Alabama State Parks Implementing New Online Reservation System

[bama_ed]

Happening some time this month in August 2020 apparently:

https://www.alapark.com/new-online-campground-reservation-system

I like the fact it will apply to ALL state parks in the system. While I liked being able to book Gulf SP (and a few of the other BIG SP) campsites, I still had to call if I wanted to book Meaher SP between Mobile and the Eastern Shore down on the coast (Meaher is my candidate for SP with the best restaurants within 5 miles of the SP). And the USS Alabama!

I hope it's an improvement. If my poor little state (Alabama) with its limited financial resources can implement a reservation system for specific campgrounds on specific sites, why can't DISNEY (in the US top 50 in terms of market cap)?

Bama Ed

PS - hope they don't lose my Nov20 long weekend ressie at Gulf as well as my Gulf ressie weeklong in April. I wanted to move/change campsites for November which is why I came across this new system announcement in the first place.

 

[rajak73]

Wow, Nebraska has been doing that for a few years now, used to be able to book a year out, but with this covid thing, can only do 30 days in advance right now. I can look back on my old reservations and see where we camped and what site and dates. NGPC uses reserve america for the their reservations so there is a $7 fee when you book. Most campgrounds listed also have pictures of the site.

 

[bama_ed]

Wow, Nebraska has been doing that for a few years now, used to be able to book a year out, but with this covid thing, can only do 30 days in advance right now. I can look back on my old reservations and see where we camped and what site and dates. NGPC uses reserve america for the their reservations so there is a $7 fee when you book. Most campgrounds listed also have pictures of the site.

Like I said, rajak, my state doesn't have money to throw around at the parks (which are self-supporting NOW but up until a few years ago the politicians would skim millions off the self-funding leaving only a bare bones operating budget). But we had to pass an amendment to the state constitution to make the pols keep their hands off the SP money so now there are slowly signs of improved capital improvements and newer systems work like this reservation one. Also helps that the oil spill money that the SP system got went into rebuilding Gulf SP and its lodge which is a net revenue producer that carries much of the system (the revenue from 4 or 5 of the bigger state parks fund the whole state park system).

So we're just now catching up to you high tech Nebraska folks but we are getting there.

Bama Ed

 

[rajak73]

just now catching up to you high tech Nebraska folks but we are getting there.

LOL, we are about the same boat as you're in, very little state money gets spent on the parks, almost all is funded by park permits, camping fees, etc. You should have heard the outcry last spring when they raised the camping fee by $5. I feel your pain, you will like the new system if it's close to ours. We can still only make reservations out 30 days right now but hopefully will change.

 

[SteveH]

Do you know if they are moving over to Reserve America? It works, but not a big fan of shelling out $8 per reservation to use the system. We do most of our camping in Oregon, they just raised rate for out of State visitors through the end of the year. They were reliant on user fees and State Lottery Funds which has pretty much dried up. Then they closed all the parks, when they reopend they've been on a two week rolling window which makes it really hard for out of State visitors. I think the rate increase is understandable but the 2-week window sucks.

 

[bama_ed]

Do you know if they are moving over to Reserve America? It works, but not a big fan of shelling out $8 per reservation to use the system. We do most of our camping in Oregon, they just raised rate for out of State visitors through the end of the year. They were reliant on user fees and State Lottery Funds which has pretty much dried up. Then they closed all the parks, when they reopend they've been on a two week rolling window which makes it really hard for out of State visitors. I think the rate increase is understandable but the 2-week window sucks.

I have NOT heard that Alabama is moving to ReserveAmerica, SteveH. I am plenty familiar with RA having used them as they are the vendor for the State of Florida state parks whom I have camped at often. RA works well from my perspective (although we can always grouse about the fees like we do TicketMaster, no?). I've used RA to drop sites and add sites in the same evening and it appears their inventory is indeed "real time". By and large, I think RA is fair but it obviously benefits those who know how the system works (which is available on this thing called the Interwebz ).

Honestly any IT improvement for the Alabama SP would improve the system. Alabama is blessed to have state park/camping opportunities from the beach/gulf coast area to the northeast corner of the state (most mountaineaous, hilliest, a couple GREAT camping areas up there). Including one of the largest state park campgrounds (in terms of number of sites) in the US. I'd love to get around to visit more of them.

But we will take what we can get as we can get it. Because that's progress.

Bama Ed

PS - lottery funds drying up are what I have heard from my neighbors in Georgia. They allocated lottery surpluses to fund college scholarships but have had to "cut back" on what they actually paid for as the lottery profits fell off. That was a few year ago and they are still limping along . I'm hard pressed to believe any promises my local/state politicians make to me (though that's not for this forum).

 

[WeLovePluto]

i realized on a trip home from the fort that the RA booking fee makes the state parks about the same for one night as some private campgrounds right at the interstate. (The state park we were booked at flooded and we needed a spot on the fly)

the scenery isn’t as good, but it’s not like we had all the energy to go adventuring in a state park after Disney anyway.

so now I go to the private place to save the off interstate time on the way to/from Disney.

Ed,

Mississippi’s system lets you book individual sites. Y’all are behind Mississippi in something.

 

[bama_ed]

i realized on a trip home from the fort that the RA booking fee makes the state parks about the same for one night as some private campgrounds right at the interstate. (The state park we were booked at flooded and we needed a spot on the fly)

Mississippi’s system lets you book individual sites. Y’all are behind Mississippi in something.

Whoa, dude, remember that the Alabama system that WAS in place let people book specific sites at places like Gulf SP but not at all of the 20-something state parks we have. But that system was only available to the bigger resort state parks and not the last smallest one.

So don't ever, EVER, say that anything Alabama does is behind Mississippi. Or heavens forbid we include Louisianer in that discussion.

Sure, one night stays with a reservation fee aren't fun. So just wing it and pull in to the park without a reservation at sunset - that's the alternative I guess. Me, myself, I like staying at state parks (bama, floreeda, or other) but that's my preference.

Bama Ed

PS - we have a saying in Alabama. "In whatever list you have, if Alabama is 49th, at least Mississippi is 50th".

 

[WeLovePluto]

I generally look for state park vacations first, and I like the state parks I’ve stayed at near Tallahassee (Three Rivers and Falling Waters). There’s also a caverns one in the area but those reservations have fallen through on me twice for weather issues. Honestly, if it weren’t for that campground flooding, I wouldn’t have ever looked for the private campground that we used last time.

but with the kids young enough that every drive takes 50% longer than it should...minimizing off interstate time and staying hooked to the truck have won out the last couple trips.

(and of course I don’t have any room to make fun of other states.)

PS: I’m pretty sure kayaking at Three Rivers SP would be awesome, just never gotten there early enough to try.