voyaguers campsite reservation system

[Drail1313]

Let me get this straight, so I reserved a site for this fall from a Friday to the following Sunday, 9 or 10 days. I pay for it now, then when it gets to the time to go I can not make the Friday or Saturday due to work or what ever. Still plan to head up on Sunday then, NO GO cause the site is now open site to reserve again.

1st- Is the ranger going to be at every site, every day to see if you are the one that is to be there??? do not think so!!

2nd - Do you check in some where?? Like a hotel room!!!

I understand the whole money thing, just do not se how this whole thing is going to work, it is not like a campground and the ranger can just drive by and see the tag is good. the need a automated check-in station at each entrance to the park to make it work.

With a check-in station You can log in that you going to your site and the log that you left. This will let them know how many people are in the park if something happens - tornado, storms, etc.

Still confusing to me.

[h8go4s]

Let me get this straight, so I reserved a site for this fall from a Friday to the following Sunday, 9 or 10 days. I pay for it now, then when it gets to the time to go I can not make the Friday or Saturday due to work or what ever. Still plan to head up on Sunday then, NO GO cause the site is now open site to reserve again.

Here's what you do: Call and cancel your reservation, forfeiting the fee for the first night and the reservation fee, then make a new reservation for your new dates before hanging up the phone. Hopefully that's how it will work. (Read the VNP website page I referenced previously).

1st- Is the ranger going to be at every site, every day to see if you are the one that is to be there??? do not think so!!

I don't know, but how are they going to make this work if they don't?

2nd - Do you check in some where?? Like a hotel room!!!

No check in, if the site is not occupied in the first 24 hours, the reservation is no longer valid. Read the VNP website, please.

I understand the whole money thing, just do not se how this whole thing is going to work, it is not like a campground and the ranger can just drive by and see the tag is good. That's one of my points. It will cost a lot of money to patrol the campsites daily, and it won't work if they don't, so I assume they will. the need a automated check-in station at each entrance to the park to make it work.

With a check-in station You can log in that you going to your site and the log that you left. This will let them know how many people are in the park if something happens - tornado, storms, etc.

Still confusing to me.

[Drail1313]

Thanks h8go4s for clearing up some of my confusion on this, I still think there is going to be a lot to learn in the next few years.

I just wish that the could automate the system some how. Check-in, Check-out kinda system.

Will be nice if they due end up having more rangers running around, just in case someone needs help or has questions.

IS IT JUNE YET??

[Xplorer]

I think you will see a combination of park service staff and Park wardens checking on the reserved sites this year. Guessing they will have a daily/weekly printoff of who has what site reserved and for what length of stay. This year will be easy with the limited number of sites, but next year when all campsites are reservable, will require a ton more effort/enforcement.

Did anyone else read the press release a couple weeks ago that said that they had raised about 50% of reservation revenue of what they expected for the whole 2014 season, in just the first two days.

[h8go4s]

Did anyone else read the press release a couple weeks ago that said that they had raised about 50% of reservation revenue of what they expected for the whole 2014 season, in just the first two days.

I saw that, but I guess I'm not surprised. I reserved 5 days at a campsite I'm not crazy about, but arriving on a Thursday I wanted to make sure I had a site. I normally arrive on Monday or Tuesday but this will be a special trip. I went back on the website a week later and there didn't seem to be many open dates, although it's cumbersome to search for openings. Next year will be interesting, and I hope not frustrating.

[Xplorer]

Of the 5 trips I have this year I ended up making reservations for 2 of them. One was arriving on the 4th of July (never would have considered attempting that in the past) and the other was also a thursday arrival with a special needs person who we needed a site with a dock, and fairly level.

I havn't looked since the 1st, may have to check out what it looks like now. I agree tho, next year is going to get interesting.

[fisherizzo47]

Is day marker 23 campsite on namakan nice? Any decent fishing around there? Boat traffic pretty heavy through there? Any advice, tips, or comments about that area for fishing would be much appreciated. First timer at nam and kab. Staying for three days the last week in June. We have it reserved.

[Xplorer]

The campsite is nice, very large and open with tall red pines. Lots of room. It is however, right on the main channel, and boat traffic past it and its dock is heavy. Have boat bumpers.

That time of year it is a good location as the fish are usually in that general area and you can fish east Kab and west Nam easily. Typically has a nice breeze as it sits up above the water. You can even catch fish right off the dock that time of year, or right across the channel off of Tar point.

I'm typically looking at 17-22' for eyes that time of year, and smallies should be post spawn but not too deep. Casting cranks/plastics along shorelines works for us.

