CA state parks recently opened back up, so I hightailed it back to one of my favorites. Every site in this park is reservable, including the no-hookup ones (grr), so I checked the reservation board daily until day of arrival. I really don't want to reserve ahead of time because I'm a long rig, and if there are campers across the street I can't back into a site.I got all set up, paid cash for a couple nights (reservations must be 3 days out) then went online to reserve for another 12 days. Sure enough, someone had reserved my site, for ONE night. This is by no means a busy crowded park, there must be 40 other sites that are not reserved. Just my luck. Now the rangers come around warning me that I may have to move if the person insists on taking my site for a night. My reply was that I will bargain with them and gladly reimburse them for their payment, and a bit more for their understanding. I can't imagine anyone being so unreasonable as to insist I move for one night. It's not like this park is full.. unreserved spaces are everywhere, including right around me. I think I did my due diligence and just had a spat of bad luck. Many times one-night reservations don't even show up.I wish CA would consider that not every campsite has to be reservable. Leave some open for FCFS. At least that's how I would run it.

What do you do if someone moves into the campsite across the way while you're camping--can you pull out with them there? And, if so, how is it that you cannot back in with them there? (And, if not, isn't it slightly hypocritical to expect them to move temporarily so you can leave, but not expect that you need to move temporarily when someone who has a reservation for the site you're using shows up?)I can, at least to some extent, understand the desire to have some first-come, first-serve, nonreservable sites. However, given that they've done away with them, it really seems that the best way to ensure you don't have to move in the middle of your stay is to make a reservation--especially as that's really the main purpose of having a reservation, guaranteeing you a (particular) site.While there's no harm in asking the party who's reserved your site if they'd be willing to move, I don't think it's the least bit unreasonable for them to expect that they will get the specific site they reserved, even if there are plenty of other open sites. I know I sometimes have particular reasons for reserving a particular site (rather than just choosing one that fits more or less at random).

DrewE wrote:What do you do if someone moves into the campsite across the way while you're camping--can you pull out with them there? I don't think it's the least bit unreasonable for them to expect that they will get the specific site they reserved, even if there are plenty of other open sites).Pulling out is easy.. one move. Backing in, not so much. It's not that tight, it's perhaps my mediocre backing skills. I hardly think I'd be asking someone to move a trailer out for me. A truck, sure, I've had people offer to do that quite frequently.We'll see if they even show up, and if some extra cash helps solve this little problem. If this was a several day stay, I'd be moving no problem. But one night? I hope they get here soon so I can quit fretting about it.

I agree with DrewE. We have lots of spots that we favor in various state parks and try to get them when we reserve.For what it is worth: Before we book a site we almost always check to see if there is any problem backing into it with some one in the site opposite us. You can usually do this on Google earth, if the park can't tell youGuy

Guy Roan wrote: We have lots of spots that we favor in various state parks and try to get them when we reservuyFor one night?

I always liked seeing some FCFS sites at some of my favorite campgrounds. It didn't take long for people to find a work around the system, or worse yet, a city park operator, allowing huge discounts to first comers wanting to spend the entire Summer. So in this park, with 15 FCFS, they are filled till about Oct 1st.I enjoy the SPs, but things have changed there over the years, as camping popularity increased. Many SPs in my area have sites reserved from Thursday through Sunday night. In many cases no one comes Thursday, but show up Friday after lunch, and not stay Sunday night, but leave early Sunday evening.Likely won't get better anytime soon. Things change, over time, and not always for the best!2oldman...hope your stay works out for you! :)Jerry

Reservation blues - UPDATED | Good Sam Community

CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Feb 25, 2021
dieseltruckdriver wrote:
CavemanCharlie wrote:
In MN State Parks all spots are reserveable 120 days out for up to 2 weeks at a time. Same day reservations are also accepted. So if I want a certain spot I reserve it 120 days before hand. The system is purdy easy to navigate.

Iowa and SD State Parks are 90 days out but have some first come first serve spots.

Some of the county parks are I frequent are all first come first serve spots with a 7 day maximum. But, some people, at my favorite park, break that rule and stay there longer. Sometimes much longer. I hate to be a rat but, if the park is crowded this summer I might start turning people in for that.

