wijames2002
Well-known member
When planning a trip with several stops, is it better to book the campground in each location ahead of time? Is this what you do?
Ernie n Tara said:We book only for holidays and extended stays (or where we know which spot we want). Generally when travelling, we will call ahead once we know when and about where we want to stop; usually a couple of hours or less before stopping.
Ernie
JudyJB said:I am a planner. In fact, because I am very specific about where I want to stay, I make reservations as soon as the campgrounds open up for that date. I usually prefer to stay in state and national parks, which means they often book up many months in advance.
Now, there are exceptions to my making reservations far in advance: time of year and how likely it is that families and people on vacation will be on the road. That usually means I absolutely make reservations as far in advance as possible for places like Florida and Arizona in the winter and northern states and national parks in the summer. (Try getting a site in Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, or Yosemite on the spur of the moment, or even a couple of weeks in advance!)
However, if I am traveling through almost any state like Ohio or California or even Georgia, during the school year and during the week, I will not bother with reservations, except maybe on weekends.
I am in Death Valley right now, and every electric hookup site is booked for the next several months. If you want a non-electric site in May through September--no problem at all!!
Commercial campgrounds along major highways usually have availability all year if you call a few hours ahead of time, but I much prefer a scenic place in a regional, state, or national park, even when near a highway. Just personal preference.
Also, know that even though campgrounds may be open in winter in cold climates, they may have water and sewer hookups closed for the winter. Sometimes, they will leave the dump station open and one water fill station, but ask when you make a reservation in a cold place because they may not even have anyone at the entrance booth when you arrive.