Recreation.gov Frequently Asked Questions
About the new Recreation.gov
and the NRRS
About Reservations
About Recreation
Q: What is the National Recreation
Reservation Service (NRRS™) and who are the partners involved?
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.
Q: What type of facilities can be
reserved through Recreation.gov and the NRRS™?
A: With over 60,000 reservable facilities
at over 2,500 locations, the NRRS is the largest outdoor recreation
reservation service in the country. Whether you're heading North
to Alaska's Tongass National Forest, South to Florida's Lake Okeechobee,
East to North Carolinas Blue Ridge Parkway, or West to California's
Los Padres National Forest, you can reserve your place under the
stars with the NRRS. Customers can reserve the following facilities
through NRRS .
- Individual Campsites: reserve
up to 6 months in advance for all agencies within the NRRS™,
except for Yosemite National Park. For Yosemite National Park,
reservations are available 5 months in advance and go on-sale
each month on the 15th of the month (the entire 5th month becomes
available).
- Cabins: reserve up to 6 Months
in advance for all agencies within the NRRS™.
- Group Facilities: reserve up to
12 Months in advance for all agencies within the NRRS™.
Q: What payment methods are accepted
through Recreation.gov?
A: Recreation.gov accepts several methods
of payment to accommodate your needs, including: VISA, Master Card,
Discover and American Express. Method of Payment
Method of Payment |
Sales Channels |
Call Center |
Internet |
Field |
Bankcard |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Certified Checks
Bank Checks
Money Orders |
No |
No |
Yes |
Personal Checks
Travelers Checks |
No |
No |
Yes |
Cash |
No |
No |
Yes |
Foreign Currency |
No |
No |
No |
Recreation.gov Billing Information: Customer's
monthly credit card statements will reflect "Recreation.gov
888-448-1474", for reservation transactions.
Q: I don't understand what some of
the definitions or lingo refers to on your site.
A: The terminology used on our web site
reflects the numerous agencies' Recreation.gov represents. The definitions
below are an example of some of the more commonly used terms found
on the site:
Site Type |
The site type is a brief description of what the site
has to offer, e.g. Electricity, water, for families etc.
Camping Area or Loop : A camping area or loop identifies
a specific section within a campground. The name of the
area or loop might reflect a geographical attribute close
by, such as a lake or pond. |
Overnight or Day Use |
Identifies sites for overnight camping and sites for
day use facilities, such as picnics or family reunions.
|
Campground/Park |
Both words refer to the same thing. |
Facility Type |
The facility, a reservation is made for. For example
a campsite, cabin or picnic shelter (day use). |
Book Now |
Make a reservation at a facility with the criteria chosen.
|
Search Criteria |
Information used to search for a facility, a site or
availability |
Walk In |
Coming in to a facility to book a site without making
a reservation. |
Site Availability |
Determines whether a site is available or not, to book
a reservation. |
Site Number |
The site number is an identification number for a particular
site, as assigned by the facility. |
Season: |
The date range a facility is open to receive reservations,
walk ins or day use patronage. Some facilities are open
year round. |
Q: Is my personal information I enter
on Recreation.gov kept confidential?
A: We, at Recreation.gov, have created
this privacy policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to protecting
your personal information and informing you about how we handle
it. This privacy policy only applies to transactions made, and data
gathered, on the Recreation.gov web site. Please review this privacy
policy periodically to check for revisions as we may update it from
time to time. This privacy policy was last revised on November 19,
2003. Each time you visit the Site or provide us with information,
by doing so you are accepting the practices described in this privacy
policy at that time. For more information on please see the privacy
and security section.
Q: Forgotten your Password and Username?
A: Click on the
Sign In
link at the top of the home page, and click on the Forgot your Password
link. Questions related to billing or confirmation statements:
Questions related to billing or confirmation statements:
Q: How come I have not received my
confirmation letter yet or have received it too late? How can I
have this resent?
A: A confirmation letter is automatically
generated after a reservation has been made on the site to the email
address provided in your personal profile. In the case that you
didn't receive the confirmation, check to make sure that your email
address is entered correctly in your personal profile or if there
are any problems with your internet provider. To receive a copy
of the confirmation letter, contact our customer service team at
1 - 888-448-1474 or nrrs-cs@reserveamerica.com, and they will re-send
it to you.
Q: I made a reservation on the web
site and then canceled it. On my confirmation letter statement,
it appears that I was billed twice?
A: In the case that a reservation was
charged to your credit card and then cancelled and credited back
to your card, the invoice statement will appear as follows: Payment
Date Amount Payment Method Receipt Comments Feb. 18/03 $185 Visa
1-123456 Visa Feb. 18/03 ($185) Visa 1-123456 Visa The purchase
amount, set in brackets, indicates that the charge has been applied
back to the credit card and not double billed. If you have concerns
regarding your billing statement, please contact us at customer
service 1-888-448-1474 or at nrrs-cs@reserveamerica.com.
