Overhaul of Washington State Parks reservation system brings new adventures online

Update, April 3: Washington State Parks would like to remind you that the formerly first-come, first-served sites at Camano Island are part of the online reservation overhaul.

“Many crabbers in particular have the tradition of showing up midweek to Camano and snagging [available] sites for the weekend,” said Parks spokesperson Meryl Lipman over email. Now that those sites have been made reservable, they’re far less likely to be available for walk-up, especially during the busy season.

“Campers have self-registered in the past, and we want to let them know they need to make reservations this year,” said Deb Bell, reservations specialist for the Cama Beach program.

Original article, January 25:

Washington State Parks has remodeled its online reservation system, allowing 90 extra campsites and 38 cabins to be reserved—and it finally works on mobile. Most notably, as the Seattle Times pointed out, longtime favorite beachfront resort-turned-park Cama Beach is finally open to online reservations for its waterfront cabins after years of only taking reservations over the phone.

The system also allows for a shopping cart with multiple reservations, and reservations split across multiple sites for one trip, and stores your pertinent information, like trailer sizes and discount passes, for next time.

The park check-in process has also been launched into the digital age, with a barcode on the confirmation letters, either printed or on a phone screen, scannable at arrival.

The system uses the same service as before—Going to Camp—but with an updated interface. Users can choose their desired getaway category, like tent camping, roofed shelter (cabins are here), or vacation home, and then view availability in a list (easier for specific dates) or a calendar (ideal for flexible dates and locations). Adventurers excited for those Cama Beach reservations need to take an extra step and hit the “Cama Beach” radio button in the roofed shelter category.

Why not try it out with one of the many parks with one of these cabin rentals near Seattle—or one of these transit-accessible campsites?