9 replies to this topic

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Not that I had planned to camp there this summer I thought it

would be interesting to see what's happening there.

 

Well ALL camping is now reservation only.

Our favorite campground Gros Ventre is no longer FCFS.

Reservation only and to top it off it's just about booked up until

maybe late Aug. Wow.

 

IMO a lot of the changes are due to Covid,but I think with a lot

more people out camping it was only a matter of time for the change.

 

I don't mind planing ahead and make reservations for places to camp

but it takes some of the fun out of the experience.

 

For our style of camping/traveling I have to put more thought into it.

Leaves out the "fly by the seat of the pants" camping.

 

Oh well we aren't ready to get out there yet anyway.

 

So as FYI check things out before you leave home.

Stay safe out there.

Frank

[ckent323]

We stayed at Crystal Creek Campground a few years ago.  It is further along the road from Atherton Creek Campground and well beyond the point were the road (Forest Service Rd 30400) turns to dirt .   At that time there were no reservations required and there was an overflow camping area on the other side of the road.  We relly enjoyed it there.  Most of the campsites were well seperated.

The Bridger-Teton Forest Service site for this campground shows no reservations are required.  It is a small campground so fisrt come first served.   But the overflow area would be acceptable until a site opened up.

https://www.fs.usda....ea/?recid=71627

Edited by ckent323, 05 June 2021 - 11:44 PM.

[Ted]

We were there just a few weeks ago.  We have been doing one or two trips a year to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Not real anxious to return after this one.

 

The reservations only is also now in effect for the small campgrounds in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone also (Pebble Creek and Slough Creek) and for Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone, all of which have previously been first come first served. My complaint about the new system is that they open up all of these for reservation at the same time. So if you are waiting at your computer for that window to open, you will have an opportunity to book one site. But if you want to book multiple locations over a longer stay, good luck. Or if you want to do more than one trip. Within minutes the popular and small campgrounds are filled for the season. By the time you book your first site or trip you can't get anything else.

 

As for the smaller forest service campgrounds in the area, they have also been affected by this. All of the people that are still not used to the reservation system and just showing up are being pushed out to those. And the locals that could make spur of the moment trips to the National Parks are now having to use them too. So they are as crowded as Alabama Hills now.

[JaSAn]

Unfortunately a new player has shown up on the scene:

https://drivinvibin....condary-market/

 

With the renewed interest in camping, reservations are a valuable commodity to RV rental companies and to scalpers.

On-line reservations make it easy to game the system.

 

[SkyP]

That campsite reselling is BS.  Campgrounds need to require an official ID to check in- if it doesn't match the name on the reservation then turn them away.

It won't take long for the resellers to get a very bad reputation and fold up.

 

Last year on our way out west I stopped at my reserved site in a COE campground in AR.   A van was set up in it.

 

Talked to the lady who said she liked it better than HER reserved site but did offer to move-  She even said she talked to the host who she claimed told her I'd probably be a no show!  

 

I asked her which was her reserved site, she told me.  I said well I'll stay in it- it was late (9PM) and I was only going to be there one night and leave early.  I did tell her if I got rousted out since I wasn't in MY assigned site she would have to get out of my reserved site.

 

Later thinking about it I bet she had no reservations at all and was scamming a free site.  Never saw a host during our short time there.

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

This whole reserved site thing has gotten out of control.

I have heard about the RV sites making reservations and

selling them.

 

I think the ID thing would work but to get the parks/host to enforce it

might be another story.

 

Maybe things might let up next year but not holding my breath.

 

I am just glad we had been fortunate to do the camping at Yellowstone

we have for the past 16 years.

Camper in most of the parks sites and had a great time.

We would like to return but if we don't we'll still have our great memories.

 

Frank

[SkyP]

My grandson and I visited Yellowstone a couple of years ago-  we literally could not visit any of the attractions other than Old Faithful.   All the roadside stuff had full parking lots- and people parked precariously along the roads often were solid for a mile or more each direction, both sides.

We gave up and went back the next morning pre-dawn.  Had the place to ourselves for a couple of hours- by 10AM same crap- bumper to bumper and nowhere to park.  Had the same experience at Yosemite.  

[clikrf8]

Reservations only are now the rule is many Washington state park campgrounds as well as all Oregon Coast state park campgrounds. Thankfully, we were able to secure our campsites in all but one of the Washington state parks as they had a FCFS for day of camping if sites were available. You could not reserve a site the day of. We had to reserve Fort Casey as it is small and popular. 
 

Along the Oregon Coast, we managed to find an open site at Cape Lookout state park but during the weekend there was nothing but RV parks available where we wanted to stay. It wasn’t a bad one we chose as they had 4 resident elk herds and we saw 53 elk that evening. But between Lincoln City and south of Bandon, there was one site remaining for Sunday night in Cape Blanco. We had to drive 175 miles in heavy weekend traffic. Our dispersed sites have been overtaken by the homeless and van dwellers. The BLM and State/USFS campgrounds were crowded and some have become sketchy. 
 

Now, all Roosevelt National Recreation Area campgrounds are by reservation only and no FCFS sites will be offered. 
 

We are not planners but have a loose itinerary of our destinations. Because we have a truck camper, we are a bit more nimble and can vary from our “plan”. I do not like this reservation idea at all and especially the tacked on “fee”. I supposed with the popularity of camping it had to be done. Our destinations will have to be decided by availability of dispersed camping. Once in awhile, we like to camp at a state campground but I guess in some places, that won’t be possible. 

[Wango]

I live north of the west entrance to YNP, have been through West Yellowstone,MT twice in the last week. The crowds and lines to get into the park are insane. Most of the dispersed places around here and the Tetons are no longer a secret, many were closed after the eclipse debacle. 

If campgrounds are your thing, early reservations and patience are in order. 

If looking for dispersed, even more patience and good luck. 

I am only planning on a few short trips around here this season due to crowds, and i will only go to areas with the worst roads, hoping that may stop a few of the horde.

Good luck everyone, pm if you are nearby and i will see if i can help.

w

[joez3]

Isn't yosemite requiring you to have a reservation just to get into the park? I am not sure if this going to be permanent or just a covid thing. I have read several articles that camping and RV sales are through the roof since covid hit. I wonder what will happen in a year to 2.