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Old 09-12-2021, 04:07 AM   #1
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Disappointed

Have been trying to plan a trip to see Utah's 5 National parks.
Nothing worse than having to keep a strict schedule while traveling. However, those days seem to be long gone. Was able to get reservations near the arches but everything around Zion seems to be booked.
Anyone else having problems with finding RV parks that aren't booked?

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Old 09-12-2021, 04:15 AM   #2
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We just did 29 days and 5900 miles.
No reservations at all, unscheduled, unmapped.
Not a problem any day of the trip.

Look for parking where the masses don't amass.
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Old 09-12-2021, 11:52 AM   #3
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Yes and this has been a discussion topic on the forum for quite some time.
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Old 09-12-2021, 12:03 PM   #4
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Welcome to 2021...
Did you just figure all of this out?
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Old 09-12-2021, 12:25 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Rhamilton001 View Post
Have been trying to plan a trip to see Utah's 5 National parks.
Nothing worse than having to keep a strict schedule while traveling. However, those days seem to be long gone. Was able to get reservations near the arches but everything around Zion seems to be booked.
Anyone else having problems with finding RV parks that aren't booked?
We have stayed at Ruby's and boondocked near there

If boondocking isn't your thing vheck on cancelations

If you're going now be prepfor freezing night time temps

Also go to Cedar Breaks and the state parks near Zion
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Old 09-12-2021, 02:04 PM   #6
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We are just about 2 months and 6000+ miles into our trip since selling the house in Massachusetts.
No Reservations anywhere.
Been all through Michigan UP, South Dakota, Wyoming and now Utah.
Did Yellowstone, Tetons, Arches, currently Canyonlands and off to Zion.
Not worried about where to stay. No problems just like Duckface said.
Campendium, Harvest hosts and boondocks welcome are your friends.
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Old 09-12-2021, 02:42 PM   #7
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As some of posted..... if you don't have any planned route or specifc destinations with scheduled times to do or see things, you can find campgrounds.

However, if there are specific places you want to see in a specific order, on specific dates, etc., you have to book far in advance.... esecially if they are popular places like many of the National Parks.

We are in the middle of a 7-week 5500 mile trip to several National Parks (Teddy Roosevely, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands) and some other stops. We booked 90% of the campgrounds in January because we wanted to try and hit some of these places when crowds would not be as bad as peak travel season. But If I waited until April or May.... forget it. I would not have been able to get spots at some of the places we wanted to stay.

We have already booked campgrounds for next year for things like the Balloon Fesitval in Albuqueque next October and we have booked an Alaska Caravan already for 2023. We will be booking the rest of our 2022 campgrounds between now and January..... which will include Rocky Mountain NP and some of the NP's in Utah before the Balloon Fesitval.
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Old 09-12-2021, 03:04 PM   #8
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As some of posted..... if you don't have any planned route or specifc destinations with scheduled times to do or see things, you can find campgrounds.

However, if there are specific places you want to see in a specific order, on specific dates, etc., you have to book far in advance.... esecially if they are popular places like many of the National Parks.

We are in the middle of a 7-week 5500 mile trip to several National Parks (Teddy Roosevely, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Mount Rushmore and the Badlands) and some other stops. We booked 90% of the campgrounds in January because we wanted to try and hit some of these places when crowds would not be as bad as peak travel season. But If I waited until April or May.... forget it. I would not have been able to get spots at some of the places we wanted to stay.

We have already booked campgrounds for next year for things like the Balloon Fesitval in Albuqueque next October and we have booked an Alaska Caravan already for 2023. We will be booking the rest of our 2022 campgrounds between now and January..... which will include Rocky Mountain NP and some of the NP's in Utah before the Balloon Fesitval.
We've been in New Mexico this yr with reservations.
However we've only been in 1 campground that was actually full and that was Labor day.

Have you noticed any "full" campgrounds that had any/multiple open sites?
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Old 09-12-2021, 03:35 PM   #9
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We've been in New Mexico this yr with reservations.
However we've only been in 1 campground that was actually full and that was Labor day.

Have you noticed any "full" campgrounds that had any/multiple open sites?

We started out on August 20th. The KOA in Nashville was full the weekend we got there. After Monday there were some spaces. The KOA in Bismark looked full from what I could see there and that was middle of the week…. but that location seemed to be a place where a lot of people stopped for a night as they drove across North Dakota. The camground we stayed at a mile outside of Medora was full… but it was small. The larger campground in town was packed over the weekend. During the week you could have gotten spots.

The KOA in St Mary / East Glacier looked full when we got there on a Monday but I was surprised to see a couple open spots when we left on Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend. Maybe people avoiding the masses over the holiday weekend because of the COVID spike?

The KOA in West Yellowstone has been very full…. I’ve seen a lot of rotating spots in the five days we have been here. People pull out and then later someone ear pulls in.

My feeling is that you can get a spot during the week…. might not always be a great spot…. but weekends you need to be lucky.
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Old 09-12-2021, 04:07 PM   #10
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We started out on August 20th. The KOA in Nashville was full the weekend we got there. After Monday there were some spaces. The KOA in Bismark looked full from what I could see there and that was middle of the week…. but that location seemed to be a place where a lot of people stopped for a night as they drove across North Dakota. The camground we stayed at a mile outside of Medora was full… but it was small. The larger campground in town was packed over the weekend. During the week you could have gotten spots.

