State park no-shows

[jasin1]

Just watched RV Miles YouTube episode and he talked about people booking state park sites for “just in case we can go” scenario’s among other reasons.
People book the relatively cheap sites and then just never show up and don’t really care about Losing the money or don’t want to get hit with cancellation fees.

I noticed this in the keys…I have been trying to book a site at one of the state parks in the keys for over a year…they are always booked up when I check.

A week or so ago when i was in the keys we went for a ride into Currey Hammock state park…while there I walked up to the ranger office and asked if I could walk through the campground sites to check it out…ranger said sure no problem.

1/3 to half the sites were empty…I asked the ranger if I could just drive in a book a site ..she said nope ..gotta go through website. This was at 5:30 pm so someone should have arrived for the site by then I would think

In Wyoming Rv miles said they will make a site available again if nobody shows up by day 2 at 11 am

This is a google earth photo of the campground and most sites are empty….seems like it should always be full unless they just happened to snap photo between checkout and check in

[dutchmensport]

I understand this is a very frustrating subject. It's been brought up many, many times on this and different RV - Camping forums about vacant reserved sites. It is a problem for sure, for someone in your shoes. We can sit and fuss about this all we want, (it doesn't make it right, don't get me wrong here), but there's very little any of us can do about it.

As long as the campground (State or Private), gets their money, they don't care how the temporary tenant utilizes the space during the time of their tenure. It's actually more beneficial for the campground if the site remains paid for and unoccupied. They are saving the cost of electric and water, that the consumer paid for in the reservation.

Does that make it right? No, from our side of the equation, absolutely no. But, the campgrounds determine their own rules and we just have to figure out how make those rules work for us.

With the overflooding of folks getting into the camping lifestyle since the pandemic started, procuring "pristine" and "most desired" campgrounds and specific campsites have just become near impossible.

If you truly want a specific, high profile, high visibility, high tourist campground, then all you can try to do is continue to book those reservations out as far as possible, and hope you can get your foot in the door.

Some reservation web sites give you the option to select a reservation for the "next available date." If this is the case, that might be the only way to get in where you want. BUT that "next available date" might be months away from YOUR next available date.

Sorry, there are no easy answers. The best you can do is pick a different destination spot that's not so popular. And then drive in to see the popular site as day trips. That's how we do it.

[Marinerjoe]

Originally Posted by jasin1

This is a google earth photo of the campground and most sites are empty….seems like it should always be full unless they just happened to snap photo between checkout and check in

Do you have any idea when this photo was taken? It’s NOT a live, or time-lapse photo stream.

BTW, I agree that something needs to be done about unused reservations. Maybe a penalty for repeat offenders.

[JRTJH]

Michigan has a similar reservation system, but about 20% of the campsites are excluded from the reservation system. Those sites are managed by the campground staff and are available for "walk in camping" or other contengencies...

I'm sure that Florida has some "pressure vent" available as well... Imagine what would happen to the "reservation system satisfaction rate" if there were problems that developed with a campsite and there was no available alternative for a "paid in full customer".... Things like broken/burned circuit breakers, burned up campground pedestals, water faucets that won't turn off or on, a cracked slab from an overweight motorhome leveling jack footpad, muddy ground or ruts in the gravel parking pad.....

While there may be a "policy that we don't accept cash for registration fees" at a specific facility, I can't imagine a "reservation system that can't adjust to problems wtih availability for unforseen problems"....

I'd guess the first person to arrive with a 2 week ($600) reserved and paid in full receipt and is told by the campground staff, "Sorry, your site is down, go home and try calling the reservation system for a refund".... Nope, that would go over with a smile and a thank you, for sure......

So, there are "available sites" but possibly a policy not to rent them to walkins....

[flybouy]

Folks not occupying a paid for space is just like setting "in the cheap seats" at the stadium and looking down at the empty box seats. You can't go down and set in the box seats as they are paid for.

[rjrelander]

In Minnesota (and probably other states) they switched to where you can only book up to 120 days out. But, that's 120 days out to the starting day of the reservation. People are reserving two week chunks starting two weeks before when they want to be there. Then they turn around and cancel the two weeks leading up to when they actually show up. That's fine, it's their money, but the result is that entire campgrounds show up as booked until the last minute when the cancellations start rolling in.

Not RV related, but we've also had issues for decades in the Boundary Waters where conservationist groups would reserve camp sites with no intention of ever camping there just to prevent others from using them.

[spade117]

Originally Posted by rjrelander

In Minnesota (and probably other states) they switched to where you can only book up to 120 days out. But, that's 120 days out to the starting day of the reservation. People are reserving two week chunks starting two weeks before when they want to be there. Then they turn around and cancel the two weeks leading up to when they actually show up. That's fine, it's their money, but the result is that entire campgrounds show up as booked until the last minute when the cancellations start rolling in.

Yep, pretty much the same in NY, except the booking window is 9 months out.

It's almost impossible to get reservations at the more popular places because of the 2 weeks out booking trick. Most times it is just better to set up cancellation notices and hope you get something that way.