I have it reserved for late August for a guys trip and it works well for a larger group.

[fisherizzo47]

Thanks xplorer. We r actually going to be there the last week in May, not June. I don't know if that changes anything.... Thanks for the heads up about the bumpers.

[Xplorer]

Late May you will have much less boat traffic than in late June so that is good. I would be looking more to the west end of Kab for fishing tho. Wolf island area, you will see the boats on the community spots. With the later spring I would be spending most of my time there, and along the shorelines from your site towards Kab. One other option would be to go to Moose bay and troll spinners/raps along emerging weedlines.

Have a good one!

[dillon]

We had Happy Landing reserved in late June but apparently a pair eagles is nesting nearby so the park service canceled my reservation.

Has anyone camped at the C Vic Linsten site on Cutover Island in Kabetogama? I wanted a site with a dock, but there was nothing else available in that area of Kabetogama. I have boated past the site, but it always seems to be occupied. Hopefully, that's a good sign.

[Hibbingite]

Well one last vent...... There is more bad than good with this system!!! My children are now young adults and I have been bringing them to camp on Kab since they were little tikes. And many times a developed site was taken and back then we didn't have a big enough boat to scout too long and many times we had to camp in an undeveloped site. So yes being able to reserve will be nice. But good luck!! You see, I don't mind having to pay one bit to camp and I'd rather pay for a nice site with a bear locker that to have to hoist dump in the trees etc.... But now thanks to the power of the internet every Tom, Dick, & Harry and probably Mary too from cities, and states abroad..... The odds of a site being available when you can go will be nil. I don't care how many more sites that are supposedly getting built, build it and they will come. This was all about them wanting money not to help us!! I'd rather pay more for a fishing license or have them invent a camping license as well or something better than this. Scouting for us was fun also. But now after this year if a site isn't available, ther is NO MORE primitive camping and that is what makes it bad. Unfortunately my spouse and I due to her schedule can't plant too far ahead and with grown children and their work and competing with everyone else it will be tough so we will most likely have to say goodbye to this beautiful place. As bad as some of you may have thought it was before at least you could load up spur of the moment and plop down somewhere up there!!! And many of us locals feel this way and did attend the meetings and send letters as well but this was happening no matter what. And again I like it all except the fact that the primitive camping is done. So that's my poo story and I'm sure many will think I'm nutz and say give it time it's new etc.... But you all watch !!!

Well happy camping and good luck to all and let's all hope this really works!!!

[fivebucks]

We haven't been up in Voyageur's for quite a number of years now and are thinking about a late July trip either to Rainy or Namakan. In the past we always went in on Wed. or Thurs. but this year it won't work until a Saturday. We will be SOL finding a tent site on a Saturday without a reservation? We were hoping to play it by ear and if good weather go to Voyageurs and if rainy weather stay at our cabin an hour south of I-Falls. If it will be dicey would either Rainy or Nam stand a better chance of an open site? What about a Sunday arrival? Thanks for all the help!

[Xplorer]

On either lake I would take a Sunday mid-late morning arrival over a saturday arrival anytime. I've never had that luxury to do a sunday arrival, but mostly do Wed to sunday trips and there are always alot of groups pulling out on Sunday's when we are. Heck, when I am pulling out if I see someone who is headed in I always tell them what campsite we just left, to give them an immediate option.

Its all luck of the draw, but you up your odds considerably going in on Sunday versus Saturday

[fivebucks]

Thanks Xplorer. We may just stay at the cabin an extra day and hit it Sunday and leave on Wed. It will still leave us with 3 nights in the park. Maybe need to take Thursday off also

[Voyageur]

Just returned from our annual trip. Thursday-Monday. First time I can remember not seeing a DNR or Park Ranger at all. No one checked our reservations. Park use was low/moderate. Mostly fisherman. High water levels made many campsites nearly or completely unusable - highest I've seen. Awesome trip with cool weather. Mosquitoes were ferocious.

Is there any information about registering for next year? ie what is the first date to make reservations for 2015?

Thanks, and have a great time in VNP!

-Voyageur

[Xplorer]

I had a trip planned for the next 4 days and bailed based on the forecast and water levels. Im sure the weather/bugs/water levels have changed alot of plans to date this year. After seeing what the Ash river looked like earlier this week, and seeing the inflow/outflow at kettle falls made me want no part of that right now. Pouring rain right now here in Cloquet too.

For camping next year, they say you can reserve up to 6 months in advance. See the news release on the NPS HSOforum for all the details.

