# State Park Reservation System Got Be A Better Way



## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

I was wondering if anyone else is fed up with our current reservation system,last week end my wife was making reservations for a camping trip this summer,she was trying 6 months ahead to the day and called the minute they opened. I had to laugh,she was on line,cell phone going,our home phone going and still took her 35 minutes to get though,we got the park we wanted and a pretty good site,but what a joke trying to get though.There has to be a better way!I remember when the parks took no reservations,we'd speed up north hopeing to get a site on fridays,I'm sorta glad those days are gone,but having to plan your whole summer 6 month in advance is a joke.most parks are 80% reserved,most of the popular parks are 100% reserved.back in the day I could call home on a hot summer friday,ask the wife if she wanted to go camping,have her get the camper ready leave work early and go camping those days are gone you have to plan 6 months in advance.my parents are retired they go and get a site during the week but get kicked out on the weekend cause the park is 100% reserverd.

What really makes me made is seeing empty lots people don't show up sure they paid for the site,how about all the other people who turned away that could of camped on that site.The gatering to groups has gotten way out of controll at one of our favorite parks last year,one family had 15 water front sites,cause they got thur to the reservation system first.not fare to the rest of us!

I've rambled on enough our family camps at least 10 weekends a year plus our family vacation in the summer were fed up with the reservation system,just was wondering what the rest of you campers thought of our lousy reservation system,which by the way is in Maryland.


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## Jimbos

Then you drive through park and it's 80% out of staters camping. Sorry but Michiganders should either have priority or the fee for out of state campers should be doubled, which would help the parks and the cash crunch. We spend green money also, so the argument that it would hurt tourism is very lame. I'm glad the days of sweating for a spot are over,


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## umas911

i have only called to make a res. once but i make most of them online now totaly painless


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## snakebit67

I'm with you larry, thats why I gave up state parks for state forest. Even then I have started taking vacation on a Thursday so I can get a spot Wednesday night. I'm for first come first served.


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## Dan-o

I was told last year that you can book on line and start reserving on-line at mid night instead of the 8 am call-in time. 

Another way is if you book for a week it is easier to get the weekend and then go back and cancel the days you do not want.

We have given up on state parks this and are trying KOAs and private campgrounds that friend have recommended. Let me know the areas you are looking for and maybe I can help in recommending somewhere.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

danno,
to make reservstions on line,you can not log on to the site to after 8 to make reservations on a date 6 months in advance.thats one of the things Im talking about when people cancel or reduce the nuber of days they plan on staying in most cases the site stays open as the park turns people away.danno were also starting to camp at other parks,but still love our state parks

jimbo not sure where you were going on your post,I do agree out of staters should have to pay extra,and have less of window time to make reservations,after all is our tax dollars that support the parks.I stay in the parks at least 45 days a year and never see more then 10% out of staters.I too am glad that the days sweating for a site are over too,but also would love the oppertunity to change sites or parks on my vacation if I choose too noe you can not.

snakebit
I'm with you.


umass911 
,your one of the lucky ones,the # 1 complaint to the dnr is the state reservation system


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## Oct.1

After reading this I tried to book reservations at Ludington State Park for June 5th to June 12. As big a Ludington is I was not able to get a site for the 8 consecutive nights with out moving to another site for 2 nights. Ive been camping State Parks since the 60s. Last year we started Private Camp Grounds.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

oct.1
thats before most schools are out it gets worse,once the schools are out.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

we sent another 45 minutes today trying to get thur,by the time we got thur,the park we wanted was full,we'll play the game again tomorrow.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

we have tired to make reservations for the last 3 days today we actually got a site,one of the least desireable lots in the park,we got thur at 9:05 5 minutes after they open on saturday and got the last site open.let me tell you how we got thur my wife was calling on our land line and online at the same time, my daughter was trying on my wifes cell phone and I was trying on my cell phone my daughter was the winner she got thur.wate a joke at least we finally got a site.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

we played the same game last sunday 3 phones and on line at the same took 22 minutes to get thur,once we got thur the park had only one site left we took it,I Think it might be better then the other site we gopt, but now we have 2 sites in a month we can get our money back on the first one,the state lets you book as many sites as you want and then lets you cancel,the problem in the mean time others are trying to reserve a site and can't .THE SYSTEM HAS TO CHANGED,WE NOW HAVE TWO SITES IN LUDINGTON S.P. THE WEEK OF AUGEST 7TH THUR 15.If any body wants lot 71 in Ludington s.p that week let me know and we will not cancel.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

hey something has to wrong,we got right though today and got the site wanted for labor day weekend.


