[cdestroyer]

paraphrased.. https://thewesternnews.com/news/2023/feb/24/bill-would-limit-state-campground-reservations-80-/ "Libby Republican Rep. Steve Gunderson’s bill to limit reservations at state campgrounds to 80% of capacity." In his opening, Gunderson said one of the problems is Glacier National Park has become popular. It’s so packed with out-of-state visitors, the park is limiting traffic on the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, and those tourists are spilling onto state lands and taking up reservations at state parks.

[Waterman]

Seems reasonable. 20% for drop in visitors and locals.

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Step in the right direction. How about 20% reservation, 80% first come first served? I know, I'm dreaming. It used to be that way.

[Randito]

20% day of seems reasonable. I suspect this result in a long line up at the camp host of folks hoping for a campsite that night. Visiting NPS campsites in the Olympics year before last there seemed like something almost a 1/4 of the sites were empty, despite the ranger saying they were full. We were cycling and so they were able to assign us a "non reservable campsite. This site over half the tent pad was unusable due to roots growing up through the gravel. There was a smooth flat section just big enough for our small two person tent. The ranger said that many people don't show up for their reservations, but the protocol is to not release the site to day of campers.

[Cyclopath]

The answer will have to be build more parks, because they're making more and more people every day.

[Schroder]

It doesn't sound like the legislators are clear themselves on what they want to pass. I read it as they want to limit reservable sites in State Park Campgrounds to 80% and the remaining 20% open as first-come first-served sites to locals only.

[kiliki]

They can't do this if they used Land and Water Conservation Fund grant money to acquire or develop the parks. LWCF grants are very common at all municipal levels, though cities/states don't readily acknowledge it. It's possible Montana didn't of course. Idaho had the same kind of proposal but has taken much LWCF money to develop their state park system, so they couldn't. The grant agreements let them charge double fees to out of staters, so Idaho does that.

[BigBrunyon]

I've always operated on the fact/idea that around 10-20% of car camping sites in major campgrounds fall under common "strong man law".