Just FYI, there are not many first come first serve sites at SD state parks. There are a handful of campgrounds that are, but not many. At every campground I have been to, if a campground is on the reservation system, the whole campground is reserve only. County and city parks are a different story.

Your right, me bad, I should have said that just Iowa parks have some first come first, serve sites. I shouldn't have included SD in that part of the sentence.
2oldman
Explorer II
Feb 22, 2021
The fun isn't over yet. The sewage systems backed up and they closed one of the 3 bathrooms. One hasn't worked in years, and another is open. They also closed the 4 hookup sites, and kicked someone out who had a long reservation. They are turning away new dry campers for now, but there's no notice on the website nor at the guard shack. Beats me why they do that.. just don't use the bathrooms. Must be some legal thing.

This always seems to happen after a weekend, where I suspect people put things in the toilet they aren't supposed to. That's a guess.. I don't know what the problem is. They threatened to evict everyone, but since I'm self-contained with a long reservation, I get to stay...for now.

This is a beautiful place but it's old and they do have their share of problems.
dieseltruckdriv
Explorer II
Feb 21, 2021
CavemanCharlie wrote:
In MN State Parks all spots are reserveable 120 days out for up to 2 weeks at a time. Same day reservations are also accepted. So if I want a certain spot I reserve it 120 days before hand. The system is purdy easy to navigate.

Iowa and SD State Parks are 90 days out but have some first come first serve spots.

Some of the county parks are I frequent are all first come first serve spots with a 7 day maximum. But, some people, at my favorite park, break that rule and stay there longer. Sometimes much longer. I hate to be a rat but, if the park is crowded this summer I might start turning people in for that.

Just FYI, there are not many first come first serve sites at SD state parks. There are a handful of campgrounds that are, but not many. At every campground I have been to, if a campground is on the reservation system, the whole campground is reserve only. County and city parks are a different story.
BarabooBob
Explorer III
Feb 21, 2021
We once stayed at Peninsula State Park in Door County Wisconsin, due to it being a spur of the moment decision to take the trip, we ended up moving three times during the week that we were there. We even had to leave our TT in a parking lot next to their maintenance building for 8 hours because we wanted to get an early start to our day and didn;t want to wait for that night's site to get vacated. We are easy going and just go with the flow.

Edit-We had to move twice, used three sites during the week.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Feb 21, 2021
In MN State Parks all spots are reserveable 120 days out for up to 2 weeks at a time. Same day reservations are also accepted. So if I want a certain spot I reserve it 120 days before hand. The system is purdy easy to navigate.

Iowa and SD State Parks are 90 days out but have some first come first serve spots.

Some of the county parks are I frequent are all first come first serve spots with a 7 day maximum. But, some people, at my favorite park, break that rule and stay there longer. Sometimes much longer. I hate to be a rat but, if the park is crowded this summer I might start turning people in for that.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Feb 21, 2021
Understand the frustration, sort of, but as professional RVers, as many are here, it should be evident that if you need reservations, you need reservations and there is no preference based on age, ability or otherwise.
Glad it worked out, but I also wouldn’t expect the park employee to care about or try to negotiate the “deal” you proposed.

Think about changing your habits. The ability to “wing it” based on what you think you know, is not guaranteed.
Sjm9911
Explorer
Feb 21, 2021
I would have booked another site just in case someone came. My luck the whole park would be booked that day, lol. Yea its weird, but i do book day only sites when traveling, and really dont care where i am. But if approched by someone else to take another site, it would be a bit weird and i may not do it because i am generally distrusting of others.
MFL
Nomad II
Feb 21, 2021
Thanks for the UPDATE! I am glad it worked out like it did, but would think most folks would be understanding, and would have changed their site.

Jerry
2oldman
Explorer II
Feb 21, 2021
SDcampowneroperator wrote:
why didnt OP reserve it for the whole 14 days to begin with?
I already explained that.
2oldman
Explorer II
Feb 21, 2021
Seon wrote:
This thread inspired me to book a weekend space at a CA State campground. Went on a reservation site but dummy me booked at a wrong campground :S .
LOL. It's not an easy site to navigate.

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