The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is in the process of upgrading its reservation system for campgrounds and shelters at state parks across Illinois.
Officials say the new system is designed to provide a more user-friendly experience for visitors making reservations and securing permits. One of the key changes will allow users to book shelter reservations up to 12 months in advance, replacing the previous system that required customers to wait until July 1st each year.
Visitors will continue to use the website exploremoreil.com to make campsite and shelter reservations once the new system is in place.
To help with the transition, electronic reservations will be temporarily unavailable from April 27th through April 30th. During that time, customers can still make walk-up reservations at campground locations.
IDNR says anyone with an existing reservation will retain their booking, but all users will need to create a new account and password in the updated system. Customers will be able to use their current email addresses when setting up their new accounts.
Current users are encouraged to monitor their email inboxes for additional instructions from IDNR as the transition approaches.