Five months ago, you woke up early, sat down in front of your computer to reserve a campsite at your favorite park.
The big day has finally arrived and you load your gear, your family and your pets into the trailer. You drive to the park, you get to your spot and….
…your heart drops.
Your RV is too big for your campsite.
What’s worse, it’s a busy summer weekend and the park is completely packed! You have no choice but to turn around and return home.
Unfortunately, we see this scenario play out every year.
Some of the most common booking “oops” we see?
- reserving a non-electric site when you need electricity for your RV
- reserving a barrier-free site when you don’t have a disability/mobility challenge
- bringing your dog to a free pet camping or cabin
- bringing three tents to a place that only one can fit
Why don’t we move people who book in the wrong place to a different place?
Of course, park staff will do their best to help you find an alternative location in the park.
But it’s no secret that parks can fill up long before arrival (especially coveted spaces like big power sites).
Especially during the busy summer months, there’s a good chance you’ll be out of luck.
If the RV doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit. We cannot change the rules to allow your dog to stay in the pet-free area for “one night only.” We can’t magically install electricity in a non-electric campground.
(And in these cases, remember treat staff with kindness and respect to your disappointment. We are all working hard to protect our parks and doing everything we can to keep our visitors safe and happy).
The solution: use. His. Filters.
The above situations are avoidable. We want to make sure everyone is empowered to book the campground that meets their individual needs.
That is why we have made sure that our reservation system has filters.
Filters help answer questions like:
- Will my RV fit?
- Pets Allowed?
- Is there electricity?
- Is this site intended for someone with accessibility needs?
- and more!
To find them, enter your full information on our booking site, including your equipment type.
After clicking Search, you will find the option to filter your campsite based on six different criteria:
- site shade, from none to full shade
- room size, double or single
- passing place
- barrier-free site
- electric service
- sites/campgrounds/parks with restrictions, including no vehicles, walk-in only, no radio, no pets, no tents, tents only, no motorboats and no generators
Choose wisely! These details are not entered randomly and cannot be duplicated.
We categorize our camping taking into account the health and reality of our campers and campsites. For example:
- Placing an RV on a tent-only site can damage the ground and ruin it for the season.
- We have tried to create spaces for visitors who need quiet areas or pet-free spaces.
- Occupying a barrier-free spot is like parking in an accessible parking spot: you make it unavailable to someone who needs it.
Don’t book an 18′ RV campsite for your 20′ RV and “hope for the best” or plan to “fit it in.” That’s a recipe for disappointment and/or damage to the site.
Use filters when booking a campsite to make sure your site meets your needs.
Filters and more!
We put a lot of useful information in our booking tool (and we always add more with your feedback!).
Before you pick up the phone or open social media to contact the park with questions about a specific campground, make sure you have first read all the information available.
When searching for a particular campsite, click “See more details” to verify information such as:
- distance to power outlet
- slope and ground cover
- site length/width
- bonfire location
- camping photos
We have also brought new features to help you find a spot within your filters during peak seasons or in busy parks, including.
“Search similar experiences” tool
One of the new online booking features allows you to search for a similar experience if your first choice of campground or campground is not available.
Availability notifications
If your filtered search does not show any available sites at your selected campground, sign up for a notification to be alerted when a campground matching your criteria becomes available.
It’s a useful tool because people often cancel reservations!
Please reserve your sites wisely
We know it can be difficult to find the perfect campsite during the perfect season – our parks are very popular.
But booking the wrong place or rushing to book the first place you see is not the answer. That strategy means disappointment and frustration for:
- you and your family/friends
- our staff, who may have to turn you away (we hate this!)
- another camper who could have reserved the site that you cannot use
Responsible camping booking leads to a peaceful vacation experience, and that’s what we want for you.