Ken Ruinard Independent-Mail Gene Bush of Naples, N.Y., pets his dog, Houdini, in the warm sunlight while on vacation at Sadlers Creek State Recreation Campgrounds in Anderson County Friday. "It’s peaceful," said Mr. Bush. "I decided I’d vacation here for the winter."

By KELLY DAVIS
Anderson Independent-Mail
March 18, 2005

Marion Edmonds has worked for the South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department since 1978, and for the first time this week he is going to make reservations from his computer — in the middle of the night, while drinking a diet soda.

"I want to play with the maps," the park system’s spokesman said. "I’ll be looking at Table Rock, that’s one of my favorites."

Since a new reservations system rolled out in February, he and anyone else on Earth with a computer or telephone can make a single toll-free telephone call or use the Internet to find out exactly when each of the thousands of campsites, cabins, picnic shelters and other facilities for rent are available at each of the state’s 46 parks.

The system officially is a hit, breaking reservation records, Mr. Edmonds said.

When he stayed at Table Rock on his honeymoon, he staked his claim for one of the historic cabins by calling the park itself. If there had not been one available, he would have had to call another park, then another — one at a time, all long distance
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The new system is a breath of fresh air for campers. The reservations staff had its busiest day ever when the toll-free central number was unveiled in early February, and its busiest week in the seven days afterward. Between Feb. 18 and March 17, the state booked a record $1.4 million in reservations with the phone system and Web site, rolled out on Feb. 23, Mr. Edmonds said.

Most of the 22 states now with centralized reservation systems have seen a 15 percent to 20 percent jump in park usage in their first full year, he said. In addition to convenience for in-state users, vacationers out of state can more easily access other states’ parks.

Reserve America, the same company that handles reservations for the National Parks System and the U.S. Forest System, owns the contract for most state systems, including South Carolina’s.

Campers are using the telephone number more than the Internet so far, but most observers believe the Internet system will outpace it eventually when people realize its strengths.

You can do it anytime, for example. You also can pull up maps with the locations and other important information about every campsite.

Centralized reservations do not improve the odds of getting the most highly sought campsites or cabins, but they do equal the playing field, Mr. Edmonds said.

"It is going to increase the chance you’ll be able to find a site you like at the time you want," he said.

PLANNING A TRIP? Reservations for any of South Carolina’s 46 state parks now is available online and via a single toll-free telephone number. To make reservations: • Visit http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/on the Internet. • Call (866) 345-PARK for reservations; (888) 275-9887 for customer service.

Kelly Davis can be reached at (864) 260-1277 or by e-mail at davisk@IndependentMail.com.

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