Although thousands of campers have already booked their reservations for the 2008 camping season, the Department of Natural Resources' Central Reservation System (CRS) is ready to take your phone call at 800-44-PARKS.

And campers should be aware that all state parks will be open in 2008 and 2009 thanks to cost-saving measures in 2007 and more planned for 2008.

The innovative campground and harbor management system that provides real-time reservation services for visitors has revolutionized how people use the state's recreation system, said CRS Program Manager Bill Pemble.

"Most state park visitors see only one part of the system -- the reservation process -- and don't understand the system's cutting edge technology and information reporting capabilities," Pemble said. "We can have dozens of operators, hundreds of online visitors and every single field location trying to register a camper all at once and there won't be a double booking,"

CRS operators can find openings in Michigan's network of 70 state parks and recreation areas that offer camping and they can help direct campers to openings within the system's more than 13,500 campsites. This enhanced level of customer service allows operators to introduce campers to locations they may not be aware of.

"Now, instead of driving to two or three locations to find a campsite, customers can use the telephone or Internet to find campsites when their first choice location is full. Campers can book an entire vacation in a single, toll-free phone call," Pemble said.

In one year, more than 350,000 transactions are made, including campground and harbor slip reservations, cancellations and site changes. And nearly 50 percent of all camping reservations are made using the DNR's online reservations site: www.midnrreservations.com.

Harold Herta, resource management section chief for Parks, has spent 15 years of his career helping Michigan take the lead in offering reservation services.

"Technology makes the reservation process easier on both campers and park staff," Herta said.

"We simply don't have enough campsites so everyone can have a site on Lake Michigan, which is where the highest demand exists," Herta added, "but we can direct campers to other locations and other Great Lakes shoreline parks so everyone has an opportunity to enjoy Michigan's great outdoors at a state park or a recreation area." The system allows the DNR to track how long it takes to make a reservation -- online or by telephone -- and how quickly locations are reserved.

For example, during the three high-demand holiday weekends -- Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day -- a chart is posted on the reservation Web site showing campers where sites are still available. The system works in real-time, accommodating reservations coming in from the Internet, from the call center and from the campground registrations simultaneously.

"We even responded to those customers who complained about the call center being located out-of state," Herta said.

In September 2006, the reservation call center opened in Iron River hiring Michigan personnel and providing an economic boost for that area of Michigan. In addition to their training, many of the more than 70 operators have visited state park and harbor facilities across the state so they have firsthand knowledge of what the parks and harbors are all about.

This past year, all state park cabins were added to the reservation system, which has allowed those visitors who could not get through to park offices because of limited staffing in the off- season to be able to make a reservation 24/7 using the Internet.

"It has helped with last-minute reservations as well," Herta said. "A cabin might not get rented on a weekend because the park office was closed and no one was there to answer the phone. Now the visitor can go online or call CRS to find out if a cabin is available."

Another thorny issue involved the $5 registration fee that was implemented in 2005 for people camping without a reservation. The fee was instituted to help offset the cost of the equipment that's used to keep track of all the sites not just those reserved. But in 2007, following a recommendation by the Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks, the fee was discontinued.

Despite the grumbles from some users and a wish to return to the days of first-come, first-served camping at state parks and recreation areas, customer satisfaction surveys of the reservation services at harbors and campgrounds have rated consistently above 80 percent.

Customers also are demanding increasingly more advanced services, which led to the development of interactive maps. Campground layouts can be viewed with the click of a button including site descriptions, site size, whether it is a sunny or shady and how far a site is from the restroom. Customers also can check to see if a specific site is available and easily proceed with a reservation. This is just one more way that the system offers customers real-time information at their fingertips and more alternative options.

"Michigan was a leader in developing and offering this kind of turn-key system, and with all the advances in technology, we'll continue to work to stay ahead of the curve," Herta said.

"And we are seeking an upgrade to the system that would include an integrated point of sale capability as well as enhancements to the Internet site that will improve the functionality of the reservation process."