79415Att F2 - INDNR CRS Business Rules for 2024-2026.pdf

Indiana DNR Central Reservation System (CRS) Business Rules/Policies & Season Dates for Years 2024, 2025, & 2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGES

• Important General Information ………………………………………………………………… 2 – 5

• Camping …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 – 12

• Family Cabins …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 – 19

• Rent-A-Camp Cabins ………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 – 25

• Group Camp & Cottages (incl. additional notes about Lincoln’s format) ………………... 25 – 38

• Youth Tent Areas & Rally Camps ……………………………………………………………….. 38 – 45

• Shelters …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45 – 50

• Recreation Buildings ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 50 – 55

Reservation Policies were updated on Camp.IN.Gov in October 2023. Finalized as one document for distribution to field and Aspira on January 4, 2024. No changes to functionality of rules for 2024.

Important General Information Advance reservations can be made at:

1. Camp.IN.Gov

• Reservations are available online 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, including holidays.

2. 1-866-622-6746

• Between the hours of: 12pm – 8pm eastern time Monday through Friday

12pm – 5pm eastern time Saturday and Sunday

• Reservation phone line closes at 4pm eastern time on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and all day on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Days

ADA Accessible Sites

• The limited number of Accessibility sites are provided for persons with a disability, as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act. If no one in the customer’s party meets this definition, please select another site. If there are no other sites available, then an ADA site may be reserved by persons without a disability. Please note, if the customer chooses to reserve an ADA Accessibility site solely because there are no other sites available, but upon his/her arrival a comparable non- ADA site is available, property management reserves the right to transfer the reservation to the non-ADA site.

• EXCEPTION: All campsites at Prophetstown State Park are accessible, and therefore can be reserved in any order. There aren’t any non-accessible sites here.

DNR Camp Gift Card

• May be used for camping reservations and walk-up registrations, picnic shelters/recreation buildings, rent-a-camp cabins, group camps / cottages. They can also be used for family cabins at Chain O’Lakes, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Potato Creek, Shakamak, Trine SRA and Whitewater.

• May also be used to purchase daily or annual entrance permits into parks, purchases made at the park-operated concessions and camp stores, gatehouses, pools, nature centers, etc.

• May not be used for lodge rooms, restaurants, gift shops operated by the Inns & Lodges, OR cabins at Brown County, Pokagon, Turkey Run, or privately operated concessions.

• Expire after 5 years and can be reloaded (some cards say they expire after 2 years, but 5 years is correct)

• May be purchased at any property, via the reservation line 1-866-622-6746, or at www.shopINstateparks.com (former URL was www.innsgifts.com)

• May be redeemed via the web at camp.in.gov, calling the reservation line 1-866-622-6746 and at all state parks, reservoirs, and several forestry properties

• May also be used to pay for change/transfer fees on existing reservations.

• When a refund is issued against a sale that was originally paid for with a gift card, the customer will receive a check refund from CRS Vendor. The balance of the refund does not go back to the gift card.

http://www.shopinstateparks.com/ http://www.innsgifts.com/

• The Indiana State Park Inns have a different gift card for their facilities, which include Abe Martin Lodge and cabins at Brown County State Park, Canyon Inn at McCormick’s Creek State Park, Clifty Inn at Clifty Falls State Park, Fort Harrison State Park Inn & Garrison Conference Center & Golf Course, Potawatomi Inn and cabins at Pokagon State Park, Spring Mill Inn at Spring Mill State Park and the Turkey Run Inn & cabins at Turkey Run State