hard to find a weekend spot in a state park? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

hard to find a weekend spot in a state park?

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

I believe most state parks set aside some portion of their campsites for first come first served campers. That of course would require you to come in on Thursday or very early on Friday.

As you have probably read on this forum many times, most full timers avoid moving, or doing much of anything on the weekends. We are free to move and shop, and visit the attractions, during the week when the crowds are working.

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

You're right Fred, I have read a lot about travelling mid-week, which certainly makes sense to me.
So if you travel mid-week to a popular state park campground, I'm assuming then that you'd take a first-come-first-serve site if you intend to stay thru a weekend, because the reservable sites are already spoken for.

Judy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Yes, most State Pks are first come basis and if you should pick a reserved spot and the people arent there yet you will have to move.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we camphosted at a Wisconsin state park we posted reserved stickers on the sites reserved for the weekend and anybody that occupied them during the week were reminded that they had to be out by 11 on the reserved day. I think Wisconsin has a policy of 40% of the sites are non reservable in all state parks.

dream reachers · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are camp hosts in a Vermont State Park for the summer. All sites are reservable. We have been booked the last 4 week ends. There are many sites available during the week. Reserving two days in advance is generally enough notice with the exception of holidays which book a few weeks in advance.
When we are traveling we generally do not make reservations or if we do only a day or two ahead except for holidays and have not had trouble finding a place to stay. We do stay in private as well as public parks. The sites in our park are typical of the north east, they are not large.

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

So far Sherri and I have had no problem getting Walk up sites. We do, however, arrive at COE and State Parks on Monday...you will find that most of the time on Mondays you can get a site for the remainder of the week. In some cases we have stayed into the weekend if they have some no shows.

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks, everyone, for your comments! It really helps to clarify the issue of reservable/nonreservable sites. smile

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

Coastal and near major metropolitan areas, California State Parks for the most part require reservations during the spring and summer months, even during the week. Some parks are booked solid months in advance.

DZ · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're currently camp hosting at Palisades State Park in Sterling Utah. ( thanks to H & L ) Out of 75 sites, we have 11 that are called manager's discrection, or non-reservable. A lot of the locals know about this, so they don't make reservations, they just show up and get a site. If you come early in the week and stay though the week-end, you'll usually be able to get a site. I know when we lived in Colo. the State Parks around Denver ( mainly Chatfield and Cherry Creek ) were always booked. People with money would reserve a site every week-end through the summer, then if they felt like camping they had a site. The park might only be half full, but all the sites were paid for and the state was happy. Don't know if anyone can figure a way to keep this from happening, but it's frustrating when all sites are reservable.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

DZ wrote:

....People with money would reserve a site every week-end through the summer, then if they felt like camping they had a site. The park might only be half full, but all the sites were paid for and the state was happy. Don't know if anyone can figure a way to keep this from happening, but it's frustrating when all sites are reservable.

The federal park national reservation system publishes a No-Show policy. If you do not occupied your reserved site by check-in on the next day you forfeit it's use and it is made available as a first come site. If the campground reports you as a no show, you will be charged an extra $20.

Some states have a similar reservation policy. The campground you are hosting in publishes this one:

If you do not occupy your reserved campsite by 10 a.m. on the day after the scheduled arrival date, the site will be made available to other campers.