Campground and Resort Reservations

If you are planning to stay in a popular campground or resort or visit on a busy weekend, reservations are a must.  What constitutes a "busy weekend".  Most holiday weekends will be busy but many destinations have local holidays or special events that may also cause unusually heavy bookings for a particular date or some unrelated group activity, like a family reunion, may fill it up. You need to check with the camp host or ranger beforehand to be sure you can get the days you want. Some places take reservations more than year in advance and it is not unusual for regular customers to book an entire summer in an RV park a year ahead of time.

When making reservations, expect to pay a deposit.  The usual way to do this is via credit or debit card but some places will accept checks if the reservations are far enough in the future to receive and process the check.   When you make a reservation your host is removing your reserved room or RV spot from their available inventory and are turning down other potential guests who would have booked it.  They need some guarantee that you are going to show up.  If you have to cancel expect to forfeit all or at least part of your deposit.  Minimum deposits are often the first night's fee and is normally forfeited on cancellation.  Cancellations on short notice may be billed for the entire reservation.

Here is what you need to have to make your reservation:  Name, Address, Phone Number, Email address, Number of people in your party, size of your RV, when you want to stay (check in date and number of nights), credit card information (account number, expiration date, and security code).  Also whether you will be bringing any pets or extra vehicles.  There may be an extra charge for pets or extra vehicles or extra people.

Cancellations.   Be sure to ask about the cancellation policy.   It is normal to have to pay some cancellation fee.  he business had to pay credit card fees to accept your deposit and has to pay additional fees to process your refund.  It also costs them time, not to mention the possible lost revenue of having withdrawn your request from available inventory.  The closer you get to the date of your reservation, the higher your cancellation cost is likely to be.   For example, I know of one resort where 30 days or more notice only pays a $20 cancellation fee and the rest of any deposit is refunded. Less than 30 days notice forfeits the entire deposit, which is usually the cost of the first night's stay, including taxes.   With less than 7 days notice the guest is expected to pay for the entire booked stay whether they show up or not.  That may seem kind of onerous or heavy handed, but remember, the business has guaranteed you access to those resources and has rejected other offers in favor or your reservation.  If you cancel on short notice their chances of reselling the space are limited and you may cost them the full amount of your cancelled stay if they don't charge you.   Some establishments will allow you to "roll over" your deposit to a future reservation without any penalty.  Most businesses will work with you if you have to cancel, but remember, your cancellation is costing them revenue. Make sure you understand and accept the cancellation policy BEFORE you make your reservation!

Extenuating circumstances.  Sometimes there are legitimate reasons beyond your control that a resort or campground host may take into consideration.  Most will try to work with you as best they can but realize they have probably already heard every excuse in the book.  It is pathetic the stories people will make up to try to avoid paying realistic cancellation fees.   If you experience real personal or family emergency that makes it impossible to keep your reservation, share it with the manager and offer to provide documentation if necessary.   But consider this:   if you fake an emergency just to get out of your reservations, it is the same as stealing.   The business has taken your reserved resources out of the their inventory and most likely lost the income from the days you reserved.  Finding a cheaper place to stay or one closer to where you want to be does not constitute an emergency.  It is your responsibility to research your alternatives BEFORE making a decision and placing a reservation.

Reservations are not usually required or even accepted for open or dispersed camping areas in BLM and Forest Service properties, but it is still a good idea to call the local ranger station to determine if you will find things congested and get their advice about the best places to go to find open space and be comfortable.   Often it is advantageous to arrive a day or two ahead of any busy weekend or holiday so you can have the best selection of sites.  Rangers can also fill you in on things like fishing holes and hiking and OHV trails.  Some Forest Service campgrounds do take and even require reservations, so it is always a good idea to call  ahead just to be sure.

Are you reserved?