Spring Break campsite availability March 10-13

[RichardM]

So my brother has decided to camp for three nights (March 10-13) in the Basin and SURPRISE!!!  All of the reserveable sites are taken!  :shock:  Yes, I told him to go ahead and make reservations last November, but he apparently decided to wait until he was sure he could go.  I laid out the usual camping options (RGV, Cottonwood, backcountry, zone, Study Butte, Stillwell Ranch) but he really wants to stay in the Basin, if at all possible.  Any guesses what the odds are of snagging a site on Saturday the 10th?  How early would he have to be out there to catch one opening up as someone is leaving?  Keep in mind he'll have my 6 year old nephew and possibly may 16 year old niece with him so there is a possible whine factor to consider. :roll:

Of course, it doesn't help that the reservation system will be down 1/24 - 2/6 (see here) so he'll have trouble checking for cancellations.

[jeffblaylock]

If he's there early enough on Saturday, he might be able to catch someone who's leaving an unreserved site in order to backpack in the Chisos. Otherwise, he probably needs to get there the 8th (if not earlier) in order to secure a spot for the 10th. There's always hope that something will open up.

The one-night cancellation fee is always worth the risk if anyone's thinking about going in high-visitation time and wants to reserve camping spots.