Reservations or not.

cornholio40 · 09-28-2013, 05:20 PM

When traveling, do you have reservations at the various campgrounds or do you wing it hoping that there are vacancies?

Bassdogs · 09-28-2013, 06:07 PM

Never make reservations while on the road as we always overnite at Wally World. Never ever been turned away or given a hassle. As far as CG's are concerned its all about location and season. Planning on a trip to Disney World, make reservations well in advance. If you're heading for a State Park or Nat'l forest CG this time of year you're pretty safe w/o a reservation. If you know where you're going and when you will arrive, a reservation makes sence. We tend to head out and meander toward our ultimate destination. Reservations means you have to stay on schedule. We like to stay or leave when we run out of things to do. Going to Fla for the month of Feb and made our reservations [State Park on the Gulf coast] back in April to insure a site we wanted. Showed up this year w/o a reservation and got in but had to move after 7days to a different site.

Timing is also important. Come in on Sunday afternoon or monday and you've got a good chance without a reservation. All the weekenders leave on Sunday. Watch for special events scheduled for your destination. Don't try w/o a reservation at an Indiana park in Park county in the fall during the covered bridge festival. Same for Holidays etc.

We've stayed in Nat'l Forest CG's in the fall and pretty much had a whole loop to ourselves.

stjohneyre · 09-28-2013, 08:00 PM

If im staying some place for more than 3 days I usually make a reservarion. If its the off season, I dont. We also are members of Thousand Trails so I have to make a reservarion to let them know Im coming.

Parcany · 09-28-2013, 08:32 PM

We always make reservations no matter where we go. Like the Idea that we have a place to stay.

Diesel Donnie · 09-28-2013, 08:33 PM

We rarely make reservations because we never know where we'll be each day- We do call ahead late in the day to find a vacancy- We are members of Coast to Coast and usually make a reservation there when we are sure we can be there- JMHO- DD

Quote:

Originally Posted by cornholio40

When traveling, do you have reservations at the various campgrounds or do you wing it hoping that there are vacancies?

EnricoG · 09-28-2013, 08:37 PM

I guess it depends on where you want to stay and what type of site you want. You will find it very difficult to find a space in a State Park in WA during summer and over the weekends in Spring and Fall. For us reservations are a must.

William · 09-28-2013, 10:09 PM

In the eastern Nebraska area you have to make a reservation for weekend camps in the state parks if you don't you have to drop earlier in the week and for holiday weekends almost a week early. 15 years ago if you got to a campground b4 6:00 pm on a Friday night you had a prime spot.

cornholio40 · 09-28-2013, 10:26 PM

Thanks for the replies. There are some points made that I have not thought about. I like the idea of being confirmed but I have noticed that making reservations over the internet that a processing fee is added on top of a nightly fee

mcfarmall · 09-29-2013, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cornholio40

Thanks for the replies. There are some points made that I have not thought about. I like the idea of being confirmed but I have noticed that making reservations over the internet that a processing fee is added on top of a nightly fee

That's true but at 10mpg while towing it doesn't take much wandering to burn up $8 (processing fee) worth of gas looking for a place to stay at the last minute. I'm a "reservist".

David472 · 09-29-2013, 05:05 AM

We usually make reservations ahead of time, but last June we tried just winging it. We would call ahead once we got under way and had an idea of approx where we would end up. Had no problem finding good spots. This was in New England area, and I'm sure time of year helped out. I don't think it would have gone so smoothly in mid July.

tinlizzie23 · 09-29-2013, 05:55 AM

We always make reservations in advance. Even at state parks in Virginia. At commercial CGs we can pick a site from the map, and at SPs we are guaranteed a site that will accommodate our rig, even though the specific site is first come first served. Just don't want the hassle of not getting a site at the planned time and place.

Rob_Fla · 09-29-2013, 06:44 AM

We usually make reservations since we normally stay 1 to 2 weeks and need room for our 40 Ft 5er.
Several times when we did not make reservations we had to move before our stay was up.
Also we like to have 50 amp power during the summer for our 2 A/C units and not just get some leftover site or overflow site that we may or may not really fit on.
Also on Holiday weekends I think reservations are a must as parks will fill up and since we fulltime we need somewhere to stay !!!!

