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California’s crackdown on state park no-shows took effect July 1. What that means for you
Ghosting reservations now has consequences.
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Lux Blue
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Getty Images via iStock
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California state parks are so popular there's a reservation system to manage attendance. But some people book a spot and then don't turn up. That's being addressed by new rules that mandate how much notice you need to give for a cancellation to avoid charges. And if you ghost a reservation three times, you'll be banned from reserving for a year.
Here's how refunds now work:
- Full refund: Cancel 7+ days ahead of reservation start.
- Charged first night's fee: Cancel 6 to 3 days ahead of reservation start.
- No refund: Cancel 2 days or less ahead of reservation start.
A one-year ban: If you no-show three times in a calendar year, you’ll be banned from making a reservation for a year.
Why now: California state parks are very popular, including parks in Southern California like Crystal Cove State Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach. The summer months lead to high demand and the state has a reservation system to manage attendance through reservecalifornia.com
The backstory: California legislators heard that there were significant no-shows at state parks before they passed Assembly Bill 618, the legislation that led to the current changes and took effect Wednesday, July 1.
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