Impromptu Campers Not Welcome

[Winston]

We arrived late on Thursday (but early enough to avoid the weekend crowd) at one of the Texas State Park campgrounds. “Yes,” we were informed, “we have plenty of campsites.” “Good,” we responded, we’ll be here until Sunday.”

By this time we weren’t really surprised by the state park employee’s response: “No you won’t, I said we had plenty of sites for tonight, but we’re completely booked for tomorrow and Saturday.”

What we didn’t expect was this official’s response to our next question: “We’re from Michigan, what do you suggest we do for tomorrow and Saturday?”. After a moment of reflection, she calmly suggested: “Perhaps, sir, you should return home!”

We’ve written of the plight of the Impromptu Camper in this Forum before. Replies have been varied - - from acknowledgment and sympathy to “it’s not really a problem” - - with a myriad of solutions of varying efficacy offered.

But it is a problem. The “reservations-only” virus has spread like wildfire. And the huge covid-induced surge in camping popularity has exacerbated the dilemma here in our home state of Michigan, for example, where the once-safe ‘pre-Memorial/post-Labor Day’ periods are no longer assured - - especially on weekends.

After several fruitless years of personally debating every campground administrator whom we could personally lay eyes upon, we decided to take our cause, in writing, to those ‘in charge’. The following letter was sent by US mail to nearly one hundred state and federal campground administrators and organizations:

BEGIN LETTER


April 22, 2021

Mr. Xxxxx Xxxxxx, Park Manager
Priest Lake State Park
314 Indian Creek Park Road
Coolin, ID 83821

A PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE THE CAMPGROUND RESERVATION
SYSTEM TO INSURE ACCESS TO ALL TYPES OF TRAVELERS

Dear Mr. Xxxxxx:

The comparatively recent and widespread adoption of the ‘on-line reservation model’ for allocating public campground spaces has unintentionally altered the balance between contending ‘user classes’ to the extent of virtually excluding one such user class. This class is the Impromptu Traveler which class includes those who wander and explore as well as those whose circumstances do not permit advance planning. It is the purpose of this letter to draw attention to this ‘altered balance’ and to suggest a realistic modification to that system intended to restore public campground access for all.

No one can argue the important benefits of the on-line reservation system for the working-family vacationer and others who know the dates and destinations of their future travels. The ability to ‘lock-in’ a campsite is a huge advancement that the reservation system makes possible. However, lost in the associated ‘rush to reservations’ is an appreciation that not all travelers plan their adventures in advance.

The Legacy & Legitimacy of Impromptu Travel

While some have belittled the non-planning, impromptu segment as unworthy of consideration, this class has always been a part of our traveling culture and, as importantly, there are legitimate reasons for its existence (and protection). Some simply don’t have the option to ‘forecast’ and plan their future. Demands of family (e.g. responsibilities for aged parents or disabled relatives), work, or personal health issues represent just a few examples which force travel flexibility and require a travel or ‘camp-as-camp can’ approach.

Further, there is the significant group - - often retired seniors - - who have finally ‘earned their freedom’. After a lifetime of regimentation and scheduling in the working-world, they have been released - - free to roam, free to wander, free to explore this great Nation and beyond. There is great enjoyment and merit in wandering without a rigid schedule. The Impromptu Traveler often discovers unexpected treasures, the exploration of which only a flexible schedule permits. We trust it was never the intention of the reservation system to force this group to schedule their retirement, months in advance, with the ‘day and place’ precision required by a 100% reservation system.

The Past and Continuing Role of ‘First-Come, First-Served’

Prior to ‘reservations’, most campground ‘slots’ were allocated on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. No question that the ‘first-come, first-served’ model has limitations. For example, it places all campers at risk of arriving at their target campground and finding no available campsite. But one important aspect of ‘first-come, first-served’ is its even-handed application. Both the Planner and the Impromptu Traveler have the same and equal access to our national heritage and its campsites.

Holidays & Weekends
A Special Problem For the Impromptu Traveler

Holidays and weekends are especially difficult for all camper classes. There aren’t enough sites to meet demand. Yet it is in this context that ‘first-come, first-served’ intervenes to protect and offer the Impromptu Traveler a chance to compete for a campsite.

‘First-come, first-served’ operates on the principle that once a camper has found an available site, that site ‘belongs’ to that camper until they abandon it (with certain maximum stay limits set by most campgrounds). As Impromptu Travelers know that local campground demand can exceed availability over weekend periods - - they can employ the “its mine” feature of ‘first-come, first-served’ by arriving early (e.g. Thursday) to secure a site on which they may remain Friday and Saturday. Today, a review of the ‘reservation book’ of ‘reservation-only’ campgrounds reveals that virtually all Friday/Saturday slots are taken months in advance. Without ‘first-come, first-served’, the Impromptu Traveler is effectively locked-out of these campgrounds.

Conclusion with a Solution

We do not question the efficacy of the on-line reservation model nor the huge advantages it offers to many campers and campground administrators. We seek, only, to re-enfranchise a class of prior users who, by operation of the “full” (100%) reservation system, are now effectively excluded.

An obvious and straight forward solution would be to return a percentage of the available campsites ‘to first-come, first-served’ status (a compromise under which many campgrounds successfully operate). Our suggestion would be to designate 25% as ‘first-come, first-served’ with, hopefully, these sites representing a fair cross-section of the campground’s fare - - not merely the least desirable in the park.

We appreciate your consideration of this matter.

Your very truly,

R. Winston Slater

END LETTER

We have received several responses ranging from ‘encouraging’ to “too bad, so sad”. Depending on the tone and flow of responses to this Post, we may latter add some of the responses including the one from our home state of Michigan falling into the “too bad, so sad” category.

The purpose of this Post is to renew the discussion of this problem and - - in realizing that one voice cannot alter our current course - - to raise a small army of similarly opinioned souls to join our ranks.