A: The interagency Federal recreation portal consolidates Recreation.gov, the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) formerly at ReserveUSA.com, and the National Park Reservation System (NPRS) formerly at reservations.nps.gov, into a single point of online access at Recreation.gov.

In addition to providing reservation services for agencies participating in the NRRS (USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Corps of Engineers), www.Recreation.gov will also become an enhanced recreation portal and provide trip planning information for thousands of other Federal recreation facilities and activities plus information about links to State tourism sites. Key enhancements and benefits include improved reservation availability searches; the addition of shopping cart functionality (multiple reservations with one payment) and improved regional and campground level maps. This change is part of the Recreation-One-Stop initiative.

Recreation.gov also provides a comprehensive source of information about thousands of other Federal recreation opportunities.

A: The National Recreation Reservation Service is your one-stop reservation resource for the recreation facilities and activities offered by the US Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and USDA Forest Service. Along with the federal agencies participating in the NRRS, Recreation One Stop involves 11 Federal agency partners. Agency partners are listed on www.Recreation.gov.

A: First and foremost is that this is an Interagency effort, so there is a larger inventory of recreation facilities available for reservations across the country. As time goes by, we will be adding to the inventory and inviting other agencies to join. The first major change will be the addition of the many National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation reservable facilities and activities. This change will occur Wednesday, February 7, 2007. There are other changes: we have expanded the capability through our call centers to handle calls with additional phone lines and hours of service; we now offer tour tickets at select National Park sites; the booking window (the time period in advance that a reservation can be made) has been expanded for National Park customers (except Yosemite customers); and we have added personal trip planning and personalized access through our Internet web site to help make your vacation more enjoyable!

A: There are three ways for customers to make a reservation: a toll-free call to the reservation center at 1-877-444-6777, online at www.Recreation.gov, and at selected field locations. We also anticipate future sales opportunities such as automated kiosks and other alternative sales outlets.  The Call Center Hours are:

A: This change is part of the Recreation-One-Stop initiative in the President's Management Agenda to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and customer service in the delivery of Federal recreation information and reservation services.

A: With over 60,000 reservable facilities at over 2500 field locations, the NRRS is the largest outdoor recreation reservation service in the country. It includes individual campsites, cabins, lookouts, group campsites, tour tickets, picnic shelters and wilderness permits. Whether you're heading North to Alaskas Tongass National Forest, South to Florida 's Lake Okeechobee , East to North Carolina's Blue Ridge Parkway , or West to Yosemite National Park or California 's Los Padres National Forest , you can reserve your place under the stars with the NRRS.

A: The National Recreation Reservation Service is definitely not the same old service. During the development of this service we established the goal of providing quality reservation services to the public. This goal was achieved through a total redesign of how reservation services are provided. We researched all aspects of this business with existing federal and state systems and we looked in depth at our own previous experience. We asked the industry about how best to provide the service and, most important of all, we asked our customers what they wanted. Our contract to deliver these services is with ReserveAmerica, Inc., and is based on delivering high quality services to our customers. Your satisfaction with our service is important to us and we measure our success based on your assessment of our performance.

A: We are acutely aware of some of the shortcomings encountered with the National Park Reservation Service to handle the high demand associated with the Yosemite on sale on the 15th of each month and the resulting customer frustration. Yosemite's limited camping facilities will always be challenging to reserve due to the high demand; however, we are confident that our new service will be significantly easier to use with improved call center access. Please recognize that the Yosemite on sale creates extreme demands on any system and service. Our goal is to minimize frustration for our customers and provide a quality reservation experience.

A: Yes, these important changes include:

• The booking window (the time period in advance that a reservation can be made) has changed for most National Park Service facilities. THIS MEANS THAT AT MOST NATIONAL PARKS ON THE NRRS, RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE SIX (6) MONTHS IN ADVANCE INSTEAD OF FIVE (5). In addition, the booking window will be a rolling window (where new reservable facilities become available each day) instead of a block window (where an entire month of reservable facilities becomes available on a given day). Refer to the chart in the next question and please make note of this IMPORTANT change.
• There will no longer be separate phone numbers for camping, tours, and Yosemite; all reservations can be made through this single toll-free number which is 1-877-444-6777.
• Specific National Park sites that formerly charged a $9.00 add-on reservation service fee will no longer charge this fee.
• We will not longer accept certified checks or money orders for reservations thru the call center.
• All current and new customers must create a new member account at the new Recreation.gov reservation website. Membership is free.

A: As part of this change, all customers with current member accounts on ReserveUSA.com will need to create a new member account on www. recreation.gov - this is for protection of your privacy and security. Your new reservations account will only reflect new reservations you make on our website. Active reservations you have made prior to the move, are still on our system, and can be changed only through our reservation call center. This also includes customers who have made reservations through www.ReserverAmerica.com. Upon visiting www.Recreation.gov create a new membership, by simply signing up with your information and start your reservation or search for your favorite outdoor recreation facilities and activities.