Q: My credit card bill showed a reservation
billing under the name "Recreation.gov 1-888-448-1474 ". Is this
from my reservation?
A: Yes. 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.
Q: I called the day before I was scheduled
to arrive at the facility and cancelled my reservation. Why was
I charged a cancellation fee plus a one night camping fee for cancelling?
A: NRRS Late Cancellations fees are
as follows:
- Individual Campsites: If an individual
cancels an individual campsite reservation the day before arrival,
or on the day of arrival they will be charged the $10.00 service
fee and forfeit the first night use fee. Cancellations for a
single night's use will not be assessed a service fee.
- Cabins/Lookouts: If a customer cancels
a cabin or lookout reservation within 14 days of your scheduled
arrival date, they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and
forfeit the first night's recreation use fee. No-shows, Early
Departures, or Cancellations after the scheduled arrival date,
are not entitled to a refund. Cancellations for single night's
use will not be assessed a service fee. If a customer cancels
a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled
arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no
service fee change.
- Group Facility: If a customer cancels a
group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled
arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and
forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single
night's use will not be assessed a service fee. If a customer
cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days
of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day
use fee with no service fee charge. No-shows:
- No Shows:
Camping: If the customer does not arrive at the campground
or group facility and do not cancel the reservation by the times
listed above, they will be assessed a $20.00 service fee and
forfeit the first night use fee or the total day use fee.
Please Note! Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities
will be held until check-out time on the day following your
scheduled arrival.
Group day use facilities will be held until check-in time
on your scheduled arrival date.
- Tour Parks: There are no refunds for late
cancellations. However, exceptions may be made on a case by
case basis. Questions related to reservations made on the web
site:
Q: How do I make a reservation?
A: When calling to make a reservation,
you will be asked to provide the following information:
- Campground name (or state)
- Arrival and departure dates
- Type of site required (tent, RV, cabin, lookout, etc.)
- The number of people in your party
- Method of payment (certified check or credit card - Visa,
MasterCard, Amex, Discover card)
Q: How do I Book a Group Tour Reservation?
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.
Q: Can I cancel my reservation by
sending Recreation.gov an email?
A: No. Unfortunately we are unable to
cancel reservations via email requests. If you made your reservation
online, you may cancel it online on the Current Reservations page.
Q: How do I modify or change an existing
reservation in the system?
A: Once a reservation is made online
it cannot be modified from the web site. Changing dates, sites or
campgrounds must be done through our call centers. Please call 1-877-444-6777.
A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation.
Q: What reservations do I currently
have on your system?
A: A detailed listing of your reservations
(both past and present) made on line, is stored in our system and
can be viewed at your leisure on Recreation.gov To view your current
and past web reservations, sign into the system from the home page
(click on the link Sign In under the Membership
heading). When you enter your user name and password the system
will take you to a screen titled My Reservations.
From this page you can view the current Internet reservations that
you have in the system, the status of the reservation (if a payment
is still outstanding, etc.) and past reservations. From this screen,
you can make updates to your profile or change your email address
and password.
Internet Accounts Users for USFS & USACE Locations (Accounts
from Recreation.gov, ReserveUSA and ReserveAmerica.com)
Some internet users will experience changes to their ability to
view reservations effective October 17th, 2007. You will experience
different changes depending upon whether you have an account on
Recreation.gov or ReserveAmerica.com.
- Recreation.gov Members: If you use a www.Recreation.gov
membership to make your reservations, once the US Forest Service
and US Army Corps of Engineers are upgraded to the new system
this will impact your ability to view reservations that have
occurred prior to September 30, 2007. As of October 17, 2007
you will only be able view reservations with an arrival or departure
date that overlaps September 30, 2007 using www.Recreation.gov.
If you frequently refer to your past reservations it is a good
idea to save this information on your system and/or print out
the information for future reference.
- ReserveAmerica.com Members: If you use
a www.ReserveAmerica.com membership to make your reservations
for the US Forest Service or the US Army Corps of Engineers,
you will NOT be able to view any historical or future reservations
via www.Recreation.gov or www.ReserveAmerica.com after October
17, 2007. For past or future reservations, please be sure to
keep the information on your system and/or print out the information
for future reference prior to the System Freeze Period. You
will also not be able to make reservations using ReserveAmerica.com
for reservations for Forest Service or Corps of Engineers facilities
after September 30, 2007. Reservations may only be made using
the NRRS website, www.Recreation.gov.
Q: Why do some campgrounds have a
weekend restriction? What does that mean?
