Is This The End Of First Come, First Served Campsites? Photo via Virginia State Parks
Is This The End Of First Come, First Served Campsites?
Spontaneous road trips are a way of life for many outdoor lovers. But the end of first come, first served campsites may dampen those adventures.
All across the U.S., scoring that perfect campsite at a moment’s notice is becoming a thing of the past. Now, many of the most popular public campgrounds require reservations just to get past the gate.
Snow is still on the ground in many U.S. cities. But right now, campers are already booking their summer RV camping reservations for popular campgrounds. That’s because from California to Maine and everywhere in-between, the busiest public campgrounds have already made the switch to a “reservations only” system.
The move likely started a few years ago, maybe longer. That’s when the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) eliminated the availability of all “first come, first served” campsites in the entire state. Today’s campers can reserve all state park campsites, even on the same arrival day.
Other states took notice of Minnesota’s move. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) department voted for the end of first come, first served campsites in five state parks. And most recently, CPW officials announced that a total of twenty-two state parks are doing the same. Starting in 2019, any camper arriving at one of the state’s many designated reservations-only campgrounds must have a reservation. Anyone caught camping without a reservation will be fined.
Finally, in a move that will almost certainly spill over into other national parks, Utah’s Zion National Park kicked off the 2019 camping season by switching to reservations-only camping at the two most popular campgrounds, South and Watchman.
For now, some park systems are only requiring campsite reservations during peak season. For example, at Joshua Tree National Park, campsites at Jumbo Rocks Campground are only reservable between October and May.
How to find RV campsites without reservations
Many campers welcome the end of first come, first served campsites at their favorite spots, while others deplore it. The upside is that new reservation systems at many parks give campers the assurance that their RV trip planning will pay off when they arrive and have a campsite.
The move can also eliminate disputes between campers competing for the same last spots. The downside of reservations-only camping is that many of the most popular campgrounds in America are now booked solid many months in advance.
Reservations are a must at Joshua Tree NP during the summer.
Camping and RVing is more popular than ever. Some would say that it’s a victim of its own success. The hard truth is that it’s impossible to get around the end of first come, first served campsites. Want to keep camping in North America? Then you’ve got to learn to deal with the change. Thankfully it’s not impossible to work your future spontaneous RV road trips into the new systems.
For instance, parks and recreation decision-makers across the country understand that not everyone wants to plan their camping trip a year in advance. The more free-spirited types can be accommodated. For example, online reservation systems usually enable prospective visitors to reserve on the same day of arrival. Most don’t charge extra processing fees for last-minute bookings.
Should you still not be able to find that campsite you want at a preferred destination, you can always use feature-rich RV trip planning apps like RV LIFE Trip Wizard and the RV LIFE App, or do a quick search on RV LIFE Campgrounds, to pinpoint the nearest public or private campground that has exactly the site you want, when you want it.
Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.
I am spontaneous. Reservation campsites mean that I am forced into locating dispersed camping.
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Same for me. Dispersed camping. My home state us MN and I will never again be camping in their state parks. I asked way they did this and the answer was that it was overwhelmingly wanting by families with kids. I’m so sick and tired of the attitude that they are all that matter. Especially in an already overpopulated world with 7.4 billion people!
Not so good…. we have found that churches and other commercial intrest have reserved blocks of campgrounds in Calif state parks…. then through the underground scalip them off… for a profit… (i.e San Elijo State Beach has a commercial service that blocks in dates… and then if you want to camp their.. they either sell the space date or will move a trailer over in the spot for you… is this fair? )
Their is no way a regular family can get a spot… unless they pay the scalpers or churches for it… The state has no way of knowing who is what. (after all the service that runs the reservation system made their money)
Then their is the winter (snowbirds) who go from one park to another… and have made reservations 6 months in advanced… (tell me that someone plans a weekend vacation 6 months out) these people take advantage of cheap living and take up residents in the parks for the 14 days and then move to the next one on their list.
While first come first served… was nice… we can see how it is a disapointment when they arrive and find the park full… but, it did keep it open to weekenders…and stopped all the long term reservationist…
The reservation system has been taken over by controlling interest other than individules… its a profit making business now.
They need to go back through and post who is reserving… and ‘NO COMMERCIAL SERVICES or RELIGIOUS ONES EXCEPT IN THE GROUP CAMPGROUD ‘ except for consessions in the Park… is what we would like to see .. but not holding our breath… as no one cares…its all about the money…
thus we have retruned to boondocking and not going to the state parks in Calif…
g.m. This is an obvious incendiary troll rant without any truths or facts to base it on. Worthy of nothing more than the toilet paper one usually uses to clean up such messes.
Hmmm ok.. then maybe you need to take a closer look at the San Elijo SB… then come back and tell me its trolling… I get tired of these so called EXPERTS… that lay a egg and then insult and demenor your posting. Clearly you use a lot of toilet paper.