[jasin1]

On line reservations has made things a little easier for booking sites but also made it easier to manipulate the system…concert tickets are the same way. They go on sale at a certain time and all the good seats are bought up by third party ticket brokers before a regular person gets a chance to purchase…your left with paying 5 times as much on a ticket broker site.

The state park systems should have a way to discourage people playing around with reservations…stores do it ..that’s why they check your license when you do returns at Home Depot and different places…some people are habitual returner’s.

Yeah I’m just complaining…sorry

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by rjrelander

In Minnesota (and probably other states) they switched to where you can only book up to 120 days out. But, that's 120 days out to the starting day of the reservation. People are reserving two week chunks starting two weeks before when they want to be there. Then they turn around and cancel the two weeks leading up to when they actually show up. That's fine, it's their money, but the result is that entire campgrounds show up as booked until the last minute when the cancellations start rolling in.

Not RV related, but we've also had issues for decades in the Boundary Waters where conservationist groups would reserve camp sites with no intention of ever camping there just to prevent others from using them.

There is a guy down the street from me that reserves a duck blind whenever he can …it’s across the cove from him and he doesn’t like hunters…he shows up once a year at the county when it’s up for renewal…no hunting when he reserves it

[flybouy]

Unfortunatly if there's a way to profit from something (not necessarily just profit monetarily) someone will figure out a way to manipulate it. Then when means are placed to defeat algorithims or whatever there's someone who will defeate that.

Most states whent to online booking to eliminate jobs. I have a great dislike for that and would rather pay a few bucks more but that's not how buissness models work. When I'm in a store I'll wait in line vs self check out because I'd rather do what I can to keep that person's job intact. I think Covid has given large businesses a need and an excuse to reduce human interaction and payroll.

I don’t like it either but it's the near Orwellian world we live in. Having worked in the retail and resturant industry (in development not customer service) I understand how difficult it can be. Even if someone is "less than bubbly" remembering they are human, undestanding they could be going thru trying times personally and offering a compliment or a kind word can go a long way. So personally, I'd rather try to "lift" the spirits of someone that's "less than bubbly" than stare at a machine.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Unfortunatly if there's a way to profit from something (not necessarily just profit monetarily) someone will figure out a way to manipulate it. Then when means are placed to defeat algorithims or whatever there's someone who will defeate that.

Most states whent to online booking to eliminate jobs. I have a great dislike for that and would rather pay a few bucks more but that's not how buissness models work. When I'm in a store I'll wait in line vs self check out because I'd rather do what I can to keep that person's job intact. I think Covid has given large businesses a need and an excuse to reduce human interaction and payroll.

I don’t like it either but it's the near Orwellian world we live in. Having worked in the retail and resturant industry (in development not customer service) I understand how difficult it can be. Even if someone is "less than bubbly" remembering they are human, undestanding they could be going thru trying times personally and offering a compliment or a kind word can go a long way. So personally, I'd rather try to "lift" the spirits of someone that's "less than bubbly" than stare at a machine.

My credit union has a security guard..a receptionist and one or two bank employees in an office..they did away with the regular line of tellers…you just walk in and sit down in a cubicle and put your transaction in a bank vacuum tube…if you need to ask a question it’s on a tv screen…whole thing is kinda weird

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by jasin1

My credit union has a security guard..a receptionist and one or two bank employees in an office..they did away with the regular line of tellers…you just walk in and sit down in a cubicle and put your transaction in a bank vacuum tube…if you need to ask a question it’s on a tv screen…whole thing is kinda weird

I know what you are talking about. I'm always expecting someone hack the system and have Max Headroom break into the screen! Guess I showed my age with that.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I know what you are talking about. I'm always expecting someone hack the system and have Max Headroom break into the screen! Guess I showed my age with that.

Lol they never did figure out who that actually was ..a lot of theory’s but nothing conclusive

[CrazyCain]

We have had that happen numerous times. The are a couple local state parks near us that we use for work/camp weeks. We pull in on a Friday and leave the following Sunday. We look at the reservation site and say, WOW, the park is full all week, only to have it empty out on Sunday, very few taken sites through the week and then Jammed packed again on Friday. No complaints from us, like the quiet M-F days!!!!

[TimC]

Originally Posted by rjrelander

In Minnesota (and probably other states) they switched to where you can only book up to 120 days out. But, that's 120 days out to the starting day of the reservation. People are reserving two week chunks starting two weeks before when they want to be there. Then they turn around and cancel the two weeks leading up to when they actually show up. That's fine, it's their money, but the result is that entire campgrounds show up as booked until the last minute when the cancellations start rolling in.

Not RV related, but we've also had issues for decades in the Boundary Waters where conservationist groups would reserve camp sites with no intention of ever camping there just to prevent others from using them.

Same thing in Wisconsin, except it’s 11 months out I believe. But, this has been a problem for a long time. Well before Covid. It never used to be much of a problem for me though because I could just wait until a week or two before the time I wanted a site and you’d start seeing people cancel the week they didn’t want. So usually could snag some availability even in the most popular parks. Haven’t been able to do that the past couple years though.