[Drail1313]

Hey Voyageur what site did you stay at and where did you launch at?? Just wondering as I plan on heading up next Tuesday the 17th.

Hope it drys out a little by then!

Thanks

[moderation]

How does the Ash river look? I've got a trip planned with the wife next Tues and wondering if I should bail. I have been watching Kettle Falls data and things are not looking very good, with more rain expected this weekend. Just wondering if it's worth it if the river is ugly.

[Voyageur]

Hey Voyageur what site did you stay at and where did you launch at?? Just wondering as I plan on heading up next Tuesday the 17th.

Hope it drys out a little by then!

Thanks

We reserved My Island South. Usually a nice beach there but water was covering the first step. We launched out of the DNR/Public landing on Crane. They need to pull the dock up higher, but the launch will be good for a few more feet of water.

Just noticed that 31 of the 51 reservable sites are now closed until June 30 or later. Every dock we saw was completely unusable or damaged due to the water. There are ALOT of unusable sites - dock or no dock. The park, especially with the new reservation system, is going to be a mess for a while. Also, beware of floating logs!!! Debris is everywhere in the water!

-Voyageur

[JRnation1]

My wife and I were up June 11th-14th. We ended up staying on Cutover Island. This was our first time on Kab. Unfortunately, Thursday was an all day rain and we were stuck in the tent. Wednesday night and Friday we did get out fishing and did pretty well. Minnows seemed to work better than leeches still but we did catch fish on both.

You could tell the water was up signficiately from where it normally should be. You had to walk through about 8 inches of water to get from the boat to the campsite. Although the weather wasn't great we will hopefully be up again and get a chance to explore the lake more. As previously stated many docks looked to be underwater or damaged from the high water and wind.

[Drail1313]

Thanks for the info Voyageur. Looks like a crazy time to go, but I have been planning this for too long not to head up. Called the Kab/Ash visitor center and talk to them for a bit and we still plan on heading up there today.

WISH ME LUCK!!!

Will report when we get back.

[Xplorer]

The NPS has extended the closure's of reservable campsites to July 31, and added some first-come first serve sites to the closed list.

Be sure to check out the latest news release (hope its OK to list this link in the public interest)

http://www.nps.gov/voya/parknews/voyageurs-national-park-high-water-update.htm

It also states that the park is enforcing the no-wake rule set in place, and gives specifics on what it means.

My family trip on the 4th-9th was at Peterson Point, now closed til 7/31.

For all the folks up there living this disaster, I sure hope mother nature cuts you a break for the rest of the summer, you sure deserve it!!

[h8go4s]

Yeah, I was supposed to be at Peterson Point right now. Interesting that the closures are through July 31. I believe they were originally through June 30. Namakan has dropped 0.08 feet since June 17. Not going down very fast. I'm supposed to take my brother up Jul 7 for his first time and I'm holding my breath.

[Drail1313]

Just got back from our trip. Weather was GREAT!!! Little down pours late night on Thursday & Friday - no big deal. As for the high water, HOLY COWS!! We fished for lots of smallies on land spots that are knee deep in water. It was lots of fun throwing top-water baits and we had a blast. Lots of small northerns and some oversized Walleyes.

BONUS! After almost an hour fight with my ultra lite setup, and help from my fishing pal, we managed to boat (released) my 1st Sturgeon!!

[Xplorer]

Nice Sturg!!!

That second pic tho is crazy....... took me a couple seconds to realize ita a kayaker in the red pines

[Drail1313]

Thanks Xplorer, It was a blast reeling that thing in. I was on a rock pile in 15ft of water. Felt my line hit the rocks a few times and then it headed out to deeper water. My arm was hurting for awhile after that fight!! LOL

As for the water level....CRAZY indeed!!!

Hard to build a fire in this ring!!!!

[Walleye Rueben]

Great photos Drail1313.

What campsite is the flooded fire pit at?

I'm heading up next week...my campsite is still open (Norway Island on Sand Point - S14)...just hope too much of it isn't under water.

How are the mosquitoes? During evening around campfire?

[Drail1313]

Thanks Walleye Rueben,

This was Portage Beach, one of the houseboat sites.

As for the bugs, LOTS OF SPRAY!!!! the real problem ones are the little gnats and flies. I have bites all over my arms and back of my neck. Wear some kind neck protection. Pants and longer socks will save your ankles and legs.

[Walleye Rueben]

Yikes. We are bringing the wives and kids along for the 4th. Momma might not be too happy...she doesn't like bugs :-)