What's the trick to getting good sites in state parks?

[spark of insanity]

In Michigan coming from someone who does state parks is to be on the phone or on line exactly 6 months prior to the visit. Yes, you need to be early bird to get the worm. If for the 4th? Now is the time because people are now thinking summer like you. Go on line and take a look at the campsites at the park you want to visit. Then make your move. Otherwise it will fill up fast. I know Tawas and all the ones up and down Lake Michigan fill up quickly. We are heading out west and I got the spots I wanted except for one that is 60 days out and is very popular last October.
Good luck.

[spark of insanity]

Originally Posted by CaptainVideo

Thanks for all the great advice. We were able to get the sites we wanted in New York and at Wilderness State Park in Michigan but ran into a wall a Sleeping Bear Dunes. We ended up a a KOA near by so this will be a good chance to compare the services.

There is one in Pentwater, Ludington and then south of there is South Haven. All sandy and lovely. What problems did you have? That area is extremely popular. I too do KOA and am for 2 of our 5 stops out west. Happy camping. You will love Wilderness.

[spark of insanity]

Originally Posted by sirrealone

We're in Michigan and it's definitely about booking days in advance and then canceling later. Even then it's tough for us to get the one, or sometimes two (if we book for our in-laws) spots that we need.

I have no proof but I sometimes think there are behind the scenes shenanigans being played. As I said, we'll have a tough time getting one or two spots, but when we go to the campground, there will be groups of campers all with adjacent spots. So how did they manage to get all 6-8 sites that they needed with no problem and we had to book our sites across the street from each other because every side by side option in the park was gone by 8:00:08? We're not talking junky sites, they're often very desirable sites. And I've seen this even in Ludington State Park, which as anyone who stays at Michigan State Parks regularly can attest, is THE most in demand state park campground.

Anything on Lake Michigan up and down will be booked if you do not book now. I know Traverse City, Ludington, Pentwater, South Haven and a few others are very popular. But its worth it. There is a hidden gem up near Picture Rock as well. Good luck.

[spark of insanity]

Originally Posted by jonesykay

We went through a similar experience for Florida (leaving in two weeks). We used two laptops and a mobile app all set to atomic time. In FL they open at 8 am so we were up and fingers ready to click at 7 am our time. It worked; then we had to wait two weeks to do it again! Eleven months in advance. Then we had to wait 6 months out to reserve COE campgrounds - it all worked out and we are set to go.

Too funny. I have a tab open for a campsite that is 60 days out and we have to be on it at 1201 to get a spot. Otherwise we boondock at the in laws. Love the post. Glad to know I am not alone in that one.

[spark of insanity]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Depends on the state. Here in MN, you can book 1 year in advance, and out for however many days from there you want, up to 10 consecutive days.

More people now are starting their prime camping weekends a day or two early, so the arrive say on a Thursday.

Another thing already mentioned go online at midnight. Some systems have day light savings time turned off, hence you can register at 11pm, aka an hour early.

Thank you. I forgot about that one. I am on EST and the site we want is Central. I would have missed out. Or maybe not. but thank you for that insite.

[twdenman]

Originally Posted by Brownie

As a Michigan State Park Campground Host, I've had many campers ask the same question. I tell them they can book 6 months in advance - at 12:00.01 a.m., and many campers will check the reservation site several times a day for cancelations. I've noticed a sharp increase in the number of weekday campers. More and more people are camping Monday - Thursday . . . especially retirees. And more people are camping the weekend before or after the big holiday weekends.

Perhaps I'll see you at one of Michigan's fabulous State Park campgrounds. Good luck with your booking, and Happy Camping!

Yep. We didn’t have any problems last summer with last minute stays. Monday-Thursday for us. Travel days are Friday-Saturday. Three times last summer we booked M-F then asked to stay the weekend. Surprise, they had openings. We “camp” during the summer, and “park” in the winter. Just say’n.

[suzieshome]

Unfortunately you just can’t get the site you want most of the time. You want it, so do hundreds of other people. I used to get very uptight years ago if I showed up and the site wasn’t perfect, large, quiet and private. Now if I can at least get in the park I want I’m happy. As for for reserving for more days than you want and then cancelling or leaving it unoccupied for the days you don’t want, I will say what other people seem afraid to say. You are part of the problem.

[twdenman]

Originally Posted by suzieshome

Unfortunately you just can’t get the site you want most of the time. You want it, so do hundreds of other people. I used to get very uptight years ago if I showed up and the site wasn’t perfect, large, quiet and private. Now if I can at least get in the park I want I’m happy. As for for reserving for more days than you want and then cancelling or leaving it unoccupied for the days you don’t want, I will say what other people seem afraid to say. You are part of the problem.

We’ll put. I’m happy if I can get something in the area. 🙂 One more observation. Reservations, sight unseen, can commit you to a bad experience too.

[cfarrar]

Noticed a lot of people will do a mass booking then not show up, it happened to us in PA, place was booked just a few walk ins, come Friday & Saturday and only about 4 of the spots were taken, too bay state & federal camp grounds don't have a solution the the problem

[roblaura2]

Some RVers prioritize specific campgrounds around which to plan a trip, while others (like us) choose campgrounds based on where we want to go. For us, campgrounds are mostly a place to spend the night while we take the car and visit the best POIs (Trip Advisor is helpful for this). We start by selecting POIs in states/regions we want to visit. Then we select a route, and calculate distances from our start point of not more than 300 miles (some exceptions western states). We identify a larger town near our endpoint for each leg, and then use the Good Sam website campground finder to see a listing of nearby RV parks. Each campground is rated in several categories. We usually look for those with at least 4 stars, and compare rates. The star ratings are not foolproof, but it does give a general indication of the the quality. Also, check how many sites are available for short term campers before calling. We used to make actual reservations only about a week in advance to give us flexibility. However, the nicer RV parks are so crowded these days during the warmer months that we now make them three months or more in advance. Lastly, we find it is important to make reservations for holidays (July 4th, Labor Day, etc) very early. Hope this is helpful.