A: The booking window for all National Park Service (with the exception of Yosemite National Park), Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation facilities in the NRRS will change effective February 7, 2007. The new booking window will be a 6 month rolling window (where new reservable facilities become available each day for a period 6 months in advance). Yosemite National Park will retain its current 5 month block window (with an entire months worth of campsites becoming available 5 months in advance on the 15th of each month). Following is a complete list of parks that previously had a 5-month block window, that now will have a 6-month rolling window.

A: For overnight camping and individual tours, customers can now make reservations 6 months to the day in advance of the arrival date. For example:

For group sites and organized tours, customers can make reservations 12 months to the day in advance of arrival. For example:

Again, this booking window change DOES NOT APPLY TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK which will remain on a 5-month block window. Reservations for Yosemite will continue to go on sale for a 5-month period on the 15th of each month:

A: The new booking window for the National Parks is easier for customers to use and is similar to that in use by hotels, airlines, rental cars and other services that most customers understand. It is also similar to the booking window for facilities in the current NRRS.

Yosemite will not change because their summer reservations are always in very high demand. In the past, Yosemite experienced repeated instances where the rolling window system was manipulated to hold sites for desired dates and then frequently the sites were not occupied, or reservations were frequently changed in order to secure the desired dates. Yosemite has found that the block window helps prevents this manipulation of the system. This block release of sites on a single day each month is also consistent with the manner in which all California State Parks are reserved.

A: Effective October 17, all facilities in the NRRS including Forest Service and Corps of Engineers facilities will be on the same 6 month advanced window for Individual Campsites and Cabins. Group Facilities are available for reservation up to 12 months in advance.

A: Group Tours are available via Recreation.gov for specific parks only – not all parks offer group reservations via the web site – please check the inventory information on the park you are looking for, if it is not available you can call the Group Sales Team directly to make your reservation 1-877-559-6777. Calling the Group Sales Team will provide you access to a group of dedicated sales agents to assist you in booking your tours, from 10:00 AM EST – 8:00 PM Monday – Friday, and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM Saturday and Sunday.

Organized tours will be available for advanced reservations for up to 12 months in advance for all parks. Reservations can be made up to 1 day prior to arrival for all parks, with the exception of Frederick Douglass National Historic Site which will accept Group Reservations up to 1 Week in advance.

Checks are not accepted as payment for reservations in advance via the Call Center. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover will be accepted for payment via the Call Center. We will also be looking into implementing electronic check payments in the future, but note that this is not currently available. For those who have booked reservations at Roosevelt Vanderbilt National Historical Site in the past and are accustomed to deferring payment until 30 days prior to arrival, please note the following change: a non-refundable deposit of $14.00 for groups of 25 and $28.00 for group of 50 will be required at the time the reservation is made. Payment in full will then be required at least 30 days prior to your arrival.

Cancellations will be accepted up to 1 day in advance for your reservations. Please note, that a $3.00 per ticket Cancellation Fee is applicable for Carlsbad Caverns, Mammoth Cave, and Lowell National Historical Park. Roosevelt-Vanderbilt will have a specific Cancellation Fee for group tours (previously known as 'Motorcoach' tours). Cancellation Fees for Roosevelt-Vanderbilt will be $14.00 for groups of 25, and $28.00 for Groups of 50. For Washington Monument, Independence Hall, and Frederick Douglass, the $1.50 Reservation Fee is non-refundable, and no additional Cancellation Charge will apply for cancellations of these tours.

Tickets for the Washington Monument that are purchased 10 days or more in advance of the tour date will be mailed to the customer automatically; tickets purchased less than 10 days in advance can be picked up at Will Call at the park. The new Shipping and Handling fees will be $2.85 per order for the mail out of tickets. Please note, that the price for larger orders (over 10 tickets), will be changing in the future to $4.65 per order, but the $2.85 will be charged when the new system comes online on February 7th for all orders regardless of the number of tickets ordered.

• Tour Names: The tour names have changed, and regardless of whether you are booking 25 or 50 people, you will book the same tour, but specify the specific quantity you are booking.
• Tickets: You will now receive 1 Ticket for a Group of 25 people, and 2 Tickets for a Group of 50 people.

Below is a list of the specific Group Tours that are available:

The Combo Tour for all 4 Tours will be known as 'Combo Tour 1 ticket (up to 25), 2 ticket (25-50)'.

Tour Names: The tour names have changed, and regardless of whether you are booking 25 or 50 people, you will book the same tour, but specify the specific quantity you are booking.

Tickets: You will now receive 1 Ticket for a Group of 25 people, and 2 Tickets for a Group of 50 people.

