Interesting Michigan reservation policy

[booster]

Originally Posted by Belzar

Rationing by price is essentially happening already for those who can afford to "game" the reservation systems.

I totally agree, and when you try to address this with the Park Department all you really get is excuses why they can't do it more fairly. They are systematically pricing out those that don't have as many resources and/or flexible schedules.



It really is pretty silly to us to pull into a campground with no host or office open and that has a bunch of open sites by appearance, but still have to go the internet, if we have service, and reserve a site we are looking at or sitting in plus pay a $7-8 reservation fee to do it.

[MsNomer]

We were not pleased when Oklahoma went to reservations only last year, but now that they've ironed it out, we like it a lot. Key factors are they are almost never fully booked, it's occupy or lose, it’s easier to do the transaction at the site than go back to a pay station, no extra fees, easy to change reservation, also with no extra fee.

[booster]

I have been watching the website for the UP campground that we would have stayed in, but canceled when it got way to busy to see what goes on with the reservations over time and how affects the open sites.


This does appear to be an odd year (understatement) with how they are going day to day. We canceled a few days ahead and the site we had got grabbed right away by a new reservation and over the days some longer ones are canceling and refilling. Michigan eliminated cancel fees for the year early in the year to encourage people to reserve without risk of cost if they decide to cancel later, so I am sure that has some to do with how many there are canceling. A new thing that is going on with last few days of cold in the UP is that people with longer reservations are canceling one day at a time as according to the weather, it appears, as the reserved string for a given site gets shorter and shorter.


Even with all the activity, the place is staying packed with 130+ campsites of 140 reserved nearly all the time. There are some single, two, three day openings, but it is a long way for most people to get there, so those stay open. We go every year right after labor day and have never seen it more than half full while we were there, so this is very unusual, but makes us glad we didn't go this year.

[Winston]

Originally Posted by MsNomer

We were not pleased when Oklahoma went to reservations only last year, but now that they've ironed it out, we like it a lot. Key factors are they are almost never fully booked, it's occupy or lose, it’s easier to do the transaction at the site than go back to a pay station, no extra fees, easy to change reservation, also with no extra fee.

Yes, but . . . .

You might have a different attitude were you to discover that all of the campsites are booked 6 months in advance . . .

[booster]

Originally Posted by Winston

Yes, but . . . .

You might have a different attitude were you to discover that all of the campsites are booked 6 months in advance . . .

X2


It gets very discouraging when you suddenly realize the only way you are ever going to be able to go some of your favorite places is to reserve way ahead or spend hours and days watching for a cancellation on the website.

[MsNomer]

As I said, "Key factors are they are almost never fully booked…” Yes, we would be royally pissed if they were always booked.

However, upon retrospection, I can’t say whether that's true in the higher season. We only go to our local parks when the weather is too unpredictable to go elsewhere—as in, late fall, winter, early spring. While OK can have spells of really nice weather then, it’s not predictable enough for long-term planning.

[avanti]

I don't disagree that things are getting tight at popular places. and that is unfortunate. But I will say this:

If you venture a bit off the beaten path (and I am not talking about boondocking), there are a lot of great places with plenty of availability.

Traveling from the Northeast to Lousiana this week, I sat down to make some reservations. I quickly discovered that I wouldn't need them. Spending one night at a Tennessee state park and the next an COE campground in Alabama. They both have enough availability that there is no risk of them filling up, at least on weekdays. Yes, it is after Labor Day, but barely. Plus, that is part of what "off the beaten path" means. I have always thoroughly enjoyed stays at lesser-known parks. Many diamonds in the rough.

Just sayin'.

[Winston]

Wondrous . . .

. . . no problem finding a camp site as long as you don't want to go to any 'nice spots' (popular), or travel during the nice summer months . . . and are prepared to drive 1,200 miles home for the weekend . . .

. . . simply wondrous!

[Brad1998RD]

Originally Posted by rowiebowie

You raise an issue that irks me to no end. We travel in off-season and routinely stay in half-empty parks that are "Full". I guess state and national parks are "fat & happy" to have all their sites paid for. Yet it is counter-productive to camping to have 1/3 to 1/2 the slots go unused.

