Reservation timing

[garmp]

This subject has probably been brought up before, but my searches showed nothing. Any way, we live in the midwest and many times want to head south to the gulf states for the warmth early in the year.
My question is when is the best time for a chance of getting a reservation at a state park in the gulf area? In other words, when do the snow birds leave and the spring breakers arrive? Nothing against either group, just looking for availability. Is there a magic number on the calendar? Or moon phases? How do you plan?

thanks

[BillyBob_Jim]

There is legislation being proposed in Michigan right now to allow state residents an earlier opening to the reservation windows, essentially giving state residents some precedence in the use of their state park campgrounds. If anywhere needs such a rule Florida is it. I have close relatives who are Florida residents, and the hoops they need to jump through to get sites at their state parks in the prime months, being discussed here mostly due to Snowbirds, is totally ridiculous.

I hope Michigan passes and implements it, and other states such as Florida then follow suit.

[kohldad]

Best time for Florida is November and December up to Christmas. Weather is nice and the snowbirders haven't flocked to Florida yet. That's when we go and almost never make reservations. But we only stay at each location for a day or two and can change sites each night if needed.

[magnusfide]

wildtoad wrote:
Many state parks accept reservations a year in advance. So if you want a site in a popular destination during a popular time, plan way ahead.

Double ditto. This is what we do.

[garmp]

DFord wrote:
To answer the question about when snowbirds leave, there usually heading back home by the end of March - some leave earlier and some leave later. The spring break crowd shows up anytime after the middle of February to the middle of March.

Thanks a bunch. That's what I was looking for. And thank to all for your responses.

[accsys]

Guy Roan wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
Just a FYI, your computer time on Windows anyway is synced to Naval Observatory's time server. That is US official time. I did something like the above to get a spot in Yosemite Valley. Multiple windows open, but got in at my first choice on the first window.

It doesn't show the seconds. Timing is critical for the Florida state park sites.

Guy

On my Win7 laptop, if I click on the time a small window pops up showing the time, including seconds, and also give me other options.

[agesilaus]

Guy Roan wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
Just a FYI, your computer time on Windows anyway is synced to Naval Observatory's time server. That is US official time. I did something like the above to get a spot in Yosemite Valley. Multiple windows open, but got in at my first choice on the first window.

It doesn't show the seconds. Timing is critical for the Florida state park sites.

Guy

/

You can download a clock 'gadget' that does show the seconds, I am looking at the one I use now: a big school house wall analog style clock with a second hand ticking away. It has different shells and you can use a digital style one if you prefer. Look here for info.

[bucky]

I use an atomic time app on my phone leaning against the monitor. It is getting tougher every year however as everybody seems to be buying RVs.

[Guy_Roan]

agesilaus wrote:
Just a FYI, your computer time on Windows anyway is synced to Naval Observatory's time server. That is US official time. I did something like the above to get a spot in Yosemite Valley. Multiple windows open, but got in at my first choice on the first window.

It doesn't show the seconds. Timing is critical for the Florida state park sites.

Guy

[Thom02099]

Guy Roan wrote:
Your best bet for a Florida state park reservation is as follows:
You need to go on Reserve America at exactly 8:00 AM eastern standard time eleven months prior to your starting date.
A day or two ahead of time you can see what sites will be open.
On your computer have a split screen. One of the screens should be the US official time, (so you can watch the count down.
On the other screen you need all your ducks in order and have the site that you want all picked out. At 7:59: 59 click the button and say a prayer.
My wife used to have six or seven browsers open and and click them as fast as she could. Normally she would gt a site.
We also had a group of friends who worked together with each of us having the others info and credit card numbers.

This may sound like nonsense, but believe it or not we would be able to snow bird the entire winter using this method (two weeks at a time per state park)

Thankfully a few years ago, we bought a lot in a RV park in Key Largo and ever since have been happy campers and able to sleep late on those 8:00 am days.

Guy

^^^^This. Good advice.

Here in Colorado, when using recreation.gov or reserveAmerica, it's a 6 month window for reservations, for Colorado State Parks, USFS Campgrounds, and NPS campgrounds. The timing is slightly different, as it's 10am EST that the window opens, so at exactly 8am MST, be ready to start the process above. Have yourself logged in, have your credit card ready and hope for the best.

[agesilaus]

Just a FYI, your computer time on Windows anyway is synced to Naval Observatory's time server. That is US official time. I did something like the above to get a spot in Yosemite Valley. Multiple windows open, but got in at my first choice on the first window.

[Guy_Roan]

Your best bet for a Florida state park reservation is as follows:
You need to go on Reserve America at exactly 8:00 AM eastern standard time eleven months prior to your starting date.
A day or two ahead of time you can see what sites will be open.
On your computer have a split screen. One of the screens should be the US official time, (so you can watch the count down.
On the other screen you need all your ducks in order and have the site that you want all picked out. At 7:59: 59 click the button and say a prayer.
My wife used to have six or seven browsers open and and click them as fast as she could. Normally she would gt a site.
We also had a group of friends who worked together with each of us having the others info and credit card numbers.

This may sound like nonsense, but believe it or not we would be able to snow bird the entire winter using this method (two weeks at a time per state park)

Thankfully a few years ago, we bought a lot in a RV park in Key Largo and ever since have been happy campers and able to sleep late on those 8:00 am days.

Guy

[DFord]

To answer the question about when snowbirds leave, there usually heading back home by the end of March - some leave earlier and some leave later. The spring break crowd shows up anytime after the middle of February to the middle of March.

[agesilaus]

If you want a park site in Florida in one of the popular parks, those south of Orlando and near to coast in particular. Or any park near or on the coast. During snowbird season which runs traditionally from Thanksgiving to sometime in spring, depending on the weather up north. You better make them as soon as the reservation period opens.

[wildtoad]

Many state parks accept reservations a year in advance. So if you want a site in a popular destination during a popular time, plan way ahead.