I find this reservation system to be difficult. In Florida State Parks there is an open window to reserve space eleven months in advance. You need to get up early and grab what is available on the first day. I think Reserve America should change that policy and not permit booking in more than 6 months in advance. Not everyone is retired and can plan trips for eleven months in advance. Many times people reserve two weeks vacation eleven months in advance, than never show up without cancelling it. The space sits empty and can’t be use as walk in. This should be change.
The other issue is no-shows. If a bunch of people reserve sites and then don’t cancel, the site must remain empty all night. I once drove through a campground at around 3 am. Several sites were empty but reserved for the night. With the reservation system, whoever owns the park gets paid the camping fees, whether the campsite is actually occupied or not.
Many hotels have a cut-off time, and after that, the front desk is free to rent the room to someone else. Campgrounds don’t have anyone to do that. Most just have an “iron ranger” dropbox and an automated reservation system far away. A reservation system makes sense when there’s someone at the location managing it. It doesn’t make sense when there isn’t.
I agree Larry F.,
There should be a cut off hour or date, in fact, in every single state and federal camp I’ve camped at, THERE IS. You didn’t know? I’ve made camping reservations my whole life because I cannot imagine anything would suck more than driving 50 to 100 miles away with my family all packed and excited to camp, only to find out there were no camping sites available. You act as if someone is tying you up. They are making camping easier. Rangers may not be available 24/7, but they come in every single morning. Camp Hosts ARE available 24/7, but we don’t abuse them because it’s not a paid position in most parks.
I have been late before, I always call the camp ranger to let them know we are running late. So if you see an empty reserved campsite, keep in mind that you don’t know the whole story, and it’s not the rangers or camp hosts job to fill you in. Reserve your campsite in advance, no whining necessary.
I totally agree! It would be nice if they had a cut off time for no shows. I can’t tell you how many people make reservations far in advance and don’t show.
His right look it up they have websites that do it a simple google helps
Above comments are valid, some spots should remain first-come, first-serve.
I too have been through reserved state campsites only to see them stay empty. When we asked at the ranger station.. they said someone from a church/commercial service reserved it.. and even though they paid the 7bux for the spot reservation … didn’t show up. they explaned that this happens all the time… and they think the church group writes it off as a expense.. so they don’t seem to care. In the mean time someone missed out on a great campsite.
I asked if we could park their.. and if they dont show up take it.. after all its paid for… the ranger said that they couldn’t allow that because they don’t know if they are coming or not. Yet the campground misses out on the full fee… and the reservation service gets the 7 bux… Not a good system it seems.
So why not do like hotels and RV parks do.. if your not their by X time… then they go with the first come first serve that are waiting in line. Or make it a text message giving them first choice… and again set a time limit… if no show… goes to the person waiting their. in line.. next…
While the reservation system is nice… it seems to be abused.
It’d be nice and easier to read if people knew the difference between there (location)/their (inicating something owned) / they’re (short for ‘they are’. I can unerstand hose my son’s age (60) or lss because they weren’t taught in school (teachers probably didn’t understand). I wonder if there are other posts by old farts like me (84). But maybe even some of us can’t remember from that long ago.
It would be interesting to know how much money the state campground are losing to NO-SHOWS
Reading previous posts, the problem with large numbers of empty spots and no available spaces to reserve seems to have two causes:
1. Bulk reservations where they pay only the reservation fee, not the full price of the campsite for the night(s). They don’t lose a lot of money if they don’t show up. In order to make a reservation, they should have to pay the full price for camping. There should also be a limit on the number of campsites that anyone can reserve. If someone repeatedly made reservations and didn’t show up, there should be an additional penalty. Also, the person making the reservation should be the one who actually occupies the site, to eliminate scalping. Maybe license plate numbers could be used. If it’s a group reservation, they should have to provide the license plate numbers of their members. That would reduce the number of sites lost for those reasons.
2. Genuine no-shows, who don’t make it to the campsite due to weather, breakdowns, etc. They currently have no way of letting the campground know what’s going on, especially if there’s no one answering the phone. The online reservation systems I’ve seen can’t really accommodate this situation in real time. Something involving text messages, a cut-off time and online information about real-time availability would help resolve those kinds of issues.
You know that is a good approch… but first the state (ca) has to hire full time rangers… or campground host and not just some college kid that works in the summer…
I didn’t know that you could do a batch reservation for just one fee… that should be the first thing to change…
But, it just is selfish that some of these people feel like they are more important.. and don’t care about the rest of u…
I’ve been camping-rving for 50 years & have never made a reservation & always find a place to camp. We can boondock for a couple nights if we need to.
I’m from MN & refuse to camp in MN state parks, I do camp in state parks in other states like TX.
Most of our camping is in National Forest campgrounds & here in MN & in WY we can always find a site..
That said I don’t like the reservation system, the old first come first serve was easier.
