Campsite Reservations on Rainy/Voyaguers

What are the local rumors around the I-Falls/Rainy area regarding the Park’s proposal to make everyone reserve campsites in the park? Is this something that looks like will happen? Or is there significant opposition to it?

This proposal really chaps my behind. In 10+ years of coming up there…I’ve never had a problem with camping. Always found one available. I always found the sites well respected by the people who were there before us. This to me is just another way for the government to exert control…and I firmly believe their ultimate goal here is to generate revenue by eventually charging a fee for campsites.

Anyone have any info on where this stands?

Other then your feared government control is there a bad reason? A reservation system would allow others who live a long ways away to travel to the park to see it knowing they had a site available to them. If you didn’t check in by a certain time I’m sure the space would open up to a first come first serve basis. I also would have no problem if they went to a fee for camping. Something small, like $10 a night or something. It costs money for boat fuel, Ranger wages, maintenance and updates. We all know that people are getting tired of their taxes being raised so I can see things going to a user fee in the Parks also.

Besides, with the price of gas you won’t need to worry about getting a site.

My primary concern is that people will get online and gobble up all the reservations just in case they want to go on a given weekend. I agree there will likely be a bunch of cancellations…but what do people do then? Head up there with a hope and prayer that someone will cancel? As it stands now…I can take a look at the weather, and make a decision if I want to go up for the weekend. The flexibility of it is nice just the way it is.

And yes, I do not like all the control that is exerted everywhere by the government. That is my idealogical problem with this. My practical problem is as explained above.

All of this is a bit aside from my original questions…I still would like to know if any of the locals have any rumor about where this proposal stands?

All of this is a bit aside from my original questions…I still would like to know if any of the locals have any rumor about where this proposal stands?

I’ve only seen this discusses one other place and that was several months ago. Where & when did you hear about this? Maybe Chris will see this and chime in.

A park ranger that stopped by our site a couple years ago and told me about it. I just checked out the official Voyaguers Park website and they have it there that they are still considering it and soliciting feedback on it.

This has been discussed for about three years now and there have been some public meetings on VNP public use.Whether the public has a real voice in the matter who knows. The phone # to discuss this matter is 218-283-6708.I think there is something in place but not released yet(my opinion). At first I was dead set against a reservation system but I have camped there many times and several times in very rough water I have found myself going to numerous campsites before I found one open.This can take hours and be very frustrating and now I see a purpose. It’s only a matter of time that a reservation and camp fee be put in place in VNP,like it or not.Where in MN can you camp for free? I was a park hater from the start. We had a cabin on an island in the Park. We were told to leave,we had no voice and got virtually nothing for it.As the bitterness wore off and I revisited the area I realized over the years how the Park preserved the area and stopped the development of endless miles of cabins and million dollar homes that line the shorelines of most lakes.Camping in VNP is a great experience and a good way to see the Park,its kinda like a motor use BWCA. I’m for the campsite reservation system ,that way you know you have a spot by choice.

I’m all for a reservation system. I have a 8 hour drive to get there and it would be nice to know I have a site and which one. I have never had a problem in the past but one year it was a little dicey. An unexpected delay on the drive up (someone forgot the tent) so it was nip and tuck with darkness to find a open site.
It is such a great place I would have no problem with a reasonable fee to stay here.

Only a portion of campsites at Cross Lake can be reserved. I like this since it is a long way to go just to be turned away. Hopefully VNP will have a similar system. My big concern from Cross, is that sometimes the reserved sites are sitting empty because someone didn’t show up and didn’t cancel. Will they have a waitlist for last minute cancellations or a process to occupy sites if people pull out early?

Dad, took me on first camping trip to Namakan in 1955, when I was six. We went every year, He and Mom then summered in a trailer at Sunset Bay when they retired. Mom fancied herself as the Queen of big Pike.

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Only a portion of campsites at Cross Lake can be reserved. I like this since it is a long way to go just to be turned away. Hopefully VNP will have a similar system. My big concern from Cross, is that sometimes the reserved sites are sitting empty because someone didn’t show up and didn’t cancel. Will they have a waitlist for last minute cancellations or a process to occupy sites if people pull out early?

Dad, took me on first camping trip to Namakan in 1955, when I was six. We went every year, He and Mom then summered in a trailer at Sunset Bay when they retired. Mom fancied herself as the Queen of big Pike.

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This is exactly the problem that will happen on Rainy. There will be empty sites sitting everywhere. IF they do this reservation system (and I still hope they do not)…then they need to find a fool proof way of dealing with no-shows.

Maybe rather than charging people to reserve the campsite…they charge the people who do not show some sort of a stiff penalty…$100, $200, or whatever amount finally leads to people respecting the reservation system.

I struggle to imagine that the park can come up with a process and system that beats the good old “first come, first serve” policy that serves us well today.

Right now I haven’t heard anything. Their web site says there is a free permit that campers need but it’s still first come first serve. The local paper has an article about how the sequestration could effect the park. http://www.ifallsjournal.com/news/national_news/sequestration-starts-to-hit-home/article_b78cac8a-5c9f-5bc0-867f-cd8ac1d1d98f.html

Yes it has been discussed, but at this time it’s just being talked about. There are good and bad things about a system like this and only time will tell what they decide to do.