Baxter State Park Opening Day Reservations 2009
Over the years I have hiked, I have encountered the poor likelihood of getting reservations for sites at Baxter at the “good” sites and on weekends by using the mail in reservations. I had tried most of the “tricks” but inevitably I would get a call from the reservations staff telling me that my primary choice of trips and two alternatives were booked up and “would I like to completely revamp my trip?” I decided that this year I would try out the “new” (for a few years) opening day reservation process at BSP headquarters. Opening Day was scaled back a few years ago when there would be many more folks participating, but better late than never.
After a 240 mile drive on Wednesday evening, I arrived at headquarters at around 5 AM Thursday. The parking lot was partially full, but no lines of cars in the street. After walking around to the back door, I encountered a small tent village and about 25 people milling about socializing in cold weather gear (it was around -10 deg F). After a few minutes, a bundled up figure approached and it turned out to be Stan from VFTT. He was up with Pat, Audrey and Marge (all from VFTT), but they were back at the motel. Stan and crew were up in the area skiing and snowshoeing for a few days, but only Stan braved the cold as the others prefer to stay in campgrounds outside the park. There were about 10 folks who camped out, at least one them had camped out two nights to gain the coveted first in line.
A few minutes to 6 AM the new park director stopped by with donuts for the now somewhat larger bunch and soon we were let into the back meeting room to warm up and socialize. When we walked in, we were given a ticket with number on it based on our place in line. Most of the park staff were circulating with the crowd and were in a great mood. This was the day to ask arcane questions of the staff as if one didn’t know, they knew who did and that person was most likely there. After waiting until 8 AM, the reservations process started. Basically you can reserve one 7 day continuous block of days in the park at any campground for up to two sites (be it tentsite, bunkhouse or leanto) (this is from memory so please refer to the BSP website for details). At any point during the process, when a campground is 20% reserved for a night, no further reservations are accepted.
Stan was ahead of me as he was in line at around 4AM, so he got to go in soon after the campers , he got his first choice and when I went, I got my first choice. We both wanted a second round of reservations so we got another number and then went to eat breakfast with the crew at the Econo lodge. When we got back at 10:15, all the first round reservations were done and they were well into the second round for folks who wanted another block of reservations. By 11AM, both Stan and I left with our second choices, and the crowd was thinning down. I had expected the 20% rule to be the reason for standing in line early, but as it turns out with the exception of Kidney Pond, very few if any of the campground were blocked out when we left. I was quite surprised that Chimney and Russell both were wide open after most folks had had two chances to make reservations.
After a stop in Millinocket, I hopped in the car and drive home and got back just aobut 24 hours after I started, a bit tired but glad I went.
Conclusions
If you really want a prime site on a specific week, a trip to headquarters on opening day is worth it as it’s a nice way to think summer in the middle of the winter. As for camping out or standing in line for hours, unless you want to be first or just plain don’t want to pay a motel bill, arriving at the office anytime in the morning will most likely get you a your first choice.
If you have sort of given up on BSP and the "good" sites, try the rolling reservations, you appear to have a lot better chance than previously.
As for the reasons for the smaller opening day, compared to the large crowds that would gather for the old opening day, pure speculation on my part is that the combination of the new rolling reservations and the 20% limit on opening day campground reservations and limits on the number of sites that can be booked, has made it into a fairer system which give folks less incentive to drive up the Millinocket Maine in January. The days of one group reserving all the sites at a given campground are a lot more unlikely and that give folks on the rolling system a better chance.
BTW, Traveler and dayhiking out of Daicey Pond is on my list this year
Over the years I have hiked, I have encountered the poor likelihood of getting reservations for sites at Baxter at the “good” sites and on weekends by using the mail in reservations. I had tried most of the “tricks” but inevitably I would get a call from the reservations staff telling me that my primary choice of trips and two alternatives were booked up and “would I like to completely revamp my trip?” I decided that this year I would try out the “new” (for a few years) opening day reservation process at BSP headquarters. Opening Day was scaled back a few years ago when there would be many more folks participating, but better late than never.
After a 240 mile drive on Wednesday evening, I arrived at headquarters at around 5 AM Thursday. The parking lot was partially full, but no lines of cars in the street. After walking around to the back door, I encountered a small tent village and about 25 people milling about socializing in cold weather gear (it was around -10 deg F). After a few minutes, a bundled up figure approached and it turned out to be Stan from VFTT. He was up with Pat, Audrey and Marge (all from VFTT), but they were back at the motel. Stan and crew were up in the area skiing and snowshoeing for a few days, but only Stan braved the cold as the others prefer to stay in campgrounds outside the park. There were about 10 folks who camped out, at least one them had camped out two nights to gain the coveted first in line.
A few minutes to 6 AM the new park director stopped by with donuts for the now somewhat larger bunch and soon we were let into the back meeting room to warm up and socialize. When we walked in, we were given a ticket with number on it based on our place in line. Most of the park staff were circulating with the crowd and were in a great mood. This was the day to ask arcane questions of the staff as if one didn’t know, they knew who did and that person was most likely there. After waiting until 8 AM, the reservations process started. Basically you can reserve one 7 day continuous block of days in the park at any campground for up to two sites (be it tentsite, bunkhouse or leanto) (this is from memory so please refer to the BSP website for details). At any point during the process, when a campground is 20% reserved for a night, no further reservations are accepted.
Stan was ahead of me as he was in line at around 4AM, so he got to go in soon after the campers , he got his first choice and when I went, I got my first choice. We both wanted a second round of reservations so we got another number and then went to eat breakfast with the crew at the Econo lodge. When we got back at 10:15, all the first round reservations were done and they were well into the second round for folks who wanted another block of reservations. By 11AM, both Stan and I left with our second choices, and the crowd was thinning down. I had expected the 20% rule to be the reason for standing in line early, but as it turns out with the exception of Kidney Pond, very few if any of the campground were blocked out when we left. I was quite surprised that Chimney and Russell both were wide open after most folks had had two chances to make reservations.
After a stop in Millinocket, I hopped in the car and drive home and got back just aobut 24 hours after I started, a bit tired but glad I went.
Conclusions
If you really want a prime site on a specific week, a trip to headquarters on opening day is worth it as it’s a nice way to think summer in the middle of the winter. As for camping out or standing in line for hours, unless you want to be first or just plain don’t want to pay a motel bill, arriving at the office anytime in the morning will most likely get you a your first choice.
If you have sort of given up on BSP and the "good" sites, try the rolling reservations, you appear to have a lot better chance than previously.
As for the reasons for the smaller opening day, compared to the large crowds that would gather for the old opening day, pure speculation on my part is that the combination of the new rolling reservations and the 20% limit on opening day campground reservations and limits on the number of sites that can be booked, has made it into a fairer system which give folks less incentive to drive up the Millinocket Maine in January. The days of one group reserving all the sites at a given campground are a lot more unlikely and that give folks on the rolling system a better chance.
BTW, Traveler and dayhiking out of Daicey Pond is on my list this year
