Difficulty of Reserving a Campsite

Submitted by _kurtvon t3_11bqmvl in Washington

Is it me or has it gotten increasingly difficult to reserve campsites within the National Parks? Every morning I go on to attempt to reserve a site when new ones become available to the reservation system - haven't had luck yet.

I believe many people are overbooking sites just to have them and likely will end up canceling before their stays. This seems like the only way to grab a site at popular areas now. This is what I had to do this past summer - wait to book a last min cancellation.

Very frustrating!

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whidbeysounder t1_j9zshly wrote

And when you get to the park lots of the sites go unused. Should be penalties for no shows

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red-mekanik t1_ja194th wrote

This is something I really agree with. I feel like encouraging people to actually cancel their reservations so that other can use it would be a big help.

I see it working this way: keep the fees for camp sites reasonable, and you get most of it back for cancelling 2 weeks out. As you get closer, a prorated added cost to cancel. Fail to cancel but don't show? 25% no-show fee applied straight to the card on file, automatically. Watch the behavior change overnight.

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FlyingMonkeyDethcult t1_j9zfjmh wrote

  1. Most of the federal land agencies have been underfunded and understaffed for decades now. NPS, BLM, USFS. This is on purpose.
  2. 2005 onward - the explosion of people using the outdoors.
  3. Millions of boomers retiring and RVing post Covid.

Avoid the summer or get lucky. Even the shoulder seasons are stupid busy. Glacier was packed well after Labor Day, and before Memorial Day.

I'm more likely to do dispersed camping these days, but people like bathrooms.

Edit to add: Van lifers. Lots and lots of people in the last 7-10 years permanently traveling, and a large uptick post Covid with remote work.

There just isn't room for everyone, and of course the bots.

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Dusty923 t1_j9zw1uw wrote

This. Campgrounds in the shoulder seasons and dispersed in the summer.

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scooterpet t1_j9z9kqd wrote

Yep not easy. People have developed bots to grab them as soon as they are available.

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[deleted] t1_j9zfu1l wrote

[deleted]

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cabbagebot t1_j9zl6gs wrote

Seattle is full of software developers. I know many people personally who wouldn't blink at developing a bot for this if it would make the difference between having and not having a campsite.

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ChelsieTheBrave t1_ja0lvnb wrote

It's fast and easy to write a script or "bot" to do it if you know what you're doing. Many in western Washington do.

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punkmetalbastard t1_ja0lu88 wrote

I’m a former NPS worker. Once Recreation.gov became the go-to for site reservations this became a problem. People really do reserve any and all dates they might maybe, want to, possibly camp. The severely underfunded NPS should have better control of the site and rules in place to give everyone a fair crack, but contractors and concessionaires are increasingly getting more control of what goes on and they don’t care a bit as long as they get paid. Last I checked, you couldn’t get a walk up reservation at the Olympic NP Wilderness Info Center AT ALL. It’s all on recreation.gov

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WrongWeekToQuit t1_j9zno1d wrote

Not only do they overbook, but they don't even cancel or show up. Every time I have a reserved camp spot, at least one the adjacent spots remains empty.

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LD50_irony t1_j9zte6n wrote

This always aggravates me! The park system really needs a way to remind people to cancel and/or charge for no-shows.

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LD50_irony t1_j9zt7rk wrote

This is why I do a lot of my camping by scooping up cancellations later in the year, although that requires more regular checking to see if sites have opened up.

The amount of people who want to go camping has risen a LOT over the past decade but available campsites have risen not at all. It's a real bummer, especially if you can only camp on weekends.

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ChampagneStain t1_ja07yu2 wrote

If you’re on the FB, there’s a community where folks post when they’re trying to transfer or trade reservations. It covers all campgrounds and not just National Parks. Gets pretty busy once the weather improves. Might be worth checking out. Pretty sure Reddit won’t let me link to it, but it’s called PNW Camping Reservations Re-listings.

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Row30 t1_ja0ke2e wrote

It’s a great resource, and lots of last minute cancellations available if someone is flexible

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gingerwizard78 t1_ja16r7s wrote

Good to know of the resource, thank you. Cool and all...buuuuuuut doesn't that just mean people are now brokering space instead of the National Park Service doing it, meaning Public Camping and Public Campgrounds got Craigslisted? No matter the reason just feels wonky. No judgment on the maybes just observation of the outcomes a bunch of maybes make. Happiness and health to you and all (and camping, too!)

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FiddlingnRome t1_j9zah4z wrote

There are over 10K boomers retiring every day right now... The RV industry is going gangbusters. It's a terrible time to be trying to get a reservation.

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teabagalomaniac t1_j9zkcpd wrote

It's fucking impossible. I'm convinced that the NPS just plain doesn't care if people can enjoy the parks so long as they are preserved.

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Flimsy-Explorer-854 t1_j9zr0xc wrote

Preservation is the main goal of the NPS. They work hard to make them accessible, but no, it’s not perfect.. and they are under funded like many agencies.

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teabagalomaniac t1_j9zsjy9 wrote

I don't buy the funding argument. How much money would it seriously take to build a few more campsites?

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red-mekanik t1_ja0ijkh wrote

I don't think it's about building new sites. If anything, the NPS is closing stuff down because they can't maintain what they have. I know of two car campgrounds in Washington state that are now hike in only because the road washed out, and the NPS decided not to rebuild.

