National park reservation app Recreation.gov leaves users feeling lost in the woods

Lack of availability for campsites. Confusing reservation windows. Frustration among travelers and the travel industry is growing with Recreation.gov, the online portal for booking accommodations and accessing federal lands.

Aline Prado knew that wanted to visit Glacier National Park on her summer vacation this year. The elementary school teacher had planned a month-long road trip with her 8-year-old daughter and three other parents that would start in their hometown of Houston and wind through nine national parks and monuments in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado .

Having heard that Glacier was particularly popular, Ms. Prado tried to book campsites a year before the trip on Recreation.gov, the online platform that manages Glacier accommodations. night, day-use access and more for 4,200 federally operated sites, including national parks, memorials, historic districts and recreation areas.

"There were never any reservations available, and I was always told to check back. But when? How is everything already booked? Ms. Prado said, describing her failed attempts. "I felt like I was online, non-stop. I'm not a tech-savvy person, and it was just overwhelming."

Ms. Prado isn't the only one exasperated by Recreation.gov, a go-to glove for travelers looking to explore destinations and attractions administered by the Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and other agencies, has come under fire in recent years from travelers and travel industry leaders — especially as park attendance has increased during the pandemic. platform include little to no availability for campsites and vehicle permits, fees for canceling reservations, and confusing reservation windows that manage to make both spontaneity and planning difficult.

Mid-July , fearing that the current system “threatens to block the resumption of inbound international travel”, nearly 400 hotels, regional tourist offices, tour operators and other industry organizations in the United States sent a letter to the director of the National Park Service, Chuck Sams and US Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland are calling for change. Their main complaint: "short booking windows and inconsistent procedures are not feasible for international travelers and international tour operators."

"Currently, there is a 30- to 60-day window to enter some of the most desirable parks,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Travel Association, a trade group that promotes domestic travel and who sent the letter. "This is not really an appropriate calendar for international visitors, who book their travel 10 to 12 months in advance."

In a statement, Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, spokesperson for the National Park Service, said the agency appreciates feedback "as we adjust and improve these management tools, and assess ways to ensure expectations coherent and clear for visitors planning trips to the park".

Longer booking windows aren't a major issue for all travelers, some - even international visitors - prefer last minute access. But frustration and confusion over inconsistencies in the system abound. Each park may display different requirements to visit: Glacier, for example, does not require a reservation to enter the park, but must pass through a major park attraction, the Going-to-the-Sun-Road Corridor, between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. (But if you can't get a pass for that specific path, you can book an attraction or...