WSJ: Campgrounds are Fully Booked, But Also Half-Empty
Wyoming’s state parks, including Boysen State Park, implemented a stricter no-show policy in 2021. PHOTO: WYOMING DIVISION OF STATE PARKS AND HISTORIC SITES AND TRAILS
Rising interest in camping means prime sites are selling out across the country. So why do so many campsites sit empty on peak nights?
Online booking and cancellation fees mean there is little to gain in letting parks know you’re a no-show, campers say, according to The Wall Street Journal. Travelers who make multiple bookings before their plans are set, combined with weather events that reduce availability, make it seem harder than ever to find space.
Travelers looking to pitch their tents or park their RVs at beach campsites in California and lakeside spots in Minnesota are feeling this crunch. Short of showing up in person in hopes of a perfectly timed cancellation coming through, campers are often out of luck.
States are responding to complaints over no-shows, making changes at campgrounds across the country. Minnesota started enforcing its no-show policy this spring after grumbling from campers. Proposed legislation in California would penalize those who bail on their spots.
“What we’re trying to do is ensure people actually show up to their reservation or cancel,” says Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a California assemblymember representing parts of the Bay Area, who introduced a bill aiming to deter last-minute cancellations and no-shows in state parks.
Source: https://rvbusiness.com/wsj-campgrounds-are-fully-booked-but-also-half-empty/
