Client Feature: Washington State Parks

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission cares for Washington's most treasured lands, parks, waters, and historical places. The commission currently manages over 120 state parks and properties which span over 120,000 acres of land.

Camis has provided reservation services for Washington State Parks since 2001; a system that currently holds 5,810 campsites and 223 roofed accommodations available for reservations. After implementing Camis 5 software, Washington State Parks added several new features for its customers, parks, and staff

Group and Day Use Reservations

Washington State Parks has 184 group campsites and day-use facilities for small and large groups. In order to provide reservations for these facilities, Washington State Parks required the ability to communicate rules and policies to the guests effectively. Camis added information to the site descriptions, reservation messages, and confirmation letters; these changes resolved the previous communication challenges and ensured group and day-use facilities are ready to reserve.

Advanced Reports

Washington State Parks utilizes Camis Advanced Reporting to assist in a variety of ways: from capital development to marketing to fiscal reporting.  Actionable analysis and reporting on thousands to millions of transactions that once took weeks can now be completed in an afternoon.

When developing new campgrounds or adding to existing campgrounds, Washington’s Parks Development Division uses the Global Occupancy and Site Occupancy reports to measure occupancy of similar sites at nearby and comparable parks; this allows Washington to determine which site types are most in demand and what occupancy they may expect to receive from the proposed capital development. For developed sites, these occupancy reports detail which parks and site types are most available and would benefit the most from the promotion. Once a promotion is launched, Washington uses the Reservation Activity Report to observe its effects on reservations.

Camis has also worked with Washington on custom agency-specific Advanced Reporting to inform fee setting and manage discount programs. With Advanced Reporting, Washington State Parks is continually improving its understanding of how its visitors use the resources they steward so they can build what's highest in demand. 

Buoy Registrations

Washington State Parks piloted buoy registration at the Call Center beginning with 14 buoys at Jarrell Cove State Park. Boaters can now pay by calling a phone number instead traveling to shore to pay through a self-serve envelope process. The pilot was well received by customers and park staff. In June 2022, the program was expanded to include 12 more parks with 88 buoys. Washington is planning to further expand this program at 13 parks with 84 buoys, and again at six additional parks with 27 buoys.

Gift Cards

Camis partnered with Washington to launch a new gift card program in 2021. Washington State Parks gift cards are currently available in physical and digital formats. The former paper gift certificates, also known as Park Dollars, could only be purchased and used in person. The new gift cards are available for purchase and use online, which reduces staff time and creates a better user experience for customers. Launching the gift card program was a step toward expanding Washington State Parks' eCommerce capabilities.

Online Park Store

In 2021, Camis launched Washington's online park store. Camis worked closely with Washington to load products and prepare the store for a pre-Thanksgiving launch. Camis made improvements and adapted features that would enhance the Washington user experience. The launch of the online park store received an overwhelming response from the public with consistent engagement ever since.

Camis is thrilled with its ongoing relationship with Washington State Parks. Camis looks forward to continuing to add and improve features that enhance the user experience that allows guests to enjoy the diverse natural, cultural, and historic resources that Washington has to offer.