RV sales have slowed and fewer people are buying RVs than has been the recent trend. Has that changed campground crowding? Is it easier to find a campsite now, particularly in state and national parks? Campgrounds are changing and evolving, some for the better and some for the worse. RVtravel.com readers discuss their experiences and offer a few tips to help other campers find that perfect spot.
Here are a few observations from our readers.
A “gotcha moment” got them!
Scott K. wrote in about outrageous, sneaky site lock fees. He says, “We’re experiencing the same issues as mentioned above, but here is one that really takes the cake: Site Lock Fees. What the heck? You make a reservation and get a spot. Now, on top of the outrageous site fees (in 2023), you must also pay an additional fee for that particular site. We’re seeing anywhere from $10.00 to $35.00 to lock the site so the campground staff won’t move your spot, or bump you off the site completely. Also, you’re not aware of these fees until you check out on their website. Kind of a ‘gotcha’ moment.”
Tricky to book state, county and COE campgrounds even in a pop-up camper
John V. traveled for a year and found it hard to book for more than a night at state, county and COE campgrounds. He writes, “My wife and I traveled for a year in our pop-up camper leaving Washington state to Alaska, then to the Great Lakes, Florida, the Baja, Utah, then home. We found that most all the state parks and national parks were very tricky to reserve sites for more than a night. Those campgrounds, along with established county parks and Army Corps of Engineers, we generally booked months ahead by returning campers. We had much better luck finding available campsites in National Forests and on BLM land. We are quite content with the primitive sites but at the same time it was a cold winter and it is nice to be able to plug in for a little bit of heat other than the propane.
“After our one year of camping in over 100 campsites, we realized we are campers and not RVers. We enjoy the solitude and tranquility of nature and would rather stay in a hotel than be packed in like sardines in an RV park. It seems to me that if you want to camp in the popular parks, researching and reserving campsites online is the way of the future. I’ll be booking soon for next summer!”
National campsites without hookups are least used, big, private and sometimes free!
Cheryl G. is finding great campsites and they are sometimes free! She shares, “We now live and travel in our motorhome. We have discovered that national campgrounds [e.g., national parks, U.S. Forest Service, BLM] without hookups are the least used, and most are big and private sites. Some campgrounds are even free with beautiful views. By installing solar panels on our roof we can camp almost anywhere.”
Reservation only with no camp host pet peeve
Patrice L. tried to call the reservation number but it was too late and the campground was half full. “We have a pop-up truck camper. We prefer to boondock but sometimes need to use a campground; we don’t need hookups. Our pet peeve is Recreation.gov. We were on the Oregon Coast, wanting to camp at the Oregon Dunes, but the campground was reservations only. We called the number (had to drive to the next town to get service). It was too late to reserve. The campground was 1/2 empty. No host to talk to. We went out in the forest and actually had a nice sunset and wild blackberries for breakfast.”
Days of traveling by the seat of your pants may be over, for now
Debbie B. said it is difficult to RV around major cities with popular destinations but they can usually find partial stays. She writes, “It depends on what part of the country you are in. If you are around a major city that’s a popular vacation destination, yes, it’s difficult to find a campsite. BUT you can find one for partial days, maybe not all days. In areas that are for fishing, we found many campgrounds are for permanent campers, not folks like us just traveling through, staying a week here and there.
“Since we require a 50 amp, those easy-to-find 30 amps aren’t good for us but doable in a pinch, but not during high temps. And we have a 33′ motorhome. Still, we can’t fit in some places. The days of traveling by the seat of your pants could be over for right now. I personally don’t like to overnight at a Harvest Hosts unless I’m just passing through. Set up/break down, unhooking/hooking up a tow vehicle is more than I want to deal with unless I’m destination-bound. We travel 5-7 months out of the year. Over a holiday? Very difficult but compromise and flexibility a must.”
Need more covered campsites
Mary L. would like more covered campsites, particularly in the south. She wrote: “In the South they need more campgrounds with covers over for your fifth wheels and RV. The price of campers is outrageous. It used to be pretty much anyone could get one. Now it’s almost impossible to own one.”
