Finally Common Sense in California (No Shows at Campgrounds)

[adamis]

We've all experience rhe phenomena of trying to get reservations at an extremely busy campground. Trying multiple different dates and lengths in the reservation system only to be told the campground is full by the system. You keep checking back constantly and manage to find a site that opens up at the last minute and you rush to grab it and feel quite fortunate. When you roll into the campground you check in and feel quite good that your persistence paid off to get that one lucky spot. Then, you drive around the campground headed to your spot and notice several empty sites on the way. No worries you think, those people just haven't arrived yet, they will fill up. You keep an eye on those sites as you enjoy your trip and the day you pack up you note that many of those sites stayed open even though there where reservation tags on them. Yup... No shows...

Now, most of us truck camper folks like going off grid anyway to avoid the crowds. Even with our preference to avoid the crowds, there are still times when we need to use regular campgrounds from time to time. I've had several times where plans changed and I am trying find a campground with space, only to be told there is no space available. Knowing full well that a good percentage of people are going to be no shows but I am being turned away anyway.

Someone in the California legislature has noticed this as well and proposed a bill to penalize these no show folks. This is great news for the system! There is a commitment problem within society where people just don't keep their commitments any longer. This won't solve that problem but it will ar least penalize some of them who take advantage of a lenient system at the expense of others.

https://www.rvtravel.com/finally-penalizing-shows-california-1092b/

[valhalla360]

adamis wrote:
But thirty years ago it didn't seem like campgrounds filled up anyway.

At least in Michigan State Parks, it was an issue 50yrs ago with the parks implementing rules and people figuring out ways around it.

[Buzzcut1]

she represents my District...YAY

[cptqueeg]

Pretty light punishment for "repeat offenders." On the 2nd no show in the same calendar year they should have any other reservations voided and blocked from reserving for a couple years and then only 1 reservation until they rebuilt their status.

As far as the FS building campgrounds, give them the budget and commitment to fund maintenance, staffing, and LEO's for long term and they could get it done.

[MitchF150]

In WA State, if you don't show, there is no 'penalty' as such, other than not getting any refund on your original site fees. Also, if you are a no show and do not contact the SP your site is up for grabs 24 hours after your initial res date so if you happen to drop in, you might get lucky and get that site.

I know I make my camping reservations the full 9 month ahead of time allowed and have lost them within seconds of the 7am time it's open...

Anyway, after making my reservations, if something else comes up for that weekend after the fact, I will always keep my camping date.. Well, it has to be a pretty substantial sudden event to cause me to cancel, that's for sure!

So far in the last 20+ years of dealing with the reservation system, I've only canceled one time(I did cancel and was not a 'no show' about a week ahead of time)... And we still got away for the weekend, it was just a family event thing that came up and luckily was not a death or other thing.. Just a chance to visit a family member I had not seen for a long time, but have always kept in contact with since I was a kid. Love you Aunt Francis! 🙂

Mitch

[srschang]

Harvest Host sites are the worst for no shows. For a long time there was no penalties for being a no show. The sites are free, so book up several sites for the night, and stay at the one where you end up. It was / is difficult to find an open site. At least now, after 3 no shows, they drop you as a member.

[adamis]

bigfootford wrote:
What we are discovering is that many Campgrounds from various states use a reservation website either their own or other, to offload the needs for the CG admin. No answering phones etc.

In turn the states and local county campgrounds have to reserve XX number of sites for that website reservation website.... So even if there are no one reserving from those websites reserved sites they will remain empty!

You can not just arrive at them and get an empty site.. SUCKS!

Jim

I haven't decided if registrations hurts or helps. There are times when it is nice to know you have a spot (or at least supposed to have) you can count on. But thirty years ago it didn't seem like campgrounds filled up anyway.

The downfall is spontaneity is no longer a thing you can just do anymore and access to open areas is getting closed more and more. On our summer road trip a couple of years ago, there was a fantastic county park near Carnation Washington that I had stayed in previously by myself. I hyped it up to the travel worn family and when we arrived, I was estatic that there were several sites available. I pulled in to one and went to the registration kiosk to reserve the site, only to find out that the kiosk had been removed. Yup, you had to reserve online and get this, you had to reserve at least 7 days in advance. Even though the spot we had was open, we were literally forced out of it and ended up at the KOA in Tacoma.

It seems that as the Forest Service has aged, it no longer is aggressively building new campgrounds but rather expanding existing campgrounds and packing more people into tighter spaces. The quality of the camping experience in these mega campgrounds has gone down as more people seem to think that they are doing a community service by sharing their music with everyone else and the fire pits are less than 20 feet away.

My ideal system would be a mix I think. Maybe 2/3rds of the sites would be reserved via online but the other third would remain open for drive up visits. I would also want to see a LOT more campgrounds opened up with clear effort to offer some space between sites. I like being neighborly with my fellow campers but I don't want to be 10 feet away from them.

[Durb]

I hope the no-show fees are hefty; maybe a couple of hundred dollars. I also hope other states will catch on and force people to quit gaming the system to the detriment of us that keep their commitments and follow through with a reservation. There are families that don't go camping because they can't get a reservation into an empty campground.

[monkey44]

The unfortunate part of most reservation systems -- even if you want an open site for one night while traveling, the reservation fee still applies. That means the campsite is more expensive overall and often leaves one or more empty that would otherwise generate revenue.

We've seen a lot of empty campsites - state and NPS - over the past few years even when the CG says full.

When we think about senior and veteran and disabled discounts, then paying the reservation fee for one night nearly clears the discount for those that earned or qualify for the discounts.

[bigfootford]

What we are discovering is that many Campgrounds from various states use a reservation website either their own or other, to offload the needs for the CG admin. No answering phones etc.

In turn the states and local county campgrounds have to reserve XX number of sites for that website reservation website.... So even if there are no one reserving from those websites reserved sites they will remain empty!

You can not just arrive at them and get an empty site.. SUCKS!

Jim