NJ Camping

[JerseyJK07]

I have camped at least 7-8 times a year if not more in Wharton for the past 10-12 years. today I called up to reserve and pay for a site for this coming weekend and was told to now go online and register. Ok thats not a problem as i can see it being easier which it was. However, the normal $3.00 per person per night is the same but now there is a $9.25 registration fee! it cost mroe to register than it does for the actual camping for one person for 2 nights! does the stte not see this being a issue and could cut back on the number of people campign in our state parks? How much of this $9.25 fee actually goes to the state park? i feel probably none!

oh and only 6 people and 2 Tents and 2 vehicles per site. Well what if there are 3 couples? not everyone wants to be in one tent together! or what if i regiseter for that site alone and 5 others do that i dont know? I'm not sharing my tent with strangers.

I dont think that State thought this out too well. I just camped in february and everything was fine! now all of the sudden this. It just blows my mind!

Needless to say i think my camping in wharton will be only 2-3 times this year and keep the rest of the times to private property. So for me camping this weekend costs me $15.25 instead of $6.00. i would have no issues if all the funds go to the state park service but i know our goverment all to well and im sure its not!

So to those state employees that are on this site and read this thread, take note:..... THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!

 

[Teegate]

Don't seem right does it?

 

[fierodoug]

Wow, I had no idea. that is ridiculous. Its almost like they dont want you camping in NJ at all

 

[woodjin]

i just booked a cabin recently at pakim pond and did the online register thing. the $9.25 didn't bother me too much since it was a cabin rental but i didn't realize they were applying that to all camping reservations. It used to be you could reserve/pay in person. I hope that is still a possibility. I remember calling to reserve in the past and they told me I had to stop in. Not a big deal if you are local, but a pain if you are not.

Jeff

 

[kayak karl]

i just booked a cabin recently at pakim pond and did the online register thing. the $9.25 didn't bother me too much since it was a cabin rental but i didn't realize they were applying that to all camping reservations. It used to be you could reserve/pay in person. I hope that is still a possibility. I remember calling to reserve in the past and they told me I had to stop in. Not a big deal if you are local, but a pain if you are not.

Jeff

even if you go in person the $9.25 is still charged. the whole new system stinks of Trenton.

 

[JerseyJK07]

Ok, got more of a scoop. All 100% of the $9.25 charge goes to ReserveAmerica.com None of it goes to the state. Only the $6.00 state fee goes to Wharton. That means 61% of the fee goes to some stupid website! For this year only, if you register in person and only on the day your actually camping, Wharton will wave the $9.25 fee. Next year it will never be waved.

I am friends with a few Senators and Assembly memebers. I have spoken with them and they are in agreement that this is uncalled for. In the next few weeks i will be stating a petition to remove stop this and they are willing to help support it. Especially since the state is loosing money on this scam!

If 100% of the fees went to the state i would pay it with no questions asked.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

This makes absolutely no sense to me. Why would reserveamerica.com be involved at all?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

http://books.dreambook.com/antigone414/reserveamericasucks.html

 

[GermanG]

Using a commercial entity as a third party for reserving things isn't new, although this price seems to be excessive. I made reservations on the boat that takes visitors to the Statue of Liberty years ago and was re-drected from Liberty State Park's website to the booking site. You would think the far fewer number of people camping in a state forest would make such a system unnecessary but, given the continued state cutbacks, perhaps they are gearing up for eliminating the state personnel from the process altogether someday. It might make financial sense to the bean counters but seems a sad trend.

 

[Boyd]

I wonder... could it be the move to a private reservation service allowed the State to lay off some employees that were previously doing this in-house, thereby saving some money?

There have been discussions of privatizing state parks before - we have a couple threads on it. Maybe we are seeing the "tip of the iceberg" here?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I was wondering the same, Boyd.

 

[46er]

I wonder... could it be the move to a private reservation service allowed the State to lay off some employees that were previously doing this in-house, thereby saving some money?

