National Park Campsites Again Available Online

Park-goers once again can reserve campsites online after Internet access was restored following a shutdown of more than a month.

The site, reservations.nps.gov, had been blocked in early December because of a court dispute involving the Department of the Interior, which runs the National Park Service. A federal judge in the case, citing concerns about data security, ordered all the department’s Internet access shut down. The case involved the department’s alleged mismanagement of a trust fund that processes mining and other royalties from Indian lands. On Jan. 9 the park service was allowed to renew access to its reservations site.

The main National Park Service site, www.nps.gov, was still shut down as of last Tuesday, except for a note on its home page that referred visitors to the reservations site. Campsites can also be reserved as usual by calling (800) 365-2267 or (888) 530-9796 (for the hearing-impaired); or, in the case of Yosemite National Park, by calling (800) 436-7275.