The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is preparing to expand the state’s online park reservation and entry system to additional parks and recreation areas as early as this summer.
In an article from Maryland Matters, the state is considering a registration proposal to manage growing visitation and traffic at state parks. The proposal from the Department still requires final approval from the Maryland Board of Public Works, which delayed action last week and requested additional financial documentation and comparisons to similar systems used in other states.
As previously covered by MACo, last summer, Maryland Parks Service launched a mandatory reservation system at Greenbrier and Sandy Point State Parks on weekends and holidays, starting Memorial Day weekend. The two parks were seeing overwhelming visitor numbers in recent years, with long entry lines, traffic backups, and staff pulled from essential duties to manage the crowds. According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the system processed roughly 67,000 reservations and helped eliminate many of the traffic and overcrowding issues that previously strained park operations. Following this successful rollout, the Maryland Parks Service is preparing to expand the state’s online park reservation and entry system to additional parks and recreation areas.
The Department now plans to bring the system to additional popular destinations, including portions of Rocky Gap, Gunpowder Falls, Swallow Falls, Rocks State Park, Seneca Creek, Gambrill, and several state-operated shooting ranges.
Although the proposal was initially delayed to allow the Department to provide more information on the vendor to be contracted, it could be returned for consideration later this month.
From the Maryland Matters article:
Under the deal, the state won’t pay Kaizen a lump sum, but rather tack on a 23% processing fee to each entry payment, which would go directly to the company. State park entry fees often range between $3 to $5 per person, so the fees could increase by more than a dollar per visitor.
Beyond managing crowds, the technology will modernize park access and may also improve public safety by allowing park rangers to better track visitor entry and identify potential missing or stranded park users more quickly.
