Re: 2007 season camping reservations.

They had “The process for making campground reservations may change beginning with the 2007 season. We will post information as soon as we receive it." up for some time now. Douse anyone have any info on if they are going to change the camping process this season and what the details are?

Where do you see that?

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/trip/camping.htm
it has been there for a few months

> http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/trip/camping.htm
> it has been there for a few months


That has been posted forever! I think I remember seeing it when I made reservations in 2005, and it noting that it might change in 2006.

I do hope they change the process!!

Dan

Looks like they are changing the reservation system in 2007.


"The process for making campground reservations will change beginning January 24, 2007. See below for more information."

Below info....

"New reservation information:
No reservations or cancellations will be possible from January 24, 2007 through February 14, 2007. The new reservation service, National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS), will begin on February 15, 2007. You can then make reservations via http://www.recreation.gov or by calling 877/444-6777. The reservation dates (see table above) will remain in effect for 2007, but will change in 2008 (to a six-month window, rather than a five-month window).

Upper Pines Campground will be open on a first-come, first-served basis from January 1 through March 14; no reservations will be accepted for this period."

Dan

Dan-o the Man-O wrote:

> Upper Pines Campground will be open on a first-come,
> first-served basis from January 1 through March 14; no
> reservations will be accepted for this period."

I wonder how well that'll work out. Presidents day weekend will most likely be a big problem.

I imagine it will work out alright. There's a terrible lack of first-come-first-served space in the park, and it's sometimes problematic to plan five months in advance. Making another campground available for last-minute travellers is a great idea in my book. I say it's about time.

Mixolydian wrote:

> I imagine it will work out alright. There's a terrible lack of
> first-come-first-served space in the park, and it's sometimes
> problematic to plan five months in advance. Making another
> campground available for last-minute travellers is a great idea
> in my book. I say it's about time.

I always get a little scared when I think about the possibility of creating more 'first-come-first-served' opportunities in the park. I agree that planning so far in advance is difficult, but opening up spots for last-minute travellers could have unintended consequences. I have these memories from 15 years or so ago watching all the RVs and trailers line up early in the morning at each of the campgrounds to get the best spots, and one can only wonder how opening up more first come first served spots will affect the number of people waiting in these lines. I think President's Day might be a decent indicator of what a first-come-first-served policy might do to the park. I only hope that there aren't lines of RVers up and down all the roads!
I know I am responding to a President's Day specific email, but to speak to the summer crowd, Tuolumne Meadows has approximately 100 sites that are non-reservable, first come first served. It is absolutely gorgeous in the summer months up there. Check it out!

andyhughes03 wrote:

> Mixolydian wrote:
>
> > I imagine it will work out alright. There's a terrible lack
> of
> > first-come-first-served space in the park, and it's sometimes
> > problematic to plan five months in advance. Making another
> > campground available for last-minute travellers is a great
> idea
> > in my book. I say it's about time.
>
> I always get a little scared when I think about the possibility
> of creating more 'first-come-first-served' opportunities in the
> park. I agree that planning so far in advance is difficult, but
> opening up spots for last-minute travellers could have
> unintended consequences. I have these memories from 15 years or
> so ago watching all the RVs and trailers line up early in the
> morning at each of the campgrounds to get the best spots, and
> one can only wonder how opening up more first come first served
> spots will affect the number of people waiting in these lines.
> I think President's Day might be a decent indicator of what a
> first-come-first-served policy might do to the park. I only
> hope that there aren't lines of RVers up and down all the
> roads!
> I know I am responding to a President's Day specific email, but
> to speak to the summer crowd, Tuolumne Meadows has
> approximately 100 sites that are non-reservable, first come
> first served. It is absolutely gorgeous in the summer months up
> there. Check it out!
>


I think that the 1st come 1st served is only until the new reservation system is up and running. After that I think it is back to making your reservation 5 months out. That is until the 2008 season when it is 6 months out.

The problem I have with the reservation system is it seems to encourage the RV/Trailer campers at the expense of the tent campers. Valley campgrounds all too often look more like parking lots than a camp.

I think the 5-month or 6-month advance system for one month at a time is for the birds. It piles up a huge number of callers on a single day, making reservations a real nightmare. Then, for the next month, the people on the other end of the phones have nothing to do until the next month's batch become available. Yeccchhh. They should do it a week at a time, about two months in advance.

And, while I don't like the first-come first-served method for Yosemite Valley, (it creates big *physical* pile-ups just like the reservation system), I do think a campground should be reserved for last-minute reservations, say 3-5 days in advance.

FWIW, I think they should concentrate on reopening the Rivers, or finding some way to accommodate more camping. Right now, the place is becoming prohibitive for many people whose only economic option is to camp. Those motel rooms are outrageously expensive.

Bruce Jensen

---

Wilderness forever,
Bruce Jensen

I like the last-minute reservation idea. A week in advance would be great. That would allow enough time to make any necessary arrangements and get everything together once the reservation has been made. I'd be very happy to have a campground dedicated to last-minute planners.

First-come, first-served probably wouldn't be necessary anywhere if they had short-lead-time reservations instead.

Mixolydian wrote:

> I like the last-minute reservation idea. A week in advance
> would be great. That would allow enough time to make any
> necessary arrangements and get everything together once the
> reservation has been made. I'd be very happy to have a
> campground dedicated to last-minute planners.
>
> First-come, first-served probably wouldn't be necessary
> anywhere if they had short-lead-time reservations instead.


The only issue I would have with such a short lead time reservation system would be if I didn't get a spot. For the poor 9 to 5 guys, like me, that have to plan time off from work months in advance and then end up without a spot would kind of hurt.

But I guess if the high country was open I could get one of the 1st come 1st served spots.

Dan-o the Man-O wrote:

> But I guess if the high country was open I could get one of the
> 1st come 1st served spots.

During the week most of the high country campgrounds don't even fill up. I've been in Porcupine Flat on a Monday with only 3 sites occupied.

I'm not advocating making all campgrounds last-minute-reservation type camps...just some of them. That way people who can plan ahead get a spot as would people who can't.