We look forward to providing you improved services under the National Recreation Reservation Service and believe that with our new dedicated Group Sales team we can help to improve your reservation experience for National Park Service locations.

A: The charges to change or cancel a reservation are:

A: Yes. NRRS is committed to protecting your personal information and informing you about how we handle it. Please review the current Recreation.gov Privacy Policy.

A: Most Federal facilities are first come-first served, with no reservation service. At locations where the demand is sufficient, new facilities will be added. In addition, some facilities may be managed by concessionaires with their own reservation system, such as Yellowstone National Park. These locations will have a link so that customers can go to the concessionaires system to make a reservation.

A: No, our reservation service is limited to Federal facilities.

A: For many facilities, there is no separate reservation fee. The only fee charged is the use fee, which is based on the value of the facility being reserved. We have adopted the hospitality/tourism industry standard common in hotels, airlines, rental cars and other services where the cost of providing reservation services are an integrated part of the price charged to the customer. However, there are some locations in our service which retain a separate reservation fee. This fee, when charged, is currently $10.00 for call center reservations and $9.00 for web reservations.

A: This is possible if the campground or location is acting as a field sales channel. On-site reservation services at these select locations have the same capabilities as those provided through www.Recreation.gov, or by calling the toll-free phone number 1-877-444-6777 for making reservations. We highly encourage the public to use the internet or toll-free phone method as their first choice for making a reservation. The website is very user-friendly and phone sales agents are specially trained to handle requests and offer alternative sites if the first choice is not available.

A: Yes. Some sites will be available for walk-up campers as first-come, first-serve. In addition, throughout the season, there are reservable sites that are not occupied by persons with reservations. In addition, some campgrounds may offer walk-up customers the ability to make a reservation on-the-spot, so they will have access to all available campsites. However, we highly encourage campers to call 1-877-444-6777 or use the website to make a reservation. This will ensure that a site is available for you upon arrival.

A: We have the ability to make referrals to other nearby areas participating in the NRRS inventory without regard to the managing Federal agency. This provides the greatest possible opportunity for the public to make a reservation with only one phone call. However, on the reservation website, www.Recreation.gov, a customer can search for availability, check nearby locations, and explore other recreation facilities nearby at their convenience and act as their own agent in booking a reservation that meets their needs.

A: The cost of reservation services is included in the fee paid by customers. The only cost to the government is the expense associated with contract administration.

A: Recreation.gov accepts several methods of payment to accommodate your needs, including: VISA, Master Card, Discover/Novus and American Express. Personal checks, certified checks and money orders are not accepted for Internet or call center reservations. Field Sales Channel locations will continue to accept all methods of payment excluding Foreign Currency. The NRRS is looking into alternative payment methods such as Electronic Checks.

A: In order to provide the best customer service to the majority of our customers, NRRS no longer accepts certified checks or money orders as payment for advance reservations. Effective January 31st, 2007 a credit or debit card will be required to make an advance reservation.

Processing check payments has not been cost-effective for the NRRS for several reasons:

• The number of customers who pay by check is extremely low;
• The rate of checks returned is relatively high;
• A request to pay by check required the reservation be made 20 days in advance of arrival and payment received 10 days in advance of arrival. If payment was not received, the reservation was cancelled. Contacting customers to cancel or rebook these sites proved difficult and other customers were potentially turned away.

The vast majority of customers have access to credit or debit cards. This new policy does not affect payment options at recreation sites. If you do not have access to a credit or debit card, the facility you wish to visit may offer first-come, first serve facilities that can be paid in person by check. You may also wish to consider using prepaid gift cards that are offered by most credit card companies. In the future, we will be exploring the addition of new payment options such as electronic check processing.

A: Your monthly statement will contain a reservation billing under the name "Recreation.gov 1-888-448-1474 ", not the National Recreation Reservation Service or ReserveAmerica. Please make note of this. If you have questions, please call customer service at 1-888-448-1474.

A: The NRRS is part of the E-Gov, Recreation-One-Stop initiative, which includes the current Recreation.gov website. We believe that Recreation.gov is intuitive-it describes what our site is: U.S. government Federal recreation and reservation opportunities online. We also believe that our customers want a name that is easy to understand and remember. We welcome your comments on our name.

A: All agencies within the NRRS are accepting the Interagency Senior Pass, the Interagency Access Pass, the Golden Age and Golden Access Passports. These passes/passports provide you with a 50% discount on the basic recreation use fee for individual campsites and on some tour tickets. For campsite reservations, the discount only applies to the site the pass holder occupies. This discount does not apply to fees for cabins, lookouts or group facilities, certain facility amenities such as electricity, water, sewer, or extra fees charged for prime or premium sites. For additional information visit: www.Recreation.gov/recpass.jsp