjenna wrote:

I checked Ohio State Parks and they state "If you don’t arrive for a reservation and if you don’t contact the park to cancel, you will forfeit all fees paid."

So, if you are staying at your state parks, you do stay at campgrounds with a requirement to show up on the first day.

Sorry that is not what that means that there is a requirement to show up on the first day. What it means is if you don't show up and didn't cancel the reservation you wont get any money back.

Sorry, I added "on the first day" by mistake, you are right it is show up at any point during your reservation period or you forfeit. So you do have an occupancy rule - it's just not as stringent as others.

It may be that Ohio doesn't have a big problem with no shows or folks gaming the system. It may be the dnr doesn't care about no shows and folks don't complain about it.

But some states have a huge issue with it. They may have 40+% of reserved sites sit empty while people are calling complaining that they can never get a campsite. When that happens, the state tends to establish rules to minimize those issues.

I don't think anyone is saying ALL campgrounds have the same "must occupy the first night" rule and heavy penalties for no shows. But when more people are getting turned away from a campground than are camping, then these rules level the playing field.

I know with the national forest campgrounds, if its off season or there are other available sites, they won't necessarily forfeit your reservation.

I had a reservation for a campssite. On my way there, the gps gave me bad instructions. I ended up in an area with no cell service or satelite access. It got dark and I didn't trust the gps to get me out of there. I parked next to a small lake for the night. The next day, I got lucky - a federal worker had come out to grade the roads. He gave me directions out (and he confirmed the gps was sending me on an impassible route).

I fully expected my campsite to have been forfeited. I hoped there would be another site available for at least a day or two. When I arrived, my site was still reserved to me. There were also other available sites. So I lucked out. But I wouldn't have been mad if my site was gone. I didn't show on the first day and I didn't call.

Now, I carry paper maps so I can verify the gps or find my own route if the gps goes nuts again.