“Being comfortable with being uncomfortable was the only way I was able to do this trip,” she said.įor novice campers, this can be an intimidating prospect, one that some experienced travelers say further highlights issues around equity in outdoor spaces.
As for the rest, she decided she would have to play it by ear. Prado was able to book one campsite for three nights in Glacier, a far shorter period than she was hoping to spend in the park. Last December, months into her search for campsites, Ms. In addition to a high-speed internet connection, accessing and booking on needs a level of computer literacy that not all travelers may have (speaking of tech, issues of campsite-snatching bots and third-party sites have plagued for years). We’ll go on Facebook pages, Instagram accounts for the national parks, just to make sure we’re not missing anything.” ‘Being comfortable with being uncomfortable’ “We start planning about a year in advance, and my brother will put together a 50-page itinerary for a trip. “It really comes down to research,” he said. He has not encountered major issues using. Falkowski, a high school social studies teacher from Vernon, N.J., has been traveling to national parks with his brother and sister for the past six years, usually visiting two or three parks per trip. It didn’t help alleviate the confusion caused by changing requirements from the parks as they attempted to cope with pandemic restrictions and record-breaking crowds.Īs a frequent traveler to national parks, Kelsey Falkowski believes that a reservation system is important in helping to prevent overcrowding. The new version of was a step up from the previous model, but was ill prepared over the past two years to handle the major uptick of pandemic-driven users. In 2018, the consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton took over management of the online booking, spurring hope for improvements, including real-time updates and a more usable interface. Versions of a reservation system have existed online for decades, as parks have attempted to prevent traffic and overcrowding. “If they want to rent a cabin at Red Bridge on the Allegheny National Forest, they have to go through multiple pages to first find the Allegheny National Forest, then the right campground, then the cabins. The public finds the system “very confusing,” said Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, one of the co-signers of the U.S. (But if you can’t secure a vehicle pass for that specific pathway, you can book an attraction on the way to gain access.) Each park may post different requirements to visit: Glacier, for example, doesn’t require a reservation to enter the park, but does to traverse a major park attraction, the Going-to-the-Sun-Road Corridor, between 6 a.m. But frustration and confusion with the system’s inconsistencies abound.
Longer booking windows aren’t a major issue for all travelers, some - even international visitors - prefer last-minute access. In a statement, Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service, said that the agency appreciates the feedback “as we adjust and improve these management tools, and as we evaluate ways to ensure consistent and clear expectations for visitors planning park trips.” Research required “That’s not really an appropriate timeline for international visitors, who are booking travel 10 to 12 months in advance.” Travel Association, a trade group that promotes domestic travel and that sent the letter. “Right now, there’s a 30- to 60-day window to get into some of the most sought-after parks,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, the executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Their primary complaint: “short booking windows and inconsistent procedures are not workable for international travelers and international tour operators.” Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland calling for change. In mid July, citing concerns that the current system could “threaten to stall the recovery of international inbound travel,” nearly 400 hotels, regional tourism boards, tour operators and other industry organizations in the United States sent a letter to National Park Service director, Chuck Sams, and U.S.