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## WALLEYEvision

Been camping in Ludington State Park since 1969. Things started getting crazy with the reservations back in the mid 80's. Now days it totally stinks! 

The park has under gone alot of changes over the years...mostly for the worst. (IMO)


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## laredo

My wife and I have been avid campers since childhood. As a matter of fact we met camping, she was with her family and I was with mine. I guess that alone should've made me give up this pastime. Glutten for punishment I guess. Anyway, we have found that it is a great way to share the outdoors with our children and make many new freinds. However, I must agree with you that something needs to be done. It is rediculous to try and plan a whole summer of activity in Feb. And as far as the private campgrounds go, every one that I have inquired about is VERY expensive. 

Maybe if the parks only reserved 50 percent of the park and the rest was kept on a first come first serve basis maybe you would stand a chance getting a campsite.

The state park rule about moving every 14 or 15 days is a joke as well. Last summer while camping at Interlochen state park we watched different groups trade campsites within the park. I think that you should be required to leave the facility for 24hrs before being allowed to reset the meter. This would stop people who live within close proximity to the parks from using them as second homes allowing other families to use these resources as intended.

As for now I guess we will have to keep letting our feelings known to the powers that be and hope for changes


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## Chris_Davis

I just make the reservations online, talking to anyone on the phone is just a pain. I would complain to Parks and Rec about the time you're spending on the phone. They pay (actually the person making the reservation pays) a good chunk of change for the reservations contract. Just because a park says it's 100% reserved doesn't mean there are no spots left. The State has the option of holding 5 or 10% of the sites out of the reservation system.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

chris-davis,
They only hold in some parks most of the popular parks,are 100%.Last year at Ludington my van broke down on go home day,my daughter rode her bike to the ranger station to see if there was any where they could move us for one day,the only thing they did for us was to a tow truck.they had no sites at all.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

for the first time in a long time got reservations for halloween camping without hassle,LAKEPORT STATE PARK moved their halloween weekend up 2 weeks I think we were lucky and not many knew.


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## toots

The system needs to be completely over hauled and the management of the system brought back to Mi. I have talked to people who figured out how to beat the system. I do think that on line is the best way to go. Our parks are the best,.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

toots I agree with you ,just wanted to bump this thread back up now that camping season is here and people are haveing problems finding a campground to make reservations at. YET MOST PARKS HAVE EMPTY LOTS,evry weekend but can't fill them do to no shows who have reservations.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

forgot to mention we camped this past weekend at lakeport s.p. when we checked in we were not on the computer,even though we had a reservation card with th right dates,our reservation was wrong on the computer,we ended up getting our lot but had to put up a fight to get it.my wife made those reservations six months to the day in advance.


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## toots

The state park system is poor at best. The first thing we need is to get it back to MI. If we have to pay people to do this work they should spend their money here. I have found the people on the phone to be polite and helpful. The rules for people who use parks for long periods of time needs to be fixed. Calling park offices sometimes will get you someones canceled site. People who over book to get chioice weekends should pay a penalty or forfiet the whole reservation.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

toots,
I agree ! They also have limet the number of sites one can reserve at once.In some of the more popular parks ,they get booked in the first 10 mins on the 6 month ahead date one of the reasons is the first few people to get thur book large quanties of sites , only to cancel later,leaving the rest of us trying to get thur on the 6 month ahead date out of luck.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

Just a bump there has to be a betterway ? we now have resevations for memioial weekend 2005,we wanted to camp at Lakeport S.P, but the reservation system had a problem,so were now camping at Tawas Point S.P. . I love TAWAS Point but Lakeport is two hours closer. 