Bassdogs · 09-29-2013, 08:01 AM

Like I mentioned before, its all about LOCATION / SEASON / TIMING. Popular parks / Hi Season or special event / Day you'll arrive = Reservations. Off season and arriving other than Fri or Sat = Wing it.

Final or longer term destinations it pays to make a reservation. The $8 fee is spread over several days camping so it's not a big thing. Once you're familiar with a CG, reservations allow you to lock up that preferred site.

bigbird · 09-29-2013, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Like I mentioned before, its all about LOCATION / SEASON / TIMING. Popular parks / Hi Season or special event / Day you'll arrive = Reservations. Off season and arriving other than Fri or Sat = Wing it.

Final or longer term destinations it pays to make a reservation. The $8 fee is spread over several days camping so it's not a big thing. Once you're familiar with a CG, reservations allow you to lock up that preferred site.

My thoughts exactly, and we do get familiar with every campground touring each site with pen in hand to make note for next visit. When the good ones start booking up i'll make sure I reserve one on my list. I start watching the reservation site months in advance sometimes (primetime).

Ecfeick · 09-29-2013, 10:52 AM

I wish we didn't need to reserve. It takes the fun out to some extent. And then you can pick a site that isn't washed out near butt heads etc.

But we camp with a group of 3-6 trailers often and then it's kinda required to get mear by.

Next trip we are winging it. But this is a park hour away from anywhere decently populated.

troutslayer · 09-29-2013, 12:08 PM

We always make reservations. Spring, Summer, Winter or Fall. No difference if we are staying one day or one month. I guess it's cuz of my traveling background when I had a full-time job.

clubhouse · 09-29-2013, 12:54 PM

100% of the time we will make reservations---often 6 mths or more in advance. It the only around here, way to much demand for to few spots.

glsimms · 09-29-2013, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Never make reservations while on the road as we always overnite at Wally World. Never ever been turned away or given a hassle. As far as CG's are concerned its all about location and season. Planning on a trip to Disney World, make reservations well in advance. If you're heading for a State Park or Nat'l forest CG this time of year you're pretty safe w/o a reservation. If you know where you're going and when you will arrive, a reservation makes sence. We tend to head out and meander toward our ultimate destination. Reservations means you have to stay on schedule. We like to stay or leave when we run out of things to do. Going to Fla for the month of Feb and made our reservations [State Park on the Gulf coast] back in April to insure a site we wanted. Showed up this year w/o a reservation and got in but had to move after 7days to a different site.

Timing is also important. Come in on Sunday afternoon or monday and you've got a good chance without a reservation. All the weekenders leave on Sunday. Watch for special events scheduled for your destination. Don't try w/o a reservation at an Indiana park in Park county in the fall during the covered bridge festival. Same for Holidays etc.

We've stayed in Nat'l Forest CG's in the fall and pretty much had a whole loop to ourselves.

Gotta ask you bassdog..... But with all of the meanness goin' on, do you feel secure while you're over-nighting in WallyWorld???

TeamFoxy · 09-30-2013, 06:13 AM

When we stop for lunch, we usually have a good idea of where we want to be at the end of the day. Then we look at the Good Sam &/or Woodall's app to see what is available for a CG and what the rates are. The. We call and reserve a spot.

Ed Brodt · 09-30-2013, 07:01 AM

This past spring spring we left Kentucky on April 28 and traveled TN, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, NV, CA, OR, ID, WY,NB,IL, then home to KY. Out 40 days. No reservations. Mid afternoon we would call ahead to find a spot. Never had a problem. Stayed at a couple of Walmarts, a couple of interstate rest stops, state campgrounds, national parks, national forests and commercial campgrounds. We like the freedom of staying a couple of extra days if we find an area we really like or moving a day early if we run out of things to do. Next spring 2014 we are driving to Alaska from Kentucky. Our plan is no reservations.

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