The KOA in St Mary / East Glacier looked full when we got there on a Monday but I was surprised to see a couple open spots when we left on Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend. Maybe people avoiding the masses over the holiday weekend because of the COVID spike?

The KOA in West Yellowstone has been very full…. I’ve seen a lot of rotating spots in the five days we have been here. People pull out and then later someone ear pulls in.

My feeling is that you can get a spot during the week…. might not always be a great spot…. but weekends you need to be lucky.
"My feeling is that you can get a spot during the week…. might not always be a great spot…. but weekends you need to be lucky"

That's what we were planning, campground Sun tru Friday morning, then dry camp somewhere till Sunday afternoon
Haven't had to, heading home this Friday.
We've been to Alamogordo hot but NICE
Albuquerque (casino camping) ops didn't plan on the casino being closed to non residents
Santa Fe beautiful cool and rainy
Chama same as Santa Fe just less crowded.
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Old 09-12-2021, 08:01 PM   #11
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Weekends will be the most difficult, but if you're looking to go to the more popular places without scheduling far in advance, you're going to have to compromise - look for the places that are a bit further out, sites with no hookups, etc...
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Old 09-12-2021, 08:18 PM   #12
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Camping this July in Montana, Wyoming and Utah we would ask if they had overflow spots w/o hookups. They usually did. You can try fairgrounds, some even have full hookups, city parks in small towns we found lovely places to stay. But yes it's challenging when you take your chances during peak times.
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:20 AM   #13
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Some good info, Thanks. Don't mind dry camping so will look into that a bit further. I got reservations from NW Arkansas through Denver and onto Moab. Kinda stuck from that point. Wanted to get down to Zion but it isn't looking good.
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:28 AM   #14
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Stick in Moab, rent a car, go see zion and Bryce and all the rest for two days.
Go back to Moab, carry on.
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Old 09-13-2021, 02:33 AM   #15
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So just some up to date information to add to my earlier post......

This morning I would say half the KOA here in West Yellowstone was cleared out. We got back about 4:30 this afternoon and it ws filling up. Now at 8:30 tonight, I can't see any open spots. There may be if I walked around but from my vantage point there aren't any at the moment.
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Old 09-18-2021, 06:35 PM   #16
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On one of our visits to Zion a few years back it happened to be during the government shut down.

Very few visitors in Utah anywhere we traveled. We had a great time and saw everything we wanted free from crowds all across the state.

Any of you that might have been there at the time enjoyed a great time as well

Some interesting tidbits about that trip

We had booked at Ruby's and only had about 10 other campers there. The restaurant was open and food was great and again few there. We decided to stay there for the week and drove to the other 5 parks we visited

We were in late September and most of the folks at the park left their water hoses out and connected and the all froze, they learned after the second night luckily

All of the state parks were open which we enjoyed

Armed security guards were at the gate stopping entry at Bryce Canyon so all of the visitor including us went in the back way down the road

At Zion Rangers were at the entry and told us we could go through but not to stop. So the first ones to each of the scenic areas removed the brand new barricades and we all enjoyed the park for the day.

The movie at the visitor center was the only thing we had planned on doing we didn't get to do.

Cedar Breaks gate was open and no one in the office.

The drive down the back road though the dessert to Lake Powell was as good as the parks

Of interest also was at each and every closed gate were brand new signs posted telling us why the parks were closed

One of our best trips ever so don't let lack of reservations stop you from traveling and enjoying the sights

Last year at Moab the parks were full and we got a site due to a cancellation but had to trim trees before setting up

We had prepared to boondock but prefer not to in many places unless there are neighbors
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Old 09-18-2021, 06:55 PM   #17
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During the week anyplace is fine. We have done 15 trips
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Old 09-19-2021, 01:40 PM   #18
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Try Kanab, UT

Try Kanab Utah if you want to visit Zion, Bryce and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. They have quite a few nice campgrounds and it’s 60-90 minutes to the parks. Lots of good Jeep trails as well.
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Old 09-19-2021, 03:13 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by ducksface View Post
We just did 29 days and 5900 miles.
No reservations at all, unscheduled, unmapped.
Not a problem any day of the trip.

Look for parking where the masses don't amass.
Oh man do I agree with this. I gave up trying to plan long trips and make all the reservations. One flat tire or detour and everything is wrecked. Now I just ensure that I can run without any hookups and go. If I decide to stay somewhere I’ll call a couple hours ahead to reserve, if not available no big deal I’ll boon dock it.
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Old 09-19-2021, 04:05 PM   #20
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Stick in Moab, rent a car, go see zion and Bryce and all the rest for two days.
Go back to Moab, carry on.
We did AZ, Nevada and Utah....several years ago...and am soooo happy we did. The last time we traveled to Utah, was the 100th anniv. of Natiional Forest/Campgrounds....and could not get hookups at Lake Powell, Page, CG at the dam area....wound up with a terrific Dry Campsite there....in the past, we have not had any issues...except for Zion...we wound up going to Bryce..which has a very large CG....and then drove back to Zion for a day trip. We prefer Bryce to Zion anyway. Been Moab, Canyonlands etc on the east side of Utah several times....great memories !
I hope those of you who have not witnessed the magnificence of AZ, Utah, NM and Colorado...get to it one way or the other !!!!
Happy Camping...to all...
now due to health issues, we are staying close to home....WE DID DO AMTRAK last week....KC to Albuquerque....made us miss our motorhome !
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