Suffolk County to open new reservation system to campers Feb. 28

A new online reservation system for Suffolk County parks will open to campers Feb. 28, beginning a phased rollout of booking access for the county’s 10 major campgrounds.

The Suffolk County Parks Department began a rollout last week of a system that had been offline since mid-December to allow for the migration. Bookings for camping reservations will start at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 for the week of June 11-17 and any prior dates still available, according to Danielle Botkin, an administrator for the parks department.

The rollout continues March 2 with access to dates June 18-July 1, said Botkin, who provided an update on the new system at Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation board of trustees in West Sayville. The rollout will expand daily with two-week booking windows until it reaches the standard 180-day period in which campers typically first have access to a date.

"We believe this method provides residents with the most fair and ample opportunity to secure their reservations without overwhelming the system," Botkin said.

Any reservations made before the system went offline in December will still be honored.

The first phase began Friday by opening online account access so campers could log into the system, Botkin said. The second phase launched Wednesday with the online sale of Green Keys, which are now fully digital and can be added into a user’s mobile wallet to make them "more convenient and accessible than ever before," she added.

The final phase will be to open reservations to county golf courses, which will be done in similar seven-day rolling windows. That date has not been announced.

Botkin said the goal of the new system is a "more efficient, user-friendly and streamlined experience."

Jason Smagin, chief deputy commissioner, told the trustees the reservation system "is the major focus right now."

The county collects about $15 million in revenue annually through its reservation system, according to Suffolk's 2026 budget. In 2024, lawmakers approved spending $700,000 in capital reserve funds to upgrade the system.

There are more than 1,100 family campsites, including 244 at Smith Point County Park, which has oceanfront access and is one of four "flagship" parks.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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