Don’t allow repeat no-show offenders to book again
Donna F. has a few words about repeat offenders, the cost of camping and buying a trailer. She writes, “Camping has changed for the most part. It’s not about affordability anymore, it’s about how much can we make from the people. It’s hard to get into the state campgrounds or any campground as people book sites then don’t show up and these sites go empty for multiple nights. Something has to be done better. Maybe not allowing repeat offenders to continue to book ahead of time or a bigger loss if they don’t cancel unless it’s an emergency or something to that effect.
“It’s going to be cheaper to just stay in a hotel room than buy a trailer, to do upkeep on said trailer, pay for a space, electric, and what other fees might be charged. It is just not feasible in this day and age now. I can understand a reasonable fee for camping so upkeep of the parks and campgrounds can continue to be done, but let’s not get ridiculous.
“I have a pop-up but wanted to purchase an enclosed trailer to be cooler here in FL, but the more I research, the more I think it’s just not worth it. I’ll continue to camp with my pop-up when the weather allows and not waste any more money that’s so hard to come by.”
Now, some questions for you:
- Are you finding campgrounds booked up? Or is finding a place to stay not a problem?
- Are campgrounds changing for the better or for the worse?
- Are you seeing more permanent and seasonal RV parks?
- Are rising costs affecting your camping style?
- If campgrounds continue to be crowded and RVing continues to become more popular, will it affect how or when you RV?
- Do you have any tips or secrets you’d like to share about finding campgrounds that aren’t as crowded?
Please use the form below to answer one or more of these questions, or tell us what you’ve experienced with campground crowding in general.
Read last week’s Crowded Campgrounds column: Disabled Army officer writes, ‘Enjoying our parks helps with PTSD’ but ‘Americans are being farmed for money; can’t even escape to the outdoors’
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I agree with Scott about the lock site fees. I refuse to pay them and so far have only had one or two move me from my original site. I don’t like it but I do the grin and bear it thing. The worst thing I see out there is all these large company’s buying up the mom and pop campgrounds and then doubling the fees. It leaves most of us with less places to camp as we are not going to support corporate greed.
A site lock fee? It sounds like they are taking lessons from the airlines! If I encounter this fee, I will find a different place to camp.
That’s what I did when I first encountered this ridiculous “site lock fee” practice while planning a trip to Texas a year ago. I just moved on to the next campground that didn’t do that.
The best way to change these practices is to not support the greed with your $$$. If everyone did that it would stop in short order.
Lock fees are real, but seem to be associated with a specific booking site used by many independent camp grounds. I have paid them when the site I wanted was a specific water view or location site. Like it? No…but sometimes I want what I want and am willing to pay for it.
100 Sandi. If we want the view or the size or shade or the corner lot, I pay the fee gladly and am never unhappy to know exactly where in a park that we will be spending that week or that month, a year in advance.
Yup, pay it or not it is a choice. Stop complaining as this is a “first world problem.”
My state of NV is going to an online reservation system (DARN THEM!). I see that there is a $5 charge just for using the system. This, on top of paying for and reserving sites. You can still just drive in and find a campsite, but it’s one night at a time. If someone reserves that site online, you get booted. I guess this is normal for other states, but this is brand new for us Nevadans – and I don’t like it. Luckily, Nevada is a boondocker’s heaven so there are endless camping places that cost us nothing. But there are several state parks that we really enjoy, and our “geezer passes” allow for free camping in areas that have no hookups. Now I know what folks “back east” are complaining about
Tommy, NV may have lots of boondocking sites, but, when it’s 114 degrees, those summer-only RVing families must have that 50A power for their multiple ACs. The state parks (and private RV “resorts”!) know that and will charge accordingly. At least you’re not in Colorado, where state parks eliminated their reservation fee by going to a state-run reservation system, but doubled campsite prices, in addition to a separate day-pass fee of up to $10! Maybe you can convince NV state parks to lower resident campsite fees by raising nonresident fees like OR state parks have done.
Franky, here in northern NV the temps rarely get over 90. Southern NV is another world. I’ve always thought if you’re going to sit in your air-conditioned RV all day, what’s the point of going camping in the first place?
Thank you, Nanci!
Site Lock fees are frustrating. If I am booking a campground and the system allows me to pick a site, I should not have to pay a fee to “lock” the site.
A few times a year we travel with friends and enjoy campsites close to each other, so we pick those sites when booking. Most campgrounds don’t move your reservation, but we have found that Sun Resorts is the worst. If you don’t pay the lock fee, you can almost expect to be moved. It seems like it is their way to force you to pay them more money.
