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California State Parks Launching New Reservation System On August 1st
Red Rock Canyon. (Photo by Air Butchie via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
Summer is almost over, but this is California, so it doesn't matter. What does matter is taking advantage of the abundant natural landscapes and resources in this massive state of ours (respectfully, of course). There's no better way to see the red rocks then to camp among them. Lucky for us, the California Department of Parks and Recreation is implementing a new reservation system for camp sites at all California State Parks.
Starting August 1st, it'll be much easier to reserve a campsite online. The new ReserveCalifornia™ site will allow for rolling reservations, which means it's possible to reserve a campsite six months before your arrival date. This differs from the previous blocked-off reservation system, which turned scoring spots at the coveted camp sites into a high-stakes competition. The booking system will appear similar to a common hotel or airline booking site.
Did you book a reservation through the old ReserveAmerica site? Don't worry—CA Parks is transferring the reservation over. All you have to do is log on to the new site after July 1st and use the email associated with the original reservation. After resetting your password, all the camp-site information will transfer to the new interface.
Besides the improved reservation system, the site will also make more campsites available for online reservations. There will be online profiles and interactive maps of each campsite as well. The site will continue to roll-out new services until March 2018, including a real-time reservation inventory and credit and debit card payment options at more campsites.
If you've never been camping, or if you're a seasoned veteran, now is the perfect chance to plan your next trip. May we suggest Kelbaker Road, Pinnacles, or McGrath State Beach?
ReserveCalifornia goes live August 1st.
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