FS Cracks Down on Scalping Campsites in Yosemite

[bikehikeskifish]

I heard this story on NPR, although a Google search reveals it has been out there since April, at least. Scalpers are apparently using automation to grab all the camp sites for the entire season and selling them at 2-6X markup on craigslist. I don't recall this being posted before. There was a thread about permits for Half Dome, which apparently (while free) are also being scalped.

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/07/137496875/yosemite-cracks-down-on-campsite-scalpers

Tim

 

[RoySwkr]

Many parks already enforce what it says in the article - you must produce a photo ID with the same name as the reservation. Yosemite apparently isn't one of them - climbers at the valley camp seem to stay all summer by inventing a new name every couple weeks to avoid stay limits.

A few years ago, I was planning to share a campsite in NY with a guy from NJ. He made the reservation but couldn't go at the last minute so I technically wouldn't have been allowed to use the campsite. Fortunately I found a guy from VA who was willing to share his site so I didn't have to try to argue with the park.