All state parks should be changed to 75% reservation and 25% first come. I believe this would be the best for everyone. An earlier comment about CO. state parks switching to all reservations is correct as we stayed at 3 on them last yr. Talk about wasted and uncollected dollars as all three have a sign Park Full must have reservation, we did have res because we checked online and made res. We stayed at least 4 up to 8 days and only [1 Trinidad] filled up on the weekend. The other 2 had at least 4 spots empty every day. When we asked why are you doing this the Rangers reply “Keep the homeless out”. There has to be a better way.
I agree!! 75% reservable and 25% first come first serve!!
The federal reservaton system- recreation.gov- is so screwed up since the vendor changed it is near useless unless you’ve previously been to a campgtround and know the layout.
Some campgrounds I’m familiar with now have maps so wrong they even show a campsite IN the dump station in one case. In another several sites are shown on the wrong side of the road.
I too have seen reserved sites sit empty for DAYS while new arrivals are turned away because of no available sites. The rule has been in many cases if the camper hasn’t shown by checkin time the next day the site would be released- but often this does not happen.
I’ve also seen a disturbing trend where some campgrounds will not let you move to a better site that comes vacant- Pisgah Hospitality Partners I’m looking at YOU- if you selected poorly due to misinformation you are stuck with it, possibly for your entire time there.
New York moved to the reserve america years ago and it has been screwed up ever since. Tons of people reserve sites the moment that the site is able to be reserved so it is almost impossible to reserve a site.
The upside is they do allow you to get a campsite that was reserved and they did not show up. We have never had a problem finding a site by just showing up at the ranger station the day we want to camp.
That is the way it should be… if they don’t show up.. they get billed anyway… when they make the reservation …in full…
none of this 5 or 7 bux cost… make it the full amount… which then will put the bite on ’em to follow through… also no churches/commercial services…except in group areas… to keep the crafty ones from sneaking in… it is easy to figure out by the names given and the no of times they reserve. … and the credit card no… for payment at the time of reservation….
. If they don’t show up… too bad .. so sad.. they lost their money… after a set time… or no contact… and let the computer keep track of how many times they say they are going to be late… too many.. and no reservation… No Show after a time limit…and then the place can give the spot away on the first come first serve…platform…. and only charge a minor regestration fee… for the ones taking the spot… which has been paid for by the orginal reservation…
It would then stop people from making frivorious reservations.. and then not paying for it by canceling…
They need to do something to improve the system and make it more fair… as well as increase the usage for those that really do want to go their and enjoy the place…
Wonder who one would contact to register the protest.. and suggest changes… more important will they listen ?
I wonder if this can cause an increase in Walmart camping? Personally, I hate dealing with Reserve America. They have convinced state administrators they can do take reservations more efficiently which will allow for a more effective use of state resources. (Someone will loose a job). From the state’s point of view, why not? It does not cost the state anything, it frees the gatekeepers from dealing with money, if there is an empty site, the less garbage to pick up, etc. politicians and administrators often loose sight of why we even have state parks and camping areas. I am here in Louisiana waiting for parks to shut down. I have seen staff cuts and deferred maintenance because of budget problems. I have seen park managers cleaning bathrooms. It’s sad. Money from park fees is sent back to the general fund and not kept in the park. I suspect once a park will close, the politically connected will get a new state funded hunting or fishing camp staffed with inmates to take care of them.
My wife and I like to travel to places without an itinerary. We see something that looks interesting and might decide to stay a couple of days and explore the area. Reservations a year in advance won’t work for us and I know a lot of others do this same thing. End result is that all too often we end up at a KOA or other commercial park when we would much prefer to stay in a state park. Surely there’s a better way than requiring reservations a year out.
From reading all the above comments, I guess we will be doing a lot more boondocking than anything else. We are planning to take my mom’s ashes back to FL in the spring, can’t say when as my husband has to have surgery and not sure when he will be able to drive again. SO we can’t make any advanced reservations at this time. We do a lot of boondocking and harvest host camping. We will hope to find a few of our choices for full hook ups to have some sites available whenever we are able to make our trip. I agree no-show without a call, should be opened for others.
We rarely reserve anything ahead while traveling. We usually call a campground a little time ahead and normally it works ok. If we are staying somewhere for a month or more, then we reserve if needed. I don’t want to have to drive a long ways and get there on a certain day. It is more relaxing to wing it some.
Pay the full reservation fee when the reservation is booked. No exceptions. Use a sliding scale refund policy if a reservation is canceled. At some point like 2 weeks before the reservation date no refund is given.
This is terrible. How is someone supposed to plan a 10-15k mile trip that spans 15 or more states over a couple months while moving every one to two days? Impossible. This reservation move only benefits the “weekend warrior” and families that only take a 2 week trip a year and spend the entire 2 weeks at one location. As others have said, $$$ and less employees also drive the number crunchers that make the rules. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. More, much more boondocking for us this summer!