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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM'S NEW CAMPING RESERVATION SYSTEM OFF TO GOOD START PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management announces that in the first two hours of its online and call center camping reservation center, which opened on Wednesday morning, November 13, 1,274 reservations were made for a total of 9,625 camper-nights, averaging a bit over a week each.The highest number of reservations - 978 - were made for Fishermens' Memorial Campground. The online and call center reservations were completed smoothly and quickly, as opposed to the number of man-hours needed to hand process the hundreds of applications mailed simultaneously each January 14 in past years to vie for coveted spots at the popular South County campground. Two hundred twenty reservations were made during the same two hours for the r/v campground at Charlestown Breachway. East Beach drew 36 reservations, Burlingame drew 36, and George Washington Memorial Campground in Gloucester, the state's best-kept camping secret, drew two. By the end of the day, a total of 1,756 reservations had been made. "We are very pleased with the new reservations process," said Steven Wright, Acting Chief of DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation. "It is easier for campers, who will know in advance they have a guaranteed spot, as well as for our staff, in making preparations for a successful camping experience." Reservations are available through a link on DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation's website, www.riparks.com, and through a toll-free reservations line, 1-877-RICAMP5. A service charge of $9 per reservation will be made for online reservations, and reservations made through the toll-free phone line will be charged a $10 service fee. The cost of renting a campground, which starts at $14 a night for state residents and $20 for non-residents, will not increase. Campgrounds are open annually from April 15 through October 31. The entire inventory of campsites at the five state campgrounds - more than 1,000 sites - is available through the new reservations system. However, walk-in registration will still be accepted at the individual campgrounds for the day of arrival as long as there are sites available. There will be no service charge for walk-in registrations on the day of arrival at the campgrounds. The reservations program is operated by ReserveAmerica, a company that manages reservations for 3,500 parks nationwide with more than 170,000 campsites. There is no cost to the state for the program, as funding comes solely from transaction fees associated with the services. For more information or questions about the new campground reservation system, email DEM's Division of Parks and Recreation at www.riparks.com/, or call the Division at 222-2632. -30- |
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