George wrote

So often the reservation taker is far removed from the park they have
no inkling of what the park is like, never mind what kind of lake or
campsites it has.

On a slightly different but related topic, I've found that even the
folks on-site, Rangers, HQ staff and the like, are often very reticent
about providing anything more than the most general information.

Sometimes they may simply be unfamiliar with the area or condition,
but I think more often they are reluctant to offer an opinion or
advice because they don't want to be held "accountable", don't want to
have some irate person in their face a week later screaming "You said
the bugs weren't bad" or "You said the portage trail was fairly easy"
or "You said the weather forecast was for clearing skies".

If rangers or staff are forthcoming with any information my experience
has always been that it is vague, non-declaritive and given cautiously
and conservatively. Or not at all.

BTW, Mike, the map arrived today, thanks again!

You're welcome. Feel free to e-mail me if you want to know anything
about specific sites or have other questions.

George
(Who ate hot dogs and bean for dinner just because I need to go
camping)

Mike
(Who is keeping this thread going because he's fed up with the
continual brouhaha about inflatable flotation devices).