How far out to Book

[soarvet]

Okay, I need a little guidance from you veterans out here on booking campgrounds. I grew up camping out west (Colorado). When I was younger I don't remember my father ever having to book a campsite out months in advance. Now, I'm in my 40's and my wife and I just purchased our first travel trailer. We've been looking at little weekend trips to get away from the city, but it seems like everywhere we look is booked way out.

How far out do you all book campgrounds? Is there a secret to this whole thing?

[theclarks]

I would say will depend when you're gonna stay and where, Holiday Weekends fill up early / regular weekends are not too bad (Ohio State parks allow you to book 6 months out / some campgrounds are 1 year / our son just made us reservations for July 4th 2020. We just looked at the week of Aug 12-16 and 50% of the sites are already booked at Maumee Bay State Park. The more popular better to get reservations as early as possible, a good tip is to use google earth to look at the sites to get an idea of what the site looks like. . . .


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[TENN22]

6 months to 1 year in advance at most places we stay in the SouthEast, both State and local CG. Disney Fort Wilderness being the exception and we book it ~499 days in advance (already have Halloween reservations for 2019).

[AustexGP]

When we first started camping it was just a phone call on Monday to reserve a spot for Friday-Sunday. However now things are booked months if not years in advance - especially on holiday weekends - we started looking in January for a spot at Pace Bend Park on Lake Travis. The earliest date was in mid-September. Several reasons, we're getting more and more baby boomers retiring and ready to travel and many young couples can't afford a house but can afford an TT. With the internet and work from home attitude of companies these younger folks can do a month work while sitting in an RV park. I have a co-worker (we're both retired now) whose kids employer is in Austin but they're camping in North Carolina this month (last month they were in Virginia).

So if you want to go somewhere that is a high traffic area, book early.

[D2Reid]

We've been looking at little weekend trips to get away from the city, but it seems like everywhere we look is booked way out.

When we started 7 years ago reservations weren't a necessity. Then my fellow baby boomers started retiring, then (whats the next generation called? Millenials) have matured and the economy is doing pretty well so they are buying RV' to take that summer vacation in and do some weekend getaway's. It was a pretty well discussed topic in a different thread, but my research said that in 2011 when we started there were 200k rv's sold last year there were 500k rv's sold. Each year in between has had a steady growth rate of sales.

Now compare that to the number of RV parks and government based campgrounds around, supply and demand.

These last 2 years we have had to make long term reservations. Memorial day weekend you want to plan a year in advance. Independence day and Labor day 6 months in advance. During spring break you will need to be cognizant of popular family and college kid campgrounds. Book 3-4 months in advance.

Other summer trips start before school is out. Watch reservation cancellation penalties. Some are pretty hefty, most are minimal $8-$30.

National Parks start taking reservations at 7am (local time) 6 months before the arrival date. A young man we worked with at an Oregon State Park had worked his way up to being an intern at Yosemite. He told us that Yosemite will be completely booked by 7:30 am.

It's gotten annoying enough that my wife and I have talked about selling the RV and beginning a long term house setting service, you take your RV on your summer trip and we will house sit, mow the lawn, etc. for a very reasonable price... Ok, not really.

[soarvet]

When we started 7 years ago reservations weren't a necessity. Then my fellow baby boomers started retiring, then (whats the next generation called? Millenials) have matured and the economy is doing pretty well so they are buying RV' to take that summer vacation in and do some weekend getaway's. It was a pretty well discussed topic in a different thread, but my research said that in 2011 when we started there were 200k rv's sold last year there were 500k rv's sold. Each year in between has had a steady growth rate of sales.

Now compare that to the number of RV parks and government based campgrounds around, supply and demand.

These last 2 years we have had to make long term reservations. Memorial day weekend you want to plan a year in advance. Independence day and Labor day 6 months in advance. During spring break you will need to be cognizant of popular family and college kid campgrounds. Book 3-4 months in advance.

Other summer trips start before school is out. Watch reservation cancellation penalties. Some are pretty hefty, most are minimal $8-$30.

National Parks start taking reservations at 7am (local time) 6 months before the arrival date. A young man we worked with at an Oregon State Park had worked his way up to being an intern at Yosemite. He told us that Yosemite will be completely booked by 7:30 am.