I KNOW MANY OTHERS OUR UN HAPPY WITH THE MICHIGAN D. N. R. RESERVATION SYSTEM,WE NEED TO MAKE OUR VOICE HERD.



LARRY


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## Wellston

I tried to make reservations for June in Grand Haven SP last week. When I looked on line at 7:30am there were 14 lots available for the days I wanted. At 8:01 when I checked on line again while trying to call in they were all gone. Please tell me how 14 lots can fill up in one minute. I left a message for a parks person referred to me in Muskegon last week. I have not heard back from her yet.
Jim


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## twohats

Gone fishin, We will be just up the road from you at harrisville S.P Made res. last night and somehow manedged to get the last water front site. The first attempt was almost complet when the sys. suddenly said no site specific resv. On my second attempt It went through will no problems.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

Wellston,
Don't hold your breath for that call bacK, they are under staffed and under paid at the reservation place, the turn over of personal is great, and yes I can believe 14 sites filled up that fast ,you are allowed to book up to 10 sites at once,which is way wrong and they don't let you cancell till 30 days before your reservation,so whats happaning is the first few callers are taking what ever sites are aviblie then canceling the sites they don't want 30 days priour to their reservation date. EVRY STATE PARK RANGER WILL TELL THEIR BIGGEST PROBLEM beyond teen age drinking in the park is the big groups getting rowdy.LETTING 10 SITES BE BOOKED AT ONCE IS JUST WRONG.



twohats,

Enjoy ,Harrisville State Park is one of my favorites,in the mid 80's thur the mid 90's we kept our camper right up there in Harrisville storage right across from the park.We had our family reunion there for eight strait years.I have yet to find a park with so many lots on a Great Lake lot 49 thur 102 on Lake Huron.our favorite was 72 now its beach access ,now we like all 8's on lake except 78 .(58,68,88,98)


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## twohats

Gone Fishin, We have site # 62. Also I think the number of sites for reservations should be limited to 2 and no more.One more ? whats a better state park Brimley or Muskallonge . We are thinking about going up in July.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

twohats,
We love MUSKALLONGE LAKE STATE PARK,the campground has lots of campsites right on the lake most are grassy and shady.The fishing is pretty good my kids got tried of catching pike'I'll admitt most were hammer handles,but the kids still had blast.THE Lake Superior beach is great for rock hunting.The rangers at Muskallonge were top notch the last time I was there we broke a spring on my trailer,they bent over backwords to help me get back on the road.The only problem is you are 20 miles from anywhere,with only a small camp store near bye

I've never camped at BRIMLEY,we did drive thur it last time we were in the U.P. . My wife did not like campground,not enough shade if I remember right most sites were grassy with very few shade trees


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## twohats

Thanks for the info. Have a great year.


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

Sorry to bring this thread back,but with recent threads on this forum mentioning our State Parks,I thought I would bring it back to the top one more time.
It took us 2 weeks to finally get though to make reservations for our August Vacation to Ludington S.P. (yes we called 13 strait days) Yet they are more then a few that have been caught brokering sites,reserving more sites then you need and selling ,renting or sub leaseing them off for profit.


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## youngbuck26

I hate to say it but I have loved the reservation syatem since it has started. My family and friends are all very avid campers and i have yet to have a problem...I go on to the website pull up the site map of the campground I want..PICK THE BEST SITE THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR MY DATES (SINCE IT ONLY SHOWS SITES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE DATES i SPECIFIED) and bam i am done...I have never had an issue with site selection (my family and I are lakefront for memorial day and we have 3 sites) and in the dozens of times using the service my reservation has always been accurate when I show up at the park. Personally i say it is a great service...

One last question i have for everyone that has responded to this thread...Why are you calling some 800 number for reservations when you obviously have access to the internet since you are posting here?

