Guests of Arkansas State Parks will soon see an improved reservation system available later this month. The parks system has been using two separate products for reservations, but now it will be streamlined into one.
To maximize the time used to make the switch, the reservation system will be offline beginning Monday and continuing through July 29. No future reservations will be taken during this timeframe.
Guests who come to a park during this period and want accommodations during their visit can come to the desk to inquire and will be accommodated if there is availability. These reservations must be in person and for same day accommodations.
Arkansas State Parks Marketing and Revenue Manager Joe Jacobs says, “I think it will be a more stable reservation system than we’ve had in the past.” Jacobs says, “It will be a lot smoother for the customers and will improve their guest experience.”
The data to be transferred is massive. For instance, Petit Jean State Park has more than 3,000 reservations already scheduled for the upcoming year. Entering that data by hand is a time-consuming task.
However, taking the time to do so will help eliminate problems associated with an electronic transfer, such as double booking. Also, new employees will get a chance to practice putting reservations in our system. All confirmed reservations made before the offline period will still be valid.
Jacobs says, “We won’t be utilizing a call center going forward. Once we go live with the new reservation system, guests will call the park directly. This will allow guests to receive the most accurate and timely information about the park when making their reservation.”
Guests who want to make a reservation for the future can do so online or call the park directly starting July 29.
Arkansas state parks and museums cover 54,400 acres of forest, wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation facilities and unique historic and cultural resources. The system includes 1,100 buildings (including 183 historic structures), six National Historic Landmarks, a National Natural Landmark and 16 sites on the National Register of Historic Places.
The state parks have 1,800 camp sites, 1,050 picnic sites, 208 cabins, five lodges, and 415 miles of trails. Eight million visitors annually come from all regions of the country. Park staffs provide over 42,000 education programs, activities and special events to more than 700,000 participants each year.
Established in 1923, Arkansas State Parks preserve special places for future generations, provide quality recreation and education opportunities, enhance the state’s economy through tourism, and provide leadership in resource conservation.
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