Making Campsite Reservations

[wavery]

"The problem I run into with ReserveAmerica is, half the time, they show booked up, or nothing available, but if/when you get there, there are tons of empty sites."

I think that the problem is more the irresponsible people that make the reservations then don't cancel when they can't make it. He can also choose to show-up late. Sometimes, people will book a site for 5 days, then only use it for 2 or 3 days.

Once a person makes a reservation for a campsite, it's his. He can chose to leave it empty if he wants and that happens A LOT.

I have been in beach campgrounds and not able to get a beach front site. I sit in a site across the road from the beach and stare at an empty campsite, all weekend. I've gone up and inquired and found that the site was booked. They don't dare give it away because as sure as they do, the person that booked it will show-up.

I know that it's irritating but I don't know how they can resolve the problem.

[AustinBoston]

I think that the problem is more the irresponsible people that make the reservations then don't cancel when they can't make it. He can also choose to show-up late. Sometimes, people will book a site for 5 days, then only use it for 2 or 3 days.

Once a person makes a reservation for a campsite, it's his. He can chose to leave it empty if he wants and that happens A LOT.

I have been in beach campgrounds and not able to get a beach front site. I sit in a site across the road from the beach and stare at an empty campsite, all weekend. I've gone up and inquired and found that the site was booked. They don't dare give it away because as sure as they do, the person that booked it will show-up.

I know that it's irritating but I don't know how they can resolve the problem.

This is a problem, but some states have taken it on.  In a few states, if you reserve, but don't use, you can be fined.  If you park, but don't camp, you can be fined.  

Minnesota does something like this with first-come, first serve sites.  People were taking their camper to get a FC/FS site on Thursday, but only staying on the site for Fri & Sat night, so Friday AM all the FC/FS sites are taken.  Now, if you don't sleep on the site (and get caught), you can be fined.

I don't know if this is true at all MN parks or just the rules at certain MN parks, and I don't know the size of the fine.  I found no mention of it on the MN state parks website.

I know one time when we wanted a FC/FS site at MN's William O'Brien State Park on a very popular weekend, we dragged the camper there on Thursday PM, and (wisely) left my 21 YO daughter there for the night.  (She was looking forward to the solitude, and I knew of the rule.  PJay and I had to work, and DS had school.).  A park ranger saw no van there and stopped at about 10 PM to check things out.  DD spent the night, so we were OK. ;-)

Austin

[dthurk]

Once a person makes a reservation for a campsite, it's his. He can chose to leave it empty if he wants and that happens A LOT.
 
 I know that it's irritating but I don't know how they can resolve the problem.

Simple solution.  If you haven't checked in by a set hour, say 9 AM the next morning for a mutli night reservation, you loose the reservation.  Campground bills out one night on the reservation, then lets the site go to whoever wants it.  If the reservation saunters in a day or two later, too bad.  Many motels and hotels work this system, and it works well.

[wavery]

Simple solution.  If you haven't checked in by a set hour, say 9 AM the next morning for a mutli night reservation, you loose the reservation.  Campground bills out one night on the reservation, then lets the site go to whoever wants it.  If the reservation saunters in a day or two later, too bad.  Many motels and hotels work this system, and it works well.

That solution may not be as simple as one might think. There could be many reasons that an RV may not be able to leave one campsite and travel to another in the time that they planned on 6 months in advance. There could be break downs, health issues or any number of things that could cause someone to show up late.

I know that if I booked my CGs 6 months ahead of time, in planning a long trip, I would not be a happy camper if I showed up a day late for a site that I paid multiple days for and found it occupied. I would think that this is not an uncommon problem.

If the CG gives your site to another camper and you show up, who should get the site......the person that made no reservations and just showed up and got a site........or the guy that booked the site 6 months in advance and showed up a day late because of unforeseen circumstances? I wouldn't want to have the job of sorting out that mess.

[chip]

My reservation confirmation message from the Delaware (and Maryland) reservation system (ReserveWorld) states:

"In the case of a late arrival 24 hours or more please notify the park at XXX-XXX-XXXX or your reservation may be cancelled. ..."

Note that it says "..may be cancelled."  I think that will be at the discretion of the park ranger ultimately, and rightfully so.  I have seen sites go unoccupied for the duration of my stay with a "Reserved" tag on the post.  But the camp is usually not at capacity at that point, either.  