Just my .02
Joe


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## GONE FISHIN(LARRY)

youngbuck26 ,
If you like IT great , most don't ! It is the #1 complaint to the D.N.R. about the Stateparks year after year .WE JUST DON'T USE THE 1-800 # , at the same time were on the internet(and yes we have a high speed connection) and cell phone and land line phone . Even useing all 3 it is very tuff to get though during peak times .The reservation place even admitts that on peak days it can take up to 30 mins to get though and the average is 10 to 15 mins .If you have a nich to get though don't loose it , most of us are struggling to get though , my family and I spend 8 to 10 weekends camping a year and spend our 2 week vacation camping evry year , AND 90% of our camping is done at our state parks . One of my biggest complaints is letting people reserve sites in bulk , you said you have 3 sites lakefront, while most were not even able to get though for memeriol weekend. I'll admitt we lucked out so far this year we , have lakefront lots both memorial and 4th of July weekends .
I wish great camping to ya,
LARRY


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## Oct.1

Since last year and the same existing problem year after year, I decided there was a better way. I bought my own property. Put up an electrical outlet box for my camper. It just between Houghton Lake and Lake City. Now I can have my cake and eat it too.


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## youngbuck26

All i can say is i have always just gone on and picked my site without a problem..for instince for Memorial day I started with one site (interlochen) on the water (it is a site i often choose) I went on about 5 months in advance and took the site..I had a good friend say he was interested in going a couple weeks later..i went on and got the site next to mine which was still there...about a month later my parents decided they wanted to go so i went on and there it was the next site down....If I had a trick I would surely let everyone know, but i just use what they have.

Sorry to all who are having the problems.

Joe


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## pdkpotocki

Out of state campers do have a extra fee there is a non res annual or daily that they have to buy.


Jimbos said:


> Then you drive through park and it's 80% out of staters camping. Sorry but Michiganders should either have priority or the fee for out of state campers should be doubled, which would help the parks and the cash crunch. We spend green money also, so the argument that it would hurt tourism is very lame. I'm glad the days of sweating for a spot are over,


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## 75north

I just now completed a online reservation for Higgins lake for next month. I got the site and the dates that I wanted, and I was able to see a map of the units and amenities. Quick, easy, painless. The phone reservation sysytem (which I haven't done in 10 years or so) I'm sure can be a pain, just like any other business phone sytem with their million "press this for that" commands. Online is the way to go if you're lucky enough to have computer access.


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## soulfish86

game playing that was going on prior to this reservation system. People were reserving a site for two weeks. Then they cancel the first week of their stay and keep the second (which is the week they wanted). The players were getting all the best lakefront lots that way. Did you ever used to wonder why you would see the same people on the prime lots year after year? This system reduces that. You must cancel the entire reservation (not first half). Although you could still go back online and pick up that second week as soon as it becomes available. Some people with deep pockets are doing that. That's why the availability of nice lots is still sparse. I think there should be ZERO refunds. If you have to cancel you lose your $$$. That's the only way to make it fair for all. My 2cents.


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## JEFFK

I think I'm missing something soulfish86. Did you say? 

"You must cancel the entire reservation (not first half). Although you could still go back online and pick up that second week as soon as it becomes available"

Does the reservation system place canceled sites back in the system as available for reservation after a person calls and cancels??  

I thought it did not, and that's why we see a site on the web that showed it to be reserved but then we are at that camp ground that site is empty all weekend.


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## youngbuck26

The sites do show back up if someone cancels...and you do have to cancel your entire reservation to make a change to it. 

I love the system...exspecially this year with the color coded interactive maps. How much better does it get?


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## pdkpotocki

NO system is going to be perfect it cost to much to have the parks do there own reservations so they had to go to what they are doing now. As for bringing the system back in the state there is no one in the state that can handle the reservation system with in the state. We tried it at the beginning with a company and they totally bomb it. I have been a park ranger for the state parks for a 11 years and this is the best system we have had. The poeple in Maryland are the same company that do reservations for the federal park as well as several orther state parks. they are alwasy looking for ways to improve the system. If we need something improved they get on it right away. the only bad thing i can really say about this system is that our computer can be real slow in the parks and they are working on that also. So don't knock the whole system there are alot more poeple who like the conveice and have no complaints about the system.


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