Also, if preservation is the goal, why would they build new stuff? Building a bunch of new roads and sites, toilets, power, etc., that doesn't really preserve the natural environment. This is part of why I like the Olympics and North cascades: there are parts available to those who just want to drive up, but the majority of the park is well preserved and has no road access. But I also accept I'm biased as a hiker

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teabagalomaniac t1_ja0w2uu wrote

I gave up car camping years ago. These days I only backpack. What you said about preservation is exactly right. They are prioritizing preservation over hiker and camper experience. That's my whole gripe with their method of operations. I don't buy the argument that hikers and backpackers are the greatest threat to the wilderness, it's clearly development. I also don't buy the argument that there is a positive correlation between the number of visitors that a trail can handle and the budget for the forest service. I think the forest service spends more on enforcement than they do on managing trails.

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Flimsy-Explorer-854 t1_ja0swsy wrote

To build a few campsites? That isn’t going to change this threads problem. The demand on these lottery and reservation sites is many times the current availability.

Costs of initial construction are low, cost of maintaining logistics in remote areas is high. Ex:Removing human shit from backcountry campgrounds is done by mule train and helicopter. As you add sites, you have to add support staff, hiring people is expensive.

These challenges are complicated further by peoples lack of respect for the lands they are camping and sightseeing on. Pack in pack it out/ LNT, is an honor system. The NPS can’t keep people from falling in boiling water and trying to hug 1000lb wild animals for internet points. Getting these same people to pick up their used toilet paper is a real struggle. And in case you were wondering, yes, your used TP goes in your bear canister with your food trash to protect wildlife (personally I double bay my shit paper, but is not a glamorous part of the wild).

A fed bear is a dead bear.

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greensweatersinfall t1_ja1a8ul wrote

I’ve switched over to using Hipcamp because I got so frustrated trying to hit “Reserve” right at 7am for a campground 6 months from now and not being able to get it. It’s taken so much of the joy and spontaneity out of camping for me, and with a young child I’m also not willing to do first come first serve when I’m 2-3 hrs from home.

Anyways, I feel your pain. I don’t know how to get a campsite anymore without learning how to code and writing a bot. Camping has become a competitive sport.

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footballqween t1_j9znzm1 wrote

Yes it’s extremely difficult! I managed to snag one last summer by setting up email notifications for openings and watching my phone like a hawk for weeks waiting for something to pop up lol.

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nao_gmc t1_ja0nj6k wrote

I thought NPS sites didn't open til May for reservations....am I also in trouble? 😅

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Bardamu1932 t1_ja1vj6l wrote

Its happening with everything that has value and a finite supply. Bots buy up the supply and then ask triple the face value. An event is listed as sold out, but you go to it and it is half empty. NP campsite reservations, of course, don't have a face value, so are primed for abuse.

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klisto1 t1_ja1mca7 wrote

So about 2 years ago my aunt and I were complaining about this. We talked to a few family members and we all pitched in and bought 10 acres up by lake Cushman. We now have our own camping spot. Problem solved.

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abyssandhole2004 t1_ja3ptq1 wrote

How does maintenance on land work? How do you know the boundaries of your land?

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klisto1 t1_ja6b6n8 wrote

Every county in Washington has a map website. In Thurston county the website is called geodata. You can see all the information about your property. If you really need to get right down to your property line you can hire a surveyor. There's also a bunch of apps you can use on your phone like xhunt. They get pretty close to your property line. I use that before.

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crasstyfartman t1_ja1fy8m wrote

Yes it’s become nearly impossible since pandemic 😭

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Orofeaiel t1_j9zqm67 wrote

I haven't had problems? Even got a whole campground to myself on a holiday last year, booked the week before.

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ElTardoDente t1_ja10zh9 wrote

Lol why are they downvoting you for answering the question. Good on you homie I hope that camping trip was serene af

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No_Syrup_6697 t1_j9zuovr wrote

I didn't have an issue 2020. But I did notice it hard to book in 2022 lots of spots reserved. This year might be the same. There are same day spots with no reservation but that is a risk that it might already be taken

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yo_teach213 t1_ja0y055 wrote

We had the same issue last summer (all over; we visited 27 states). I haven't tried in earnest yet this year, which means we're screwed! 🙈

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Bamcfp t1_ja1joy9 wrote

Tried to see the Washington monument with a similar reservation system. Login to the page and all the times are taken before you can even click the button. Maybe 5-10 seconds and all sold out for the day. 3 days in a row. I assume someone has a bot to snatch them all up and resell

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Capable_Nature_644 t1_ja1itwf wrote

Back in the 90's we had to book them well a year in advance. It's gotten worse since then. Don't take the gamble that one randomly opens or is a no call no show as some people run a little late.

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kelskelsvinvin t1_ja39fzc wrote

It is extremely frustrating, so much in fact my husband and I decided to go in 50/50 with my parents and buy some land in a community camp ground. It’s a dry spot, but there is a community clubhouse a short drive away. It’s not the same as traveling around and exploring different places, but atleast we we have a place to go if we don’t want to fight the reservation system. Thousand trails or another private camping network is an option too. I wasn’t super impressed with some of the thousand trails facilities, but some are really nice and you can almost always get a spot somewhere.

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Lokehualiilii t1_ja3n18l wrote

It’s not you. It’s darn near impossible!

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