In this guide 6 sections
Campground reservation software must match each booking to a site by type, hookup and rig length, apply minimum stays and seasonal rules, hold deposits and support gate arrival checks. A grid that only lists dates and names cannot do this work.
Every site is a different product
A pull through pad, a back in pad, a tent platform and a cabin are not the same item. Each has its own length, width, hookup and price.
The software should hold these as fields on the site record. Electric amperage, water, sewer, shade, slope and pet rules all become things a guest can filter by.
Without that, a clerk reads the notes and guesses. With it, the grid refuses to put a 38 foot motorhome on a 30 foot pad.
- Site type: pull through, back in, tent, cabin
- Hookups: 30 or 50 amp, water, sewer
- Maximum rig length and slide out allowance
- Pet, generator and quiet hour rules
- Distance to bath house or dump station
Match the rig to the site
Guests book by describing the rig. Length, type, tow vehicle and number of slides decide the site. Online forms should ask for these before offering dates.
A good grid shows only sites that fit. It also leaves gaps tidy, so a two night gap between bookings is not stranded.
Some parks assign the exact pad at arrival rather than at booking. The system should support both, with a site type reserved first and a number assigned later.
Stay rules change with the calendar
A holiday weekend may need a three night minimum. Midweek in spring may need none. A summer week may run Saturday to Saturday only.
These rules belong in the system, set by date range and site type. The booking page then refuses a one night stay on a long weekend instead of leaving staff to catch it.
Seasonal and monthly guests are a separate case. They pay by the month, may have their own electric meter and rarely move. Their records need a ledger, not a nightly grid.
- Minimum stay by date range and site type
- Check in day restrictions
- Seasonal guests with a fixed pad and meter
- Monthly rates with electric billed on reading
- Extension rules when the next night is booked
Deposits and cancellations on the same record
Most parks take a deposit at booking and the balance at arrival. The record should show what was paid, what is due and which cancellation rule applies.
Refund rules differ by season. A peak weekend may keep the whole deposit, while a quiet week may refund it up to a set date. Put those dates in the system so staff do not argue from memory.
Add-ons belong on the booking too. Extra vehicles, firewood, a late checkout or a dog fee should reach the final bill without a second sheet.
Gate arrival and the evening check
At the gate, the clerk needs a quick view of who is due, which pad is ready and what is unpaid. A tablet or a printed arrival list from the system serves this.
Once guests arrive, the booking is marked in house. Late arrivals, no shows and early departures free the pad for the next night.
End the day with a short check. Compare pads occupied against the arrivals list, then walk any mismatch with the night host. The grid must match the pads.
Booking grid audit sheet
Columns for site number, type, hookups, maximum rig length, rate, minimum stay rule and notes. Below, a second table lists deposit rules by season, with the cancellation date and refund. A final box records gate arrival steps and who confirms pad occupancy each evening.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Can software stop a rig being booked on a site that is too short?
Yes, when each site record holds a maximum length and the booking asks for the rig length. The grid then offers only sites that fit.
How are seasonal guests handled?
They usually sit outside the nightly grid. A seasonal record holds the pad, monthly rate, electric meter reading and any extra guests on a ledger.
Do we need online booking?
Most guests expect it. Even so, keep a phone and desk route, because the same grid must serve both and avoid double booking.
What happens when a guest extends a stay?
The system checks the next nights on the same pad. If another booking follows, it proposes a move to a similar site or refuses the extension.