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07-06-2015, 11:34 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 6
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Recreation.gov
A friend told me about the campsites available on recreation.gov. We are new at this.
Do you have any experience with these campgrounds?
Thanks,
Linebacker
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07-06-2015, 01:02 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: La Conner, WA
Posts: 211
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I just loaded the app on my phone & iPad yesterday. The campgrounds included are those on federal land (national forest, national park, BLM, Corps of Engineers,...) While many of the sites can be reserved in advance, there are many sites that are available on a first-come/first-served or walk-up basis. These are usually sites with no water/sewer/electrical service, but they sure beat highway rest areas and store parking lots.
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Mike & Cindy
2019 Entegra Odyssey 31F; sometimes 2006 Miata toad, sometimes 2004 Jeep TJ Rubicon
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07-06-2015, 01:44 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Spring Valley AZ
Posts: 1,226
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We book often, FS CG especially. Heading out Monday for Dog Town Lake CG AZ. Last month we stayed at another FS place, Pine Grove CG AZ. Very nice.
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Don, Mary and Spooky
'00 Bluebird Skoolie Conversion
Geo Tracker/Dodge Neon/Aprilia Scooter towed
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07-06-2015, 03:24 PM
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#4
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL (Roll Tide!)
Posts: 97
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If you are 62 you can get a lifetime pass for $10 and stay for half price at any federal park. I love the Corp of Engineer parks, they are usually on a river or lake and the sites are huge, level and paved. They will spoil you for any others.
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07-06-2015, 03:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Viva Las Vegas
Posts: 252
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It's a great site. I just used one of their camp sites this past weekend. I also, went one step further and looked at google earth images to help pick out my site.
Also, active duty military gets the national parks annual pass for free which gives 50% off of campsites.
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07-10-2015, 11:00 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Crystal City, Mo.
Posts: 442
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linebacker, I have used recreation.gov numerous times to make reservations, no problems ever.
Life is a trip, ENJOY the ride.
Safe Travels.
__________________
Safe Travels
Have A Pleasant Day
Bill
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07-10-2015, 03:09 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 369
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Linebacker, the Forest Service and other govt sites out there are some of the best in the USA. Most of the sites are dry camping, but are almost always very roomy with some privacy compared to the commercial campgrounds. Plus, they are located in the most beautiful areas, usually forested. We love them! I'm currently getting ready to head out and spend some time seeking cool spots in NM at many FS campgrounds in the high country there.
I have just one 135w solar panel to keep up with the demands of dry camping, but your generator can be used in these sites during reasonable hours. Go to Allstays.com where you can set the filter to show you the FS and other govt sites available in the area you want to go. As to the reservation system, yes it works fine, and is worth the extra cost paid to the 3rd party that handles it. If it weren't for Wi-Fi and laundry needs in this day and age, I'd never have any reason to go to a commercial CG. I guess I should look into getting my own source of Wi-Fi!
__________________
Ken & Jeannie - 96 Vectra Grand Tour 35' DP Freightliner 6 spd Allison Jack (silky terrier), Hannah (poodle), Casey (Cairn Terrier)
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07-10-2015, 03:36 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Paoli, IN
Posts: 1,078
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It's a great site! Most if not all of the Fed CG's that have online reservations are through it and gives a description about individual sites.
__________________
Karen & Gary Glamping is not for the faint of heart!
traveling in a 2011 Ventana 3433!
Looking for our next adventure!
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07-10-2015, 04:05 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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I have visited a few campgrounds on Recreation.GOV
First: IF you qualify for any of the discount cards (I'm a senior so I do) GET IT,, the site will tell you if and how.
Now.. the COE parks I stayed at were all 50 amp, Nice clean level sites and water.. No sewer or wi-fi but there is a dump station.
Forest service park was as well.. I have been very happy with them
I log in, reserve a site, pay with my Debit card..Pre=fill the registration, Print out the hand to camp host paper and basically that's all there is to it.
Pull up to the gate house.. hand in the document show ID and Discount card (They have to verify) and go park.
Only commennt and this is a park by park things.. Some parks they used a very long yardstick.. So even though the site says "24' tents and tent trailers only" my 38 foot class A fits nicely with room to spare.
However.. You have to visit the park before you can count on that.
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Home is where I park it!
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07-10-2015, 04:10 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake County, IL
Posts: 1,584
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In a few of the national parks, such as Yellowstone, the camp grounds are operated by a private company, as a concession. Those hare their own reservation system, and do not use recreation.gov.
Using recreation.gov can often be a real pita. For example, last winter I arrived at a very out of the way camp ground in Big Cypress National Preserve. As usual, it was almost empty. Other than the host, only one site was in use. Despite that, the host told me that he couldn't give me a site until I called and made a reservation. There was no cell phone signal in the area, so he suggested that I drive the 30 mile round trip to the visitor center. There was no cell signal there either, but they lent me a land line so I could call recreation.gov to make a reservation for the site where my 5th wheel was already set up.
I can understand that having a central reservation system is convenient for the Park Service, but it is a major inconvenience for those of us who use it. Not being able to pay for a site in mostly empty camp ground without first calling and making a reservation is just plain dumb.
Joel
__________________
Retired electronics engineer. Avid paddler & birder.
2011 Silverado 2500HD, diesel, 4x4,crew cab, 8' bed
Palomino Puma 253FBS (27' 5er) & '94 19' Class B
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07-10-2015, 07:38 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 962
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we use it often-lots of times, it is the only way to make a reservation.
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07-10-2015, 07:58 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 540
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Birder, you may have been at a CG with no internet service at the check-in station. Without that they have no way to make a reservation or take a credit card for payment. They may get their reservations on a FAX machine. Many of the CoE campgrounds have walk-up campsites so they can handle it. You said it was out of the way so it must have been WAY out of the way. I have used Recreation.gov and ReserveAmerica.com (both are the same service) many times. One thing I learned on my last trip was being able to get a refund on a day I didn't use. I had to change a reservation to a day earlier and wanted to cancel the second day but the reservation service said there was a $10 cancelation charge. Since the cost for one day was $9 I decided to just forget about it and leave with out using the 2nd day. The camp host said he could get me a refund since I wasn't using the 2nd day, which is what he did, so lesson learned. The camp host could do what the reservation service couldn't. So if you have a change in plans and won't stay your original length let the camp host get you a refund for the unused stay. Also some State Parks will use Reservation.gov.
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2014 Palomino Puma 25RS 28 days in 2014, 47 days in 2015, 71 days in 2016, 2017-33, 2018- 29 booked.
2011 F-150 Supercrew 5.0 6spd, Me, Xyl and the 2 Fur kids, BooBoo and Gracie (felines)
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07-10-2015, 08:22 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake County, IL
Posts: 1,584
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KT4Wextra, you missed the point. I was at a virtually empty camp ground. Knowing that it never filled up, I had arrived on the day that I want6ed to stay. I was willing to pay by cash or by check, as I do in the national forest camp grounds. They didn't need an internet connection. They had me set up in a site, because they knew that it was available. Why on earth did I then have to drive to the visitor center to call recreation.gov for a reservation? Why did I need a reservation at all?
Joel
__________________
Retired electronics engineer. Avid paddler & birder.
2011 Silverado 2500HD, diesel, 4x4,crew cab, 8' bed
Palomino Puma 253FBS (27' 5er) & '94 19' Class B
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07-11-2015, 05:29 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Douglas MA
Posts: 171
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Not finding the app for my iPad? Any help?
Found it...Thanks
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