If you are unable to make your reservation, but plan on (or have to be) arriving late, a simple phone call will, or should, retain your site.  If you don't call, and your site is given to another camper, well, maybe you should have called.  Stuff happens, but communication is easy these days.

Even hotels will hold a reservation if you call and advise that you will be arriving later than expected.  You may be charged for the room, but you will still have a place to sleep.

[ForestCreature]

This message is in the cancellation policy for MI parks
 

If not arriving as scheduled, but still wish to camp, call the park on scheduled date of arrival. If late and you fail to call, your reservation will be no showed resulting in forfeiture of total amount paid.
                                                                        

Plus to help curb the reservation abuse by some

Cancellations made up to close of business the day prior to your scheduled arrival date will incur the $10 cancellation fee. If you cancel on your day of arrival or later, you forfeit the first night's camp fee as well as $10 cancellation and $8 reservation fee.

Those fees really suck for those who cancel for legit reasons and not just trying to get around the system for holidays by overbooking or early booking their stay to get the site.

So far Michigans reservation system has been pretty good.
Can't agree with some of the fees, but it got me my favorite local site for Mothers Day weekend.

[AustinBoston]

That solution may not be as simple as one might think. There could be many reasons that an RV may not be able to leave one campsite and travel to another in the time that they planned on 6 months in advance. There could be break downs, health issues or any number of things that could cause someone to show up late.

I know that if I booked my CGs 6 months ahead of time, in planning a long trip, I would not be a happy camper if I showed up a day late for a site that I paid multiple days for and found it occupied. I would think that this is not an uncommon problem.

If the CG gives your site to another camper and you show up, who should get the site......the person that made no reservations and just showed up and got a site........or the guy that booked the site 6 months in advance and showed up a day late because of unforeseen circumstances? I wouldn't want to have the job of sorting out that mess.

Not a mess at all.  We made a hotel reservation once, and were told..."We will not hold your reservation past six PM" There was a special event in town which we were not a part of.) There was considerable exchange, but that was their hard and fast declaration.  We were a few minutes late, and called at 5:45.  Nope, in 15 minutes we give waway your room.  We arrived at 6:15 PM, and it was gone.  We ended up driving another 110 miles with tired, small children to get a room.  If a private business can say "your bad luck is not our problem" then so can a state park.

Austin

[dthurk]

We do own and operate a small motel.  We've been on the other end of no show reservations many times.  It's not a happy situation, but if there is no communication from the party who made the reservation and didn't show, there's no way we're going to hold the room for multiple nights and hope we'll get money from them for the room nights they reserved but didn't stay.   So, the reservation is gone and the room rented to the next available person.  

AB...I think you were looking at a rather extreme application of reservation requirements, but on a really busy night the property has to make sure 100% occupancy occurs.  A room rental waiting in the lobby is guaranteed, one on the road is not, particularly with the prevalence of charge backs on credit card reservations that are lost by the property.

Wavery- as others have already said, if you're running into problems, call the campground and see what can be worked out.  You might save your reservation, but then maybe not.  At any rate, if you don't show up or call, your reservation SHOULD be cancelled by the property, given that you were a no show.  It's not nice to put the property owner in a situation that they have to try to guess your intentions, nor is it nice to deny that site to others who may want it and can use it.  Personally, if our plans change, I change or cancel the reservation appropriately.

[AustinBoston]

AB...I think you were looking at a rather extreme application of reservation requirements,

Yes, we knew it was extreme.  It was inconvenient, it made us mad, but we were aware of the score ahead of time, and in that situation we knew those were the rules of the game.  

My point was, there are ways to solve the no-show problem.  Others have shown that it can be dealt with and allow some flexibility, too, even though my example was rather inflexible.

Austin

[tinybluetj]

I agree, a simple phone call is a common courtesy.  If someone makes a reservation 6 months in advance, and then doesn't show up with no phone call, I see no reason thier site should not be reassigned.  Why should the campgrounds take the hit?  Not everyone can make reservations that far in advance.  Private campgrounds all have cancellation policies, but if you call and say you are going to be late, they hold your reservation for you.

[tlhdoc]

I had to leave a day late for vacation in Michigan (National Park campground), and called the campground to let them know that I was coming, but a day late.  They held the site, but told me if I hadn't called I would have lost it.  Common sense is if you will be late call the campground and let them know.