Michigan

[asr524]

Hello!



I'm coming over from Forest River.



We downsized from a 40ft toy hauler to our 34ft'r then I pull doubles when toys get to come along.



I've been camping in Michigan for nearly my whole life!

[Raptor Dave]

Welcome to the wild west!
We did the opposite and went from a 34 ftr to a 40 ft TH
A few states out here don't care for those tail waggers behind the 5th.
Enjoy!

[dutchmensport]

Welcome to the forums! Enjoy and Happy Camping!

[asr524]

Originally Posted by Raptor Dave

Welcome to the wild west!
We did the opposite and went from a 34 ftr to a 40 ft TH
A few states out here don't care for those tail waggers behind the 5th.
Enjoy!

Thats funny. At times the TH was awesome but our state parks a 30ft is the prime length.

[Raptor Dave]

Originally Posted by asr524

Thats funny. At times the TH was awesome but our state parks a 30ft is the prime length.

Yea, we've found a lot of the state parks are bit antiquated as far length and being able to plug in a 50A.
You certainly have to pick and chose your sleeping spots for the eve.
We have learned to steer clear of most but on occasion have found a good one.
The biggest pain in the rear is going on some of their web sites to sign up for a spot. They can at times be antiquated as well. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a web site and it'll say No Vacancy for when we are wanting and have drove thru the park only to find multiple sites available.
Or the FCFS thing is a no go for us also.
Enjoy your adventures!

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Raptor Dave

Yea, we've found a lot of the state parks are bit antiquated as far length and being able to plug in a 50A.
You certainly have to pick and chose your sleeping spots for the eve.
We have learned to steer clear of most but on occasion have found a good one.
The biggest pain in the rear is going on some of their web sites to sign up for a spot. They can at times be antiquated as well. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a web site and it'll say No Vacancy for when we are wanting and have drove thru the park only to find multiple sites available.
Or the FCFS thing is a no go for us also.
Enjoy your adventures!

DNR manages all the state park campgrounds in Michigan. I've talked to the local campground DNR managers in quite a few SP campgrounds in Michigan and all of them will tell you that the reservation website is not always accurate. One of the options available to local DNR campground managers is to block a certain number/percentage of their sites for "local management". Those sites aren't reflected as such on the website. They just show as "full".

Most of those managers realize how difficult it is to get a reservation on the website for a number of reasons ranging from popularity of the area, manipulation by website users who "block reserve more sites than they need" to "planners" who aren't sure when everyone can meet up in 6 months, so they reserve multiple dates and then plan to cancel those they don't need...

Then there are those campers who do have reservations and, for some reason, from equipment breakdown, health emergencies, or just bad luck, can't leave at the appointed time. Having "local management" allows the campground to accommodate those people's needs as well.

Then, in the Michigan State Forest campground system (separate from the State Park system), like the one next to our property, only 50% of sites are reservable. The other 50% are always "first come/first served"... I'd suspect many State Park campgrounds also follow that practice.

So, at most (maybe all) Michigan SP campgrounds, you'll find empty sites on most any day. Typically, they fill with "local campers" by early evening in popular areas and remain empty in the less desirable campgrounds.

[Raptor Dave]

only 50% of sites are reservable. The other 50% are always "first come/first served"

That right there would solve a lot of the BS.
It should be instituted across the board for every state that has campgrounds that aren't private run.
They should also only allow a certain very small percentage of multiple sites to be reserved by 1 person.
I know, I'm starting to sound like a dictator but it would solve so much of the problem that has been unleashed by greedy people who are always trying to scam the system.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Raptor Dave

That right there would solve a lot of the BS.
It should be instituted across the board for every state that has campgrounds that aren't private run.
They should also only allow a certain very small percentage of multiple sites to be reserved by 1 person.
I know, I'm starting to sound like a dictator but it would solve so much of the problem that has been unleashed by greedy people who are always trying to scam the system.

I think you took a part of what I posted "out of context"...

I did not say that "Michigan only allows 50% of sites to be reserved"...

I did say, "...the Michigan State Forest campground system (separate from the State Park system), like the one next to our property, only 50% of sites are reservable. The other 50% are always "first come/first served"... I'd suspect many State Park campgrounds also follow that practice."

In that quote, you should understand that SOME State Forest Campgrounds do not allow any reservations, it's always "first come first served". As an example, there's a small SF campground in the UP, next to a beautiful natural lake that is 10 miles down a gravel/dirt road. There's one way in/one way out and no road maintenance through the camping season. It's "iffy" whether you can get a large travel trailer down the road much less "parked in a site in the "no hookups/no running water/no toilets/no trash containers" park. It's "strictly unimproved except for marked sites, most of which are not level.

Now, the "reality of camping there" with no reservable sites, means that if you live downstate or out of the local area, like we do, you have to drive 8 hours to get there, travel down that "one way in/one way out dirt road" and hope that when you get there, you can find a site.... What (IMO) the Baraga DNR office is doing, is limiting who can "reasonably" camp there because almost NOBODY with any common sense would spend hundreds of dollars to "run up north, nearly 150 miles away, with the trailer in tow, hoping that maybe there is an open site"...

So, even in places where there's rules in other campgrounds, there's not always appropriate rules to help campers use the facilities paid for by the taxpayers.....

[Raptor Dave]

I just copy and pasted a part of what you had written with a blanket statement saying that it would eliminate a lot of the BS.

Not really out of context, just dreaming I guess.