Getting reservations at popular places

[Ohiosnowbird]

This is probably a very newbcake question, but how do you get reservations at popular places? I have tried to get reservations at Custer in late September and places in Florida in snowbird season to see the campgrounds are already full. What’s the secret? Do you have to be online everyday all day? Is there website or service that will notify you of a cancellation? Or is patience and persistence the answer?

 

[SpencerPJ]

For Indiana state parks, it is 6 months out starting at 12:00 noon. Myself and our group have already preselected our options, and seriously have alarms set on our phones. Moral of my story, I'm sure each place has it's booking reservation window, it is important to know that. FL snowbird season, I'd guess repeat customers get first dibbs. If I was interested, I'd interact with the particular site / location you desire.

 

[Larry N.]

At many states' State Parks you have to be online, logged in, and ready to reserve exactly at midnite beginning the day that reservations open (6 months in Colorado), and even then it's chancy, since so many others are doing the same thing. Frequent checks for cancellations are the other possibility, if fortune shines.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Thanks! That’s what I thought. I guess I’m glad we’ve been to all the really big American sites - like Grand Canyon etc….!

 

[zulu]

And then there's Campnab.

 

[jackiemac]

I guess a lot depends on how long you want to stay and how big your rig is.

For the Tetons once they started the reservation system I set my diary and was online reserving my 2 week spot 6 months in advance. I hate having to do this.

For Yellowstone we called about a week in advance and got a cancellation. We've done that twice.

I think you can often get a cancellation but may mean moving spots if you want a longer stay.

If you have a smaller rig then opportunities higher I think.p

There are often places close to popular places but you may need to drive a bit further than if you were right in the park.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Custer and late September mean Buffalo Roundup. You need to get further away. There are other places to stay in the Hills such as Broken Arrow Horse Camp at Custer (closes Oct 1st) or Spearfish City Campground or possibly stay outside the Hills at any one of the campgrounds at Angostura Reservoir, which is about 25 miles to downtown Custer, less to the park.

Charles

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

I guess a lot depends on how long you want to stay and how big your rig is.

For the Tetons once they started the reservation system I set my diary and was online reserving my 2 week spot 6 months in advance. I hate having to do this.

For Yellowstone we called about a week in advance and got a cancellation. We've done that twice.

I think you can often get a cancellation but may mean moving spots if you want a longer stay.

If you have a smaller rig then opportunities higher I think.p

There are often places close to popular places but you may need to drive a bit further than if you were right in the park.

Working with the “close to popular places” idea! Thanks!

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

Custer and late September mean Buffalo Roundup. You need to get further away. There are other places to stay in the Hills such as Broken Arrow Horse Camp at Custer (closes Oct 1st) or Spearfish City Campground or possibly stay outside the Hills at any one of the campgrounds at Angostura Reservoir, which is about 25 miles to downtown Custer, less to the park.

Charles

I’ll research those. Thanks!

 

[CharlesinGA]

I use Googl Maps alot. Get the map up on a desktop or laptop and zoom in on the hills and search campgrounds, there are zillions of them, and the Black Hills are only 60 or so miles from north to south, so its not a large area and if you have a way to commute (ie. a TOAD) then you can easily get around. My first visit (motor home) I stayed at Spearfish as I could rent a car from Enter$prise about three blocks from the campground. Second trip was a Bigfoot national rally at Sturgis Downtown RV park (they close by the end of September if not sooner) and I had the truck to get around in. (in a trailer this visit). I highly recommend Sturgis Downtown RV park, yes, its gravel with concrete pads, not fancy but well managed and a great place to base out of. They have upper levels you can get sites on for a view. Great showers and restrooms, laundry, etc.

Late September is end of season in the Hills and everything is shutting down. Buffalo roundup is the last big fling. Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival

Charles

 

[NY_Dutch]

The reservation window for Georgia state parks opens 13 months ahead of your desired arrival date. For Florida state parks it's 11 months for Florida residents, and 10 months for out of staters. National parks are 6 months out. The window opening time varies from state to state. It's best to check with the desired state reservation systems for the most current times. 8, 9, or 10 AM are common window times.

It's also worth checking back about 15-20 minutes after the opening time if you're skunked at the opening time. Some people use multiple computers, phones, tablets, etc. to make multiple reservations at the same park and then chose the one they like best. Some of the reservations systems hold a reservation open for 15-20 minutes to complete the reservation, and if it's not done the site is released back into the system.

 

[jackiemac]

Working with the “close to popular places” idea! Thanks!

We look for forest campgrounds as they are often reasonably close.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

In my travels, it didn't take long to observe that anyplace that's so popular you need to make reservations months to a year in advance is probably someplace I don't want to be in the middle of. "Everyone" hits the attractions on holiday weekends and during summer and school breaks. That's the last place I want to be - somewhere there's no vacancy/wall to wall people, noise and competition for things and services. We travel during off-peak spring and fall, during the summer peak we'll take the dirt roads to the campgrounds with no hookups for serenity. Even off peak I'm asking myself I don't get it, what's the deal with some of these places, can't imagine being there with a crush of people, horrible parking and waiting on top of it. I guess I'm a fuddy duddy, I'm just not interested in "popular" attractions because they're so publicized and commercialized it takes all the uniqueness out of it. Stress is not a vacation, and juggling reservations and squeezing in to my allotted slot along with the throng takes the fun out for me. So the upshot of this post is if it's that hard to get in somewhere, it had better be worth all the peripheral BS.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

In my travels, it didn't take long to observe that anyplace that's so popular you need to make reservations months to a year in advance is probably someplace I don't want to be in the middle of. "Everyone" hits the attractions on holiday weekends and during summer and school breaks. That's the last place I want to be - somewhere there's no vacancy/wall to wall people, noise and competition for things and services. We travel during off-peak spring and fall, during the summer peak we'll take the dirt roads to the campgrounds with no hookups for serenity. Even off peak I'm asking myself I don't get it, what's the deal with some of these places, can't imagine being there with a crush of people, horrible parking and waiting on top of it. I guess I'm a fuddy duddy, I'm just not interested in "popular" attractions because they're so publicized and commercialized it takes all the uniqueness out of it. Stress is not a vacation, and juggling reservations and squeezing in to my allotted slot along with the throng takes the fun out for me. So the upshot of this post is if it's that hard to get in somewhere, it had better be worth all the peripheral BS.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

My sentiments exactly. We have no plans to go anywhere this summer. Except, I want to go back to the Custer area. I was there in 2004 and decided then to go back. Too bad it’s become such a busy place! Florida, I wouldn’t be a snowbird if we didn’t at least try to go. We stayed 2 weeks at Big Lagoon in Pensacola in January, we got lucky. We stayed 3 weeks in South Carolina in February and that’s where we’re planning to go this year. I already have 6 weeks reserved and was trying to stay South until March by heading over to Florida. We’ll see what happens with that. Nothing says we can’t cycle back through SC.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Florida has several water management districts and since they control a lot of land, they have created campgrounds on these lands, dry camping but some pretty nice looking places from the pics I have seen.

Google Florida water management camping and the various districts and a small map will come up with campground locations.

Various states have camping areas operated by either public or private authorities that you don't normally think of, such as Georgia Power company operating campgrounds and day use areas on the lakes they own, or in Texas, the Trinity River Authority operates a large park and campground near Coldspring, Texas.

It pays to think outside the box.

Charles