Online Reservation Tips

[John "T" Nordhoff]

   I was making reservations for Yosemite Valley (most popular in park) Campgrounds the other day. The earliest the on line resvn system (or phone in as I understood) would allow for Sept 24 arrival was May 15 and I learned midnight May 14 didn't get it either lol The earliest on May 15 was at 10:00 AM and by 10:15 AM May 15  ABOUT ALL SITES RESERVABLE IN YOSEMITE SEPT 24 WERE FULLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

  I pretty well got when and where I wanted, but it took some fast n fancy keyboarding as fast as they were filling:

 

  TECHNICAL TIPS

 

 1) Know the exact date and time the web site or phone in takes reservations for your trip (my Sept 24 arrival booked May 15 at 10 AM)

 2) Have both your preferred campground and preferred sites all lined up and ready to book (and dates of course)

 3) Have your Recreation.Gov and/or Reserve America ID and Passwords and Credit Card all ready because once you "book" you only have x minutes to complete the transaction before you loose it. I STRONGLY suggest you pre register and have an account with Recreation.gov and Reserve America all set up and in place ready to go as that alone can save precious minutes.

 4) Have backup campgrounds and backup dates and preferred campsites handy and ready in case your first attempt is already booked

 5) Have your Senior Pass or Access Pass in front of you with its ID number

 6) Do your homework and know what type and class and facilities and limitations and size limits (especially RV length) can fit in what camp sites so youre not  browsing where you cant get in regardless. YOU HAVE NO TIME TO WASTE  15 minutes all were full

 7) Research for differences in Phone versus On Line reservations, one or the other may work best or faster???

 

    NOTE study the web page or phone info page because you can select things like size limits and number of persons and preferred loops or even exact site numbers and then do a SEARCH FOR AVAILABILITY and be ready to click on BOOK because they were dropping like flies the other day lol. That's why you need to do your homework FIRST to know what campgrounds and what loops and what sites work so you're ready to click BOOK NOW then don't dilly dally or hum haw around because you have x minutes or you lost it and when you go back and start over MOST SITES MAY BE GONE BY THEN. You basically have only one chance so be ready and dont blow it lol  (don't ask how I know grrrrrrrrrrrrrr lol)

 

 Sure, the less popular locations and camps don't fill as fast, and sure some camps are NON reservable, and sure some are first come first served (arrive early is my advice) . This is ONLY if you want a reservable site for certain dates  in a popular location. Often we DO NOT RESERVE but there are times its best for our trip. I love the less popular parks with smaller crowds.

 

 On Line, Phone, first come first served, reservations or none, its your trip and your choice, but this was my experience yesterday

 

 John T

[Russell E Johnson]

We are much the same way as Jack, I get the sites planned, but if we arrive at that time is hit or miss, we tend to dilly dally a lot.  But for us the trip is not the destination but the process in getting there.  For instance, our upcoming trip to MT will be 6 days of driving, but I allow 9 days to do it so we can sight see along the way and not be pressured by deadlines.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

 I love to take my time and not be a slave to a schedule also, HOWEVER there are times when subject to visiting working kids and/or grandkids and their limited specific vacation dates etc.,,,,,,,,,,, and if you just MUST be in a popular park (like in Yosemite Valley) at a certain date,,,,,,,,,,, and the sites are RESERVATION ONLY,,,,, well then you MUST MAKE A RESERVATION. That's the purpose and intent of my reservation tips, NOT to say reservations are the ONLY way to travel, but in case they are, these tips are what worked for me. If, on the other hand, no reservations are needed, that's all the better.

 Safe travels yall

 John T

[Russell E Johnson]

Jack, no one is sure that they will see tomorrow, life is a gift, and when time is up, there is not a thing one can do about it.  So live now, plan for later, and leave the rest up to God.  This plan has served me well through several of life's unplanned, unforeseen events.

[Russell E Johnson]

John, Sorry if I sounded like I was criticizing your post I wasn't.  I was just basically saying how nice it was that we do not have to fight schedules and reservations.  Your tips are invaluable for those times when reservations are needed.

[Rich Thomas]

Nice wright up John and good advice for those who have a certain time of year for vacation and need to insure they get in to the place they want to be. 

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Just to add a bit more fun info and FWIW, I'm one of those people who are PLANNERS LOL I'm a Conservative fuddy duddy retired engineer and attorney so Im just wired that way, I DONT LIKE SURPRISES AND I HATE CHANGE

 Sometimes on a cold winters day when I cant get out and work, I research and plan an RV trip AND I ENJOY THE PLANNING ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE TRIP LOL

 For example some years back I planned a 6 week trip to 8 Natl Parks. And since it was summer prime time and the parks were all popular and in high demand I MADE RESERVATIONS FOR EACH NIGHT. On my Garmin I had it pre programmed and favorites all saved by date so each morning I got up and selected the date and Garmin took me there. In my daily folder for each day I had the park and address and phone numbers and reservation numbers and maps galore and pictures and camp site numbers etc etc.

 All went perfect and it was a fun trip HOWEVER I likely would NOT do that again, Sure, I would have like Yosemite Valley reserved since the date has to match when kids can joins us etc. but I like to be free otherwise. Again if you want a camp site in Yosemite Valley (NOT talkin 30 miles apart here in Yosemite) between April and October but don't have a reservation WELL GOOD LUCK.

 As always to each their own mode of travel. I actually use BOTH planned and non planned travel, depends on the circumstances with me. There's no one size fits all in my opinion.

 John T