California State Parks has modified their reservations system after a loophole allowed visitors to take advantage of it.
The issue at hand was the sum of two complaints regarding multiple reservation extensions and 3rd party booking sites. ReserveCalifornia, the reservation system for California State Parks, had a number of complaints regarding these two issues.
The complaints were enough to cause the department to make modifications to their terms and conditions and to their reservation system.
From ReserveAmerica to ReserveCalifornia
Prior to Reserve California, the state parks department utilized ReserveAmerica. It was system used by other states across the nation. However, the parks department sought to enhance the way services were provide for their campsites.
ReserveCalifornia was launched last August.
“We just wanted to strengthen what we had in place, whether it’s our policies, procedures, and then make it more service oriented,” said Gloria Sandoval, Deputy Director of Public Affairs with the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
“We wanted to provide our visitors with more maps that they could see online. That way they could plan their trips better.”
Using this platform would allow visitors to book a campsite and gather additional information like stores and other amenities in the area.
Why modifications and 3rd parties were a problem to address
ReserveCalifornia allows users to book a campsite six months in advance of the current date.
“Our parks are loved by a lot of people, whether it's within or outside California, and we only have 13,000 campsites available on the reservation system,” Sandoval said. “There’s over 6.5 million visitors that use our campsites, so it is very common that the public demand exceeds the inventory that’s available.”
However, complaints rolled in about 3rd-party entities that booked reservations and campsites being book prior to the 8 a.m. window for new dates. Some visitors were taking advantage of the system and modifying their reservation multiple times to get their desired date.
“We did receive feedback both on how the reservation worked out well for folks, but we also received information that, especially on the modifications, they were frustrated that people would continue modifying their reservations.”
How the loophole in the system was fixed
Now, modifications to reservations have been limited to two, with the exception of Crystal Cove Beach Cottages where no modifications are allowed. The modifications were determined to have been taking advantage of the system.
“That’s why we put a limit on those modifications, because we wanted to make sure that everybody, as much as possible, could have the same opportunity to go and camp at many of our state parks,” said Sandoval.
Updates to the Terms and Conditions also impacted 3rd parties by having reservations made on ReserveCalifornia be for personal use only. Resale, transfer, use, for-profit activity, or memberships are not allowed by the department without their approval. Accounts doing so may be blocked, terminated and canceled without notice. No vendors are currently approved to operate as 3rd party vendors.
“We want to make sure that these 3rd-party vendors do not charge outrageous costs associated with them making those reservations for folks, because we want everybody to be able to access our state parks at reasonable prices,” Sandoval said.
What to keep in mind when making reservations
According to Sandoval, demand for popular locations like coastal beaches and campgrounds in the redwoods can result in bookings happening months in advance. She encourages people to plan, do their research, and have alternate parks in mind if their first-choice park gets booked.
Reservations can be made 24 hours a day and seven days a week online at ReserveCalifornia.com.
Additionally, visitors can phone the customer call center, which is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST. If calling by phone, it’s recommended to call midday and midweek when phone lines are expected to be less busy.
“We just really hope that recent the improvements that we made to the system will allow traditional visitors to continue booking their sites, but we also want to make sure that parks are accessible to all Californians... we hope that new people get that opportunity to explore our beautiful parks," said Sandoval.