I would rather all campgrounds be "first-come/first-served" than the way things are now. Realistically however, making the changes mentioned are a good first step.

I agree except for the first come first serve. If you travel a couple hours or more to the campground and there is no spots. Then your whole weekend or vacation could be shot. There should be some spots first come first serve but also need reservations.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Brad1998RD

I agree except for the first come first serve. If you travel a couple hours or more to the campground and there is no spots. Then your whole weekend or vacation could be shot. There should be some spots first come first serve but also need reservations.

That certainly is an issue, I think, for many folks except the gypsy travelers.


I think the same day reservations, especially by phone and preferably to the park itself, could be used by releasing the sites first thing in the morning so people could call in to hold or do the same online, but with the caveat they would be released at noon and with a fully charged penalty if you didn't show or call because of a delay. I think the penalties being substantial and immediate would help stop abuse, especially with a black list for repeat offenders, which would be easier to make in real time than for months old cancellations.



I don't see how you can do drive ups to cover late arrivals though, as holding them would likely leave a lot of empty sites.

[Pacifica]

I personally hate this concept, as a full time nomad who generally likes the state park campground vibe. Washington State now implements this progressive type of refund/cancellation policy and it makes me very unwilling to plan and camp in WA State campgrounds as a result. (WA suspended this policy temporarily due to Covid).

Anything that facilitates an easy and painless cancellation is truly the way to go. Arizona nails this. Yes you reserve and pay upfront for up to a year in advance. But you can cancel so easily with only a $5 penalty. Sure, some people are rolling in it enough to no show and no cancel. But if it was easier and painless to cancel, more people would opt to get their money back if their travel plans change. And then there would be more last minute sites to reserve, or pick up first come first serve. The harsh, progressive cancellations policies look good on paper, but in actuality these harsh penalties mean people will hold out to cancel, thinking that maybe at the last minute they can make it, but then real life intrudes and they don't bother to cancel because they figure most of the money is gone anyway. The easier it is to cancel the more it will happen to open up those sites sitting empty when the reservation system says full.

With the state of nomadic life and RV vacations (massive increase) those now empty sites will be snapped up quick and the states will still get their money.

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2015 24J View

[booster]

Originally Posted by Pacifica

I personally hate this concept, as a full time nomad who generally likes the state park campground vibe. Washington State now implements this progressive type of refund/cancellation policy and it makes me very unwilling to plan and camp in WA State campgrounds as a result. (WA suspended this policy temporarily due to Covid).

Anything that facilitates an easy and painless reservation is truly the way to go. Arizona nails this. Yes you reserve and pay upfront for up to a year in advance. But you can cancel so easily with only a $5 penalty. Sure, some people are rolling in it enough to no show and no cancel. But if it was easier and painless to cancel, more people would opt to get their money back if their travel plans change. And then there would be more last minute sites to reserve, or pick up first come first serve. The harsh, progressive cancellations policies look good on paper, but in actuality these harsh penalties mean people will hold out to cancel, thinking that maybe at the last minute they can make it, but then real life intrudes and they don't bother to cancel because they figure most of the money is gone anyway. The easier it is to cancel the more it will happen to open up those sites sitting empty when the reservation system says full.

With the state of nomadic life and RV vacations (massive increase) those now empty sites will be snapped up quick and the states will still get their money.

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2015 24J View

I can agree with most of this, but the problem with the late canceling in general is how to get the sites to all the might want them. Pure drive up eliminates those that drive a ways to get there and they are gone. Just canceling leaves it up to everyone to continuously monitor the website for sites opening up and can be horribly tedious to actually do (we have done it a couple of times). Until they put in some kind of wait list you can get on for cancellations, a lot of people will be left out, I fear.

[Want a B]

Should RV parks follow the airline industries practice of over booking to "fill" the empty lots? Then when you arrive with your rig find out you've been bumped no lies available?

[Belzar]

Will "Iron Rangers" become an item of campground nostalgia...like hand-cranked water pumps and coin operated showers?