Maintenance & Restoration

Kel · 01-17-2021, 01:21 PM

[SIZE="2"]Hi! Needing help understanding the reservation process. Its been many many years since I've booked a site for camping after many years of not being able to camp. This is my first time trying to make a reservation to attend our first rally with our Lil Snoozy. We would like to attend the rally in Thomson Il, the Mississippi River Valley rally, September 24-26.
Am I understanding right that sites are not open for availability until May 1st 2021?!
Do I have to be at my computer, on that day at 9:00 am to book something for September?! I don't want the booking process to become stressful!
Thanks so much for your help!! Kel

steve dunham · 01-17-2021, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kel

[SIZE="2"]Hi! Needing help understanding the reservation process. Its been many many years since I've booked a site for camping after many years of not being able to camp. This is my first time trying to make a reservation to attend our first rally with our Lil Snoozy. We would like to attend the rally in Thomson Il, the Mississippi River Valley rally, September 24-26.
Am I understanding right that sites are not open for availability until May 1st 2021?!
Do I have to be at my computer, on that day at 9:00 am to book something for September?! I don't want the booking process to become stressful!
Thanks so much for your help!! Kel

Mississippi River Rendevous Rally
Thomson Causeway COE Campgrounds
Thomson Illinois
Rally host = Paul Braun

COE campgrounds have a 6 month reservation window , so if the starting date for your camping reservation is Sept 24 , 2021 then March 24 ,2021 is the first date you can reserve a site .

This is a very popular rally and sites are grabbed up rather quickly so while you do not have to be up at midnight, I would not procrastinate
Many participants arrive early and stay late so if you decide to make a week out of it , you will have company

Hopefully the rally will be a go this year unlike 2020
We will be reserving our site ASAP and looking forward to seeing our rally friends again in 2021 !

mary and bob · 01-17-2021, 02:45 PM

Every time we made reservations at a COE campground we did it exactly 6 months ahead, had a couple sites picked and set on two different computers, and hit the reserve button the instant the clock turned over to the reserve time, which was either 9 or 10 AM (don't remember which). Most times we would get a site, but if not we would check again in about 15 or 20 minutes as there is a set time that a site is held to complete the reservation before it will become available again. Set up an account on recreation.gov so you are ready. Some states use Reserve America for reservations, others have their own reservation system. Maine and South Carolina are two that I know have their own reservation system.

Kevin A · 01-18-2021, 07:20 AM

While a few sites will be snapped up right after the reservation window opens, you don’t have to stress over being “keyboard ready.” Generally, sites in proximity to the host site book up fast, but others are available for quite a while. Note when your reservations come open (6 months prior to the day you wish to arrive), check out the map of the site to find something you like, and then pop online when you are ready. Have fun! We were there last year at the non-rally and had a very nice visit.