A: The system will prevent a reservation
from being booked on dates which conflict with an agency's reservation
restrictions. See below for examples of reservation restrictions:
If you are trying to book a reservation for a period of time that
exceeds the maximum number of days a facility allows, an error message
will be returned not allowing the reservation to be completed. The
system complies with the reservation policies as set by the contract
the Agency belongs to. To view a facility's reservation policies,
click on the link titled General Rules
found on the bottom of every campground detail page. If you are
trying to book a reservation too close to the date of your arrival
the system won't allow it. Facilities have restrictions on the minimum
number of days between the date you reserve and the date of your
arrival. If you are trying to book more campsites than allowed under
the same user, the system won't allow it. To insure campsites are
available to all people, the system puts a limit on the number of
campsites any one person can reserve.
Q: What does non-reservable mean on
the site listing?
A: Reservations cannot be made for that
particular site, and the site is available only on a first-come,
first-serve basis.
Q: How many reservations can I make
at one time?
A: Four
Q: What if I can't come the first
night of my reservation?
A: Reserved campsites and group overnight
facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following
the scheduled arrival day.
Q: Why am I not able to book the site
that I want? The system indicates the site is not available, but
when I show up at the campgrounds I see numerous available sites.
Is there something wrong with the system?
A: A site may not be available for many
reasons. Some of these include: Site closures: On occasion it may
be necessary for a facility to close a site. Reasons for site closures
vary from general maintenance required to upkeep the site, to closures
for emergency purposes such as site flooding. Our reservation system
will display the site but will indicate it as unavailable. Non-Reservable
site: A facility has full control over which sites are made available
on the ReserveAmerica web site and which sites are not. Available
sites are indicated during the reservation process when searching
for availability or looking in the Campground Detail pages. Non-reservable
sites can be closed or left for walk in customers only. Site already
booked: During a facility's peak season sites can be in high demand.
ReserveAmerica's web site is available to campers around the world
trying to book a reservation. The site is not booked until a confirmation
is received, resulting in a reservation ID number. If you have concerns
or questions about a site's availability, please contact one of
our call centers, 1-877-444-6777.
Questions related to a specific facility, site or organization (i.e.
availability at a facility)
Q: What is the maximum length of stay
in the campgrounds?
A: Camping longer than 14 consecutive
days is generally not allowed. At Corps of Engineers campsites only,
camping at one or more campsites at any one water resource project
(lake) for a period longer than 14 days during any 30-consecutive
day period is prohibited.
Q: Where can I build a campfire?
A: Within campgrounds and other recreation
areas, fires may only be built in fire rings, stoves, grills, or
fireplaces provided for that purpose.
Q: Does Receation.gov have a campground
waiting list that I can be put on to reserve my favorite site?
A: No. Receation.gov does not maintain
a waiting list for cancellations. When a cancellation is made on
our web site or call center, the reserved site is placed back in
the system to be reserved again. To find out the availability of
a campsite continue to view the availability online or contact our
call centers to get continual updates. Please use the contact us
page.
Q: Can I request a list of available
sites to be sent to me by email for a specific campground?
A: The availability on the web site
is constantly changing which does not allow us to send information
of this nature through an email. Availability of a site can be seen
online or by calling our reservation call centers.
Q: How do I know what dates a facility
opens and closes for the season?
A: Each facility has an open date and
a close date, which determines the facility's "season" (see the
questions related to web site info - terminology). These dates can
vary for each facility and can vary, based on the agency managing
the forest, facility, or campground. A facility's season determines
the earliest date and the final date in the year the facility accepts
campers. The location of a facility may also determine a facility's
season, as facilities located in warmer climates may be open year
round.
Q: The map I used to find a facility
from your home page doesn't provide me with enough details to drive
to the facility.
A: Some State maps contain more details,
such as road names and landmark titles, than others. For complete
details on the best directions for driving to a facility, navigate
to the Facility details page and see the information below the heading,
Getting There. You may also want to contact
the facility directly.
Q: I would like to find out more about
a facility or the surrounding area, such as what tourist attractions
are in the vicinity. Where can I find this information?
A: A brief description of the facility
and its surrounding area is available on the Facility details page.
Q: Can I use the "Contact Us" form
on Recreation.gov to get more information on particular recreation
sites?
A: If you have a question about one
of the sites on Recreation.gov please contact the site directly.
Recreation.gov does not have the detailed information about the
more than 2,500 specific facilities, lakes, forest etc. in the database.
Instead of using the Comment form, please use the phone numbers and addresses
provided under campground details of Recrreation.gov to contact the managers
at the individual sites.
NOTE: Recreation.gov can not endorse a commercial site or product. Instead
of requesting Recreation.gov to add a link to your site, please contact
your state tourism office or Convention and Visitor Bureau to get your attraction/facility
added to their list of recreation sites. For more details regarding how
to get federal government-owned or affiliated recreation sites
added to the Recreation.gov database, or to get data from the Recreation.gov
to add to your database/publication/website, please see the separate
FAQ's About Recreation.gov list (below).
In addition to the FirstGov site for
Frequently Asked Questions of the US Government, you may also find answers
at the Recreation and FAQ sites for the following organizations:
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