Just how important are reservations to most people? Do you think there should be more national forest/grassland campgrounds that accept reservations or less? We have never actually made a campsite reservation. Any problems there?

As of January 22, 2011, we re-opened this poll. Please vote.

Myself, I like being able to make reservations. Driving hundreds of miles to a campground I've never been to before and not being able to get a camp sight is a drag.

I have been torn on this one for a long time. I personally dislike having to make a reservation and rarely do it, but occasionally , because of time
constraints, I have to. In many campgrounds there is obviously a need .
My feeling is that having established the necessity for a particular campground (based on % of peak occupancy rates), that campground should offer reservations for no more than 50% of the sites. I would prefer no specific site reservations, although that may be difficult to manage.

50/50 here. DH really needs to have a guarantee of a campsite. I love to show up

Fred and I have seen this whole reservation thing evolve from the individual Ranger District offices taking reservations to today's mega-coorporation doing that task. (FYI the current company is Ticketron and most of the folks taking your reservations don't know much about the campground you are making the reservations for.) At one time, guidelines from the Forest Service headquarters was reservations should have a 40 to 60 ratio. Over the years that ratio has gone to 60 to 40 in most of the country except in Colorado where it's more like 90 to 10, which can be is a challenge for those of us who don't have reservations for the weekend.

I agree that a 50 - 50 ratio is good but than you have to ask is it forest wide or for the indiviidual campgrounds. We have seen it both ways.

A new wrinkle we found in the NW is, while many of the Forests are continueing to resist putting campgrounds on the reservation system (a.k.a. NRRS), many concessionaires are pushing hard to have their campgrounds listed. Their reasoning - If you, the camper, see the campground takes reservations, you'll think it is more popular than it might actually be.

Having a guanteed campsite is important to those of us who must drive hours to get to the campground but , remember, the majority of the campgrounds across the country will have first come/first served campsites that might be available. However, I would count on any be open on a holiday weekend or is the campground is on or near water when the weather is super.

FYI, reservations for many national forest campgrounds and recreation sites managed by other federal agencies can be made at http://www.recreaction.gov . You can also call toll free 1-877-444-6777 to make reservations. A reservation fee ($9 online, $10 call-in) is tacked on to the camping fee at the time the reservation is made. There are other fees (cancellation, no show, etc.) so using the reservation service can be costly.
As Fred mentioned, reservation agents are very limited in the details that they can provide about any given campground. Fred and Suzi's web site is a great source for information (better than national forest web sites in most cases) about the most popluar campgrounds many of which accept reservations.
For the best and most current information about campgrounds, including things like unplanned closures for wildfire danger, it is advisable to call the ranger district that manages the site. Phone numbers can be found at the national forest web sites under the "Contact Us" link in the left column. Links to all national forest web sites can be found at http://www.fs.fed.us .

Right on, azranger! Forest Service addresses and telephone numbers can also be found on our website by clicking on the "Nationa Forests & Campgrounds" tab to the left and then select the national forest . . . Fred

We like to travel "off season" so we rarely call ahead to reserve a site unless we anticipate inclement weather or need a campground with specific amenities. This has worked well for us so far. Perhaps we have just been lucky!

Rosesong is right - "traveling off season" is a good way to avoid the reservation process. An exception might be Florida. Traveling and selecting a campsite during mid-week is also way of avoiding the reservation system. HOWEVER, if campsites are reserveable, and you are going to stay more than one night, make sure the site isn't reserved a few days later . . . Fred

Being re-tired we do alot of our camping off season or go during the week. During the summer if going over a holiday weekend with our kids...will make reservations at one of our state parks.

As mentioned in the other section similar to this -- the fees charged for a reservation often outweight the value of that system. Any time a fee equal to half or more of a night in the site makes the campground pretty expensive for short term stays. And although I almost never make reservations, those fees do not make we want to change that habit ...

Very seldom do I not get a place to stay, even without one, and I must admit, I don't often go to the most popular destinations in busy seasons.

Guess I am spoiled, in Forest Service CG we never make reservations, but must admit we only travel in the WEST. I like to drive around a CG and pick out which site to use then place a chair or the truck in the spot and walk back to the pay station and take care of the paperwork. There have been more times we never seen another person or even a ranger than when we do. This is one of the reasons we like it here, very few people and even less campers in the Forest Camp Grounds. Itchey

In this area, IN & MI, we are seeing a reduction of services and closures of campgrounds because of revenue shortfalls. I do not understand why the govt wants to take the funds away from the local campgrounds and send it to the central fed govt and then give the reservations monies to a vendor. None of this money goes to the govt or the campground. I do not mind paying for the sites if I know the monies will stay where generated to maintain and improve the area. The logic is just not there for helping the recreational areas, it seems more like they want to reward a private entity and charge us more for doing so. Revenue shortfalls with increased costs not going to the campgrounds just does not make sense.

One problem I've always found with any gov entity -- it is nearly always about meeting budget instead of finding ways to provide better services within the existing budget -- find more effective and efficient methods to do a specific job.

Budget meeting -- "Let's see now, we can fire the guy that cleans the restrooms, and save $40k a year - including benefits and retirement."

"And, now with the money we saved firing Jake, we don't have to cut our dedicated raise this year, and we'll still meet the budget."

Seems we lose instead of gain with that "meet the budget" program ...

I would like for all US National Forest Service Campgrounds to go to the reservation system. This is the only way to make access fair for all taxpayers. At many of the campgrounds in GA, the locals head up early to take all of the best sites and you'll see the same people there on many weekends. Also, campsites are frequently full during the week just holding sites for the weekend. Just because one lives close to a federal campground should not give them an advantage over being able to use it. National Forest campgrounds should be equally accessible for all. I also tend to avoid such campgrounds because I never know if I'll be able to get a site and find the trouble to go there under such circumstances not worth the risk of drivng there and not being able to secure a site. All National Forest Campgrounds should embrace the curent technology that easily gives fair access to all. Not doing so is not in the best interest of all citizens.