We avoid Sun Resorts now for that very reason.
Staying at a Sun Resorts campground in December. Camping with two other family members and their trailers. Last time I checked, only our three sites were booked. We all chose to forego the Site Lock fees. Be interesting to see if we get moved from our chosen sites.
Thanks for today’s column Nanci !!
I encountered my first lock fee in San Antonio about a month ago. I didn’t pay it and took my chances. The campground might of been half full.
I dont understand why anyone would care that people are OK with lock fees. If you want to guarantee a specific site, pay the fee. If your OK getting whatever site you get randomly, thats great for you too. This is a win/win, everyone gets what they want or what they CHOOSE.
Unless of course, people want to have the same shot at the best site with the best view randomly.
At a restaurant, I order a steak and then pay for steak, I don’t pay some averaged menu price and keep my fingers crossed that the waiter doesn’t bring me boiled chicken. Fee for service, fee for product. This isn’t North Korea where we take what we are given and smile about it.
It may be less costly to travel by car staying in hotels/motels, eating in restaurants. However, for our family, RV travel versus car travel was less a cost issue than a choice of how we go and what we do. People can travel by both car or RV for near the same costs based on their choice of rigs or resorts. Both popular campgrounds and hotels fill; and going without a reservation to either can lead to more headaches than flexibility. And for that must have room or site, it is going to cost extra.
I’d be okay with site lock fees *if* that meant that the sites rented by those who didn’t pay the fees could get moved around to create longer stay opportunities for the rest of us.
Here’s the problem, and it’s what causes so many of us to be unable to get a reservation for more than 1 night at a place: As different people book different sites for a few days or weeks here and there, that often leaves any given site only available for a night or two. If the campground managers would tweak the reservations (reassign sites) then some sites could remain open for longer reservations (and make more money!) Ugh, ran out of room to explain myself fully…
The one & only time I reserved a campground with a site lock fee I didn’t pay it. I was moved to the site overlooking the septic field which was being repaired. Looked horrible & smelled even worse. Got in a fight with the campground owner over it, I lost. The site I originally reserved was only occupied one out of the four nights we were there. We left 2 days early w/ no refund because of the smell. If a campground asks for a lock in fee, I won’t camp there.
Site Lock Fees. Just another way for campgrounds to nickel & dime customers for more money. Just like a lot of campgrounds saying you have to buy their firewood. Camped at a campground near Chattanooga and they pulled this firewood stunt. Even though the State of TN and the NPS Campgrounds allow outside wood if it is heat treated. Which is what I buy so I know my wood compartment will be clear of bugs. Made a fire one night, used my wood and wasn’t bothered. But I am sure many fall for this.
The campground we’re in also sells the firewood. But I’m getting about twice as much for $7 than I would in town. And they deliver it right to the campsite!
Came back from a pleasant camping (RV) trip in Montana and Idaho, N.F.S. and County fairgrounds and Elks. No problems.
Decided to hit our Washington coast State Parks. I started checking from Birch Bay all the way down to Ilwaco. Zero-Zip all booked. Unbelievable, guess none of those areas are going to get my $$$$$$..
Like someone said, I’m a camper, not an RVer. But I don’t go places with site lock fees. What will they think of next? Maybe they could charge by how many wheels you have including spares, so much per dog and cat and parrot, and per person, and pay toilets along with their pay showers, and pay by the linear foot of your RV, and so much per kayak on your roof. They could charge for how many times you walk around the loop (wear and tear on their asphalt), charge for dog poop bags and charge for garbage disposal by the pound. They’ve gone berserk, so may as well. I doubt I’ll run into that. If people would not stay in greedy places, they would stop that nonsense.
Site Lock Fees? I don’t pay ‘em but to be fair, I don’t book months in advance either. I usually Google Earth the location I’m intending to see what the pickle jar might look like. Mostly, we do drive-up bookings as it seems senseless to book something you’ll despise weeks or months in advance. If there’s no vacancy or the spot I’m assigned is lousy, I ask for a different one. If they don’t want to or cannot accommodate, no biggie, we simply move on to Site B or Site C. Life’s too short to get wrapped up over expecting the perfect spot for the same price as the imperfect one.