Fort Belknap Reservation System Approved

Young County commissioners approved a new online reservation system on May 11 for RV hookups and barracks accommodations at the Fort Belknap Historic Site after museum director Jim Hammond told the court the growing program needs a modern payment and booking process.

Commissioners unanimously approved the use of Firefly Reservations to manage bookings for the fort’s newly established RV sites and overnight barracks rentals after hearing Mr. Hammond’s presentation during the commissioners court meeting.

“It’s 2026, and we need to be able to pay for rental with credit cards,” Mr. Hammond told the court.

Mr. Hammond said the online system would allow visitors to reserve campsites, select dates, and pay online before arriving at the historic site. The software also creates a map-based reservation system showing available RV spaces.

The fort recently began allowing RV parking during events, and Mr. Hammond said the new accommodations proved extremely popular during April’s Crawfish and Cannons celebration.

“That was the first time we rented that out,” Hammond said of the RV hookups.

He told commissioners all RV spots for next year’s Crawfish and Cannons event are already booked.

Under the proposal discussed by the court, RV rentals would likely cost about $60 per night, with the reservation software adding roughly $3.50 per transaction because the fort has fewer than 25 rental spaces. Hammond said the additional cost could simply be built into the rental price.

The system would also manage barracks reservations at the historic site and reduce the amount of cash handling required by staff.

“Sometimes it’ll be two weeks before I get up here to bring something,” Mr. Hammond said. “I do not like whenever people come in and pay the cash. I just don’t because I don’t want that responsibility on me.”

County Judge Win Graham asked how the county would enforce its three-night maximum stay policy for RV campers. Mr. Hammond said the software allows administrators to set both minimum and maximum stay limits and automatically notify him whenever reservations are made.

The reservation platform also gives the county flexibility to charge premium rates during special events such as Crawfish and Cannons, commissioners said.

Judge Graham suggested eventually bundling event tickets with RV rentals during festival weekends.

“Maybe the spot comes with two tickets,” Judge Graham said during the discussion.

Commissioner Stacy Creswell asked whether the RV hookups had been rented outside the festival weekend. Mr. Hammond said Crawfish and Cannons marked the first public use of the sites.

Mr. Hammond said the reservation links will be promoted through the fort’s Facebook page, county websites and the Forts Trail tourism network.

He also said the new system will help the county better track occupancy and revenue figures needed for hotel occupancy tax reporting and longterm planning.

“This will be good for that,” county treasurer Kyle Milam said during the discussion. “We’ll have a record of that from this point forward.”

Following discussion, Mr. Creswell made the motion approving the reservation system, seconded by Commissioner Alan Craig. Commissioners approved the measure 4-0.