Planning to Camp at Any Federal Recreational Properties? Let the Fun begin!

[AbleGuy]

Here is an interesting article from outside magazine about how challenging and frustrating it is to try to make reservations to camp at Federal properties.

Being Forced to Use Rec.gov Just to Go Camping Is Psychological Warfare

Millions of campers and hikers around the U.S. are using recreation.gov to book their next vacation—and by the time they’re done dealing with its confusing navigation, broken interface, and inflated fees, most will need one.

www.outsideonline.com

Perhaps the more interesting part of this tale of woe is reading the reader comments that follow it. It seems a lot of people are pretty fed up with trying to use the reservations.gov system.

Overall though, the article in the comments point to innumerable complaints about poor management of how camp sites are made available. One of the larger issues seems to be the bad cancellation policies.

As commented by readers, it’s incredibly frustrating at the end of a long day to pull into a facility that has empty campsites in it, but which are not available to you because they are reserved by people who failed to show up and haven’t canceled in a timely manner. Meanwhile, you and your family have no place to set up your tent for the night!

“The user experience on this miserable site is like if Clippy and a CAPTCHA had a baby during a server crash. Dates won’t load. Pages disappear mid-click. Filters are fake. The whole thing feels like a trick quiz from 2004 Facebook. Just this weekend, I went to confirm a booking for an upcoming trip—only to find out the site I swear I booked months ago wasn’t actually reserved. Instead, I had a confirmed spot 25 miles away!”
(From the article)

How has the system been working for you and your family? What do you think could be done to improve the use of this service? Feel free to chime in if you have any ideas.

 

[rruff]

I just hope they don't get so frustrated that they discover boondocking on NF and BLM land...

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

The reservation system has taken a portion of joy out of camping. The freedom of spontaneity is in many instances, gone.

 

[Steve_382]

I just hope they don't get so frustrated that they discover boondocking on NF and BLM land...

I think they have already discovered it. We camped at the Badland Boone Dock campsite in South Dakota a few days ago and there were at least 100 groups in a 3 mile stretch of the overlook area. No out houses or anything. Lots of fancy overlander type rigs though.

 

[Steve_382]

The reservation system is a mess though. Perhaps it's just too popular and there aren't enough campsites. I don't see where either political party has any interest in fixing it. Getting a site in a popular park is just not possible. Half the time we just stay at the Holiday Inn.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

The reservation system has taken a portion of joy out of camping. The freedom of spontaneity is in many instances, gone.

I honestly feel like in the 1990's I could drive out of Boston for the Whites of NH and find a decent place just by showing up. Maybe that's just "those were the good old days" glasses?

 

[DaveInDenver]

recreation.gov is run by Booz-Allen-Hamilton.

https://pmags.com/the-scourge-of-rec-dot-gov

Who, I'm not sure incidentally, was sued over just where the fees go.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230607024751/https://www.tzlegal.com/recreation-gov-fee-investigation/

The whole process is a scam, a grift, by a defense contractor. They keep the fee when you put in for a lottery, the NPS or whoever gets nothing when you lose the lottery and somewhere between zero and a small amount of the permit fee when you do win the lottery. The $10 goes to B-A-H either way.

What also irks me about recreation.gov and reserveamerica.com (also a B-A-H system for state parks and such) is that you are forced into it. You pull up to a middle of nowhere Corps of Engineers campground at a reservoir in Kansas, maybe 5% full. You can't just slip $10 in an envelope, tear off the flap with your license plate and drop it into box. No, you have to go through the web. But you have no cell service. So you just pirate the damn campsite. And since you're honest you tuck money into an envelope and shove it under the unmanned entry kiosk door, hoping someone figures it out.

 

[rruff]

I think they have already discovered it. We camped at the Badland Boone Dock campsite in South Dakota a few days ago and there were at least 100 groups in a 3 mile stretch of the overlook area. No out houses or anything. Lots of fancy overlander type rigs though.

I'm talking about places that don't have names or reviews or youtube videos. But maybe I should just keep my mouth shut...

In the past 20 years I've noticed a huge expansion of both wilderness and OHV areas, so it is tough to find a decent spot anymore.

 

[Gravelette]

Too many people....

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

Too many people....

Understated

 

[86scotty]

The reservation system has taken a portion of joy out of camping. The freedom of spontaneity is in many instances, gone.

Very well said. And the info above about who owns it and where/how the fees are used is infuriating.

I was exploring with a buddy just last week. We were boondocking as we traveled, no interest in public campgrounds, but we went through an area where there were 4 in a row and I drove through them to check them out. Beautiful spots on a river for those who want/need an actual campground. Every single one was online reservation only. and we were in a valley in the mountains. No cell service for at least a 30 minute drive. Pure insanity.

This is among many reasons why I vote with my feet and pretty much only boondock anymore. When that option is gone, which it no doubt will be in most places sooner than later, I guess I'll just stay home.

 

[AbleGuy]

if I recall correctly, couple years ago, in some remote state park in Louisiana*, when we pulled up to the entry office to get a campsite… of which there were many available… when we went into register for the night we were told we had to pay the extra money for for the online reservation fee, even though we were standing right there at the desk in person and not making a reservation, but signing up for a current campsite!

There was no arguing about this, it simply was the policy of the parks because the contract they had with the reservation company which I think might’ve been Reserve America.

* it actually might’ve been Florida now that I think back on it. This was about seven years ago, so my memory a little bit hazy. In any event, it was a sad and stupid rip off to have to pay that extra fee and not be getting anything for it.😡

 

[ThundahBeagle]

recreation.gov is run by Booz-Allen-Hamilton.

https://pmags.com/the-scourge-of-rec-dot-gov

Who, I'm not sure incidentally, was sued over just where the fees go.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230607024751/https://www.tzlegal.com/recreation-gov-fee-investigation/

The whole process is a scam, a grift, by a defense contractor. They keep the fee when you put in for a lottery, the NPS or whoever gets nothing when you lose the lottery and somewhere between zero and a small amount of the permit fee when you do win the lottery. The $10 goes to B-A-H either way.

What also irks me about recreation.gov and reserveamerica.com (also a B-A-H system for state parks and such) is that you are forced into it. You pull up to a middle of nowhere Corps of Engineers campground at a reservoir in Kansas, maybe 5% full. You can't just slip $10 in an envelope, tear off the flap with your license plate and drop it into box. No, you have to go through the web. But you have no cell service. So you just pirate the damn campsite. And since you're honest you tuck money into an envelope and shove it under the unmanned entry kiosk door, hoping someone figures it out.

Right? And the idea of going cashless in a camo ground...does the money not state that it is to be accepted for all debts, public and private? Oh, but they are cashless now...