It's gotten annoying enough that my wife and I have talked about selling the RV and beginning a long term house setting service, you take your RV on your summer trip and we will house sit, mow the lawn, etc. for a very reasonable price... Ok, not really.

Thanks for your insight on how far out you make reservations. Will definitely have to write this down. 30 minutes to book Yosemite is crazy! I'm gonna have to get the wife in on this. She's way more organized than I am. I think you're referring to my generation (Gen X). I don't see too many Millenial's except for the few I see camping in tents. I think they are more into tiny houses and camping in tents.

[Steven@147]

When we first started camping it was just a phone call on Monday to reserve a spot for Friday-Sunday. However now things are booked months if not years in advance - especially on holiday weekends - we started looking in January for a spot at Pace Bend Park on Lake Travis. The earliest date was in mid-September. Several reasons, we're getting more and more baby boomers retiring and ready to travel and many young couples can't afford a house but can afford an TT. With the internet and work from home attitude of companies these younger folks can do a month work while sitting in an RV park. I have a co-worker (we're both retired now) whose kids employer is in Austin but they're camping in North Carolina this month (last month they were in Virginia).

So if you want to go somewhere that is a high traffic area, book early.

Boy isn't that the truth Les & Sharon, at least around Central Texas. Property values and property taxes on the increase. Tiny apartments in Austin going for @1500/month and up. I have met a lot of electrical line workers living in RVs traveling from work place to work place. Also construction workers doing the same thing. Then a couple of the new RV campgrounds around here are catering specifically to the retired RV living community. People are selling their homes for a lot, before they think the housing market will crash like in Cal. then purchasing a comfortable RV and banking the rest. No mortgage just RV site rent, no house to up keep, no land to take care of an mow, no property taxes that keep going up. Mix all that in with the weekenders and vacationers, things fill up fast.

[Gold Country Livin']

Soarvet, We just got back from Winchester Bay, Oregon (beautiful, by the way) and I booked this last fall in 2017. The nice lady on the phone said she had 4 different sites on the days I wanted. They do get cancellations and I was told that this park is hard to get into by many people. I just called up and made the reservation. We met up with Gronk1 (from this forum, which was also nice). If you have the ability to go during the week, obviously opens things up considerably. For weekends, it has been tough.....or go boondocking!

I booked for August of 2018 at West Glacier, Montana and also booked this last fall as they were closing for the winter. I had a certain type of site that I wanted, so booked early. Actually talking with people on the phone is more productive sometimes if you have many questions. I am not one for big crowds, but if you want to see the popular parks, you have to work the system, checking sites, having a backup plan, use google earth and campsite photo. com or whatever it's called, plus RV-Review etc. I've been to Yosemite, living in Ca., but never stayed there. It's not my thing, too crowded. Glacier should be equally crazy in August, but never been!

Okay, I need a little guidance from you veterans out here on booking campgrounds. I grew up camping out west (Colorado). When I was younger I don't remember my father ever having to book a campsite out months in advance. Now, I'm in my 40's and my wife and I just purchased our first travel trailer. We've been looking at little weekend trips to get away from the city, but it seems like everywhere we look is booked way out.

How far out do you all book campgrounds? Is there a secret to this whole thing?

[2500BDM]

Disney Fort Wilderness being the exception and we book it ~499 days in advance (already have Halloween reservations for 2019).

No doubt, if you're going to the fort in the fall you'll need to book 499 days out FOR SURE. I tried to book the first of july for Late October - Mid November and the cast member said they were filled up. I was able to contact a disney booking specialist who got me a premium site with confirmation for the dates i wanted.


I live in Kentucky, most of our sate parks are booked up in the summer 6 months in advance. they do hold sites for walkup but I'm not packing my stuff and heading to a destination in hopes of getting a walk up site. There are a lot of private campgrounds (koa, yoga bear ect) that I can usually find available a few weeks out. Camping is getting very popular but not that many new campground are opening up so it going to get harder and harder to find sites.

We go to Michigan every summer (leaving Tuesday) and we book those state park sites 8 months in advance (think its 8) and we are usually successful. Something that helps us is our rig is 35 feet so we can fit into a lot of campgrounds that are older.

[D2Reid]

... they do hold sites for walkup but I'm not packing my stuff and heading to a destination in hopes of getting a walk up site.

When we are shooting for these types of sites we try to arrive on Tue or Wed, or early Thur.