Sounds about right. From my side, it makes sense. The SP's have been strapped for funds for some time. Why use that money to run a reservation system, when it can be used to begin to maintain the parks in better condition than the past. The local SP started this last year, there was some discussion about it. The state used to do the kayak tours and other activities and charge a break even fee. That is no longer the case, all activities are now out to 3rd parties and concessions; they charge more, because they can't make it by just breaking even. It is now up to the SP to use that found money to better maintain and improve the parks. Time will tell if that actually happens.

 

[Gibby]

the whole new system stinks of Trenton

...but the state is saving money.

http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/rep...zation_Task_Force_Final_Report_(May_2010).pdf

 

[46er]

even if you go in person the $9.25 is still charged. the whole new system stinks of Trenton.

That $9 fee appears to be standard regardless of the state, hardly excessive IMO. That company handles the reservations for things other than camping for over 30 states, KOA, the national parks and forests, US F&W, bureau of land mgmnt and the boundary waters canoe wilderness, plus others. I'd say NJ is in good company.

Details at the link;

http://www.reserveamerica.com/marketing.do?topTabIndex=-1&goto=/marketingHTML/partners.html

 

[RednekF350]

The NJF&W automated fishing and hunting license system has been up and running smoothly for a good number of years now. It manages all of the turkey, bear and deer permits and lotteries and now started handling deer checks as well.
Their convenience fee is only $2.00.

 

[Gibby]

I don't understand why there should be a fee for entering or reserving a site in a state park for a New Jersey resident, especially since it is our tax money that is the funding. I have never understood the fees for beach tags, camping sites, or rock climbing.

 

[MikeBickerson]

The fee annoys the crap out of me. If you book a site for 5 people at $3 per person per person, plus the fee, that's $25 per night for a site whose ammenities are a hand pump and a pit toilet. For $25 in PA or Maryland, I can get a site with real bathrooms and a picnic table.

It ticks me off even more when I'm booking for my Scouts. If I book a group site at Goshen or Brendan Byrne, etc, it's only one $10 fee, which is fine, I can live with it. If we decide to backpack to Lower Forge for a wilderness camp (or camp anywhere without group sites), it's a $10 fee per site booked. That can be an extra $50 or more, easy. Why not charge the fee per reservation and not per site?

And the state doesn't keep a penny of that fee. Some is making a mint off of this, without having to put a penny into the sites themselves.

 

[Jersey Jeff]

I'm not a local and I booked a spot at Hawkins Bridge April 26-28. In years past, I used to call the park office and ask if it's worth reserving in advance or just stopping by when I arrive. On one hand, it's nice to see NJ Parks & Forestry join the 21st century and allow online booking, as I've booked campsite at PA state parks online for years. However, they should waive the $9.25 fee if you reserve a campsite in person.

The DEP's Division of Parks & Forestry's Web Site looks like something out of 1997....it really sucks.

 

[JerseyJK07]

I'm not a local and I booked a spot at Hawkins Bridge April 26-28. In years past, I used to call the park office and ask if it's worth reserving in advance or just stopping by when I arrive. On one hand, it's nice to see NJ Parks & Forestry join the 21st century and allow online booking, as I've booked campsite at PA state parks online for years. However, they should waive the $9.25 fee if you reserve a campsite in person.

The DEP's Division of Parks & Forestry's Web Site looks like something out of 1997....it really sucks.

They will only wave the fee IF you go in person on the actual day your camping.

Again the state is not in good hands, otherwise that 9.25 fee would go right to the state and parks but it doesnt. some Jerk who runs a crapy web site is making a mint off of the states! I have a meeting next wed with two senators and a local mayor, all of which agree that the state is lossing money. I would not compain at all if that entire fee when to the state park. maybe then they could fix roads trails, move outhouses once a year etc.

 

[Jersey Jeff]

I had a fantastic weekend camping. Nighttime temps were COLD, but the days were warm and sunny. My wife didn't do much other than sit around the campfire reading her book. My dog injured her leg before we left, so she just lay by my wife's side recouperating. We paid for the dog at Batsto when we checked in. I d/l'ed the registration form from the Web and attached her rabies vaccination certification. Saturday night, there were at least 6 parties in the campground, and two of them brought their pooches.

Here are a few pics for ya.

Wading River

Cookin' some brisket with my new Dutch Oven (birthday gift from my wife).