But you still need to activate your account.
Sign in or Subscribe to view this content.
Maine state park officials will begin accepting camping reservations for the coming season this Wednesday, giving campers a chance to line up trips to their favorite sites months in advance.
Officials at Baxter State Park, meanwhile, said plenty of campsites and cabins are still available for the summer thanks to the park’s new “rolling” reservation system, which is already under way.
Beginning Wednesday, campers can reserve sites in Maine’s dozen state parks online or by calling or writing to the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
The bureau will also accept walk-in reservations, but officials recommend using the agency’s Web site, www.campwithme.com, for maximum efficiency.
Reservations can no longer be made by fax.
More than 225,000 people camped in Maine’s state parks last year, down slightly from 2004 but by more than 25,000 visitors since 2002.
Jim Crocker, spokesman for the Department of Conservation, speculated that last year’s rainy weather was likely a major factor in the decline from 2004.
Two of the busiest weekends for the park system – Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends – were largely “washed out,” Crocker said.
The state’s busiest campsites, by far, were at Sebago Lake, where the department recorded 83,476 overnight visitors.
Because of Sebago’s popularity among families, the department will only accept reservations during February for four consecutive nights or more in order to ensure groups can stay in the same campsite. The department will begin accepting reservations for two or more nights on March 1.
Reservations for any of the parks must be made at least two days prior to arrival. However, the parks always set aside a certain percentage of sites for walk-in or drive-up campers.
Baxter State Park, which is run separately from the other state parks, began accepting reservations Jan. 17. That day was the only one during which reservations could be made for any time of the year for any of the sites, cabins or lean-tos in the park.
Beginning Jan. 18, campsites, cabins and lean-tos at Baxter can be reserved no earlier than four months in advance. For instance, a group wishing to use a cabin on Aug. 1 will not be able to reserve a spot until at least April 1.
Reservations by phone can only be made within 10 days of arrival.
Baxter State Park officials switched to the rolling reservation system last year to avoid the crush of people camping out in freezing temperatures on opening day in an attempt to reserve their favorite spot.
Jean Hoekwater, the park naturalist, said Friday that just 3 percent of Baxter’s campsites, lean-tos and cabins were reserved on opening day, meaning the vast majority of the park is still available. Hoekwater said she believes the rolling system will stay in place.
“So far we have had very favorable reports from people on our rolling reservation system,” Hoekwater said.
To reserve a campsite in the other state parks, go to www.campwithme.com or call (800) 332-1501 from in-state or (207) 287-3824 from out-of-state. Reservations can also be mailed to Bureau of Parks and Lands, Attn.: Reservations, 22 SHS, Augusta 04333
Unlike the other state parks, Baxter does not accept online reservations. To reserve a spot in Baxter, visit the headquarters or mail a completed form to Baxter State Park Headquarters, Reservations, 64 Balsam Drive, Millinocket 04462.
Forms are available for download online at: http://www.baxterstateparkauthority.com/camping/index.html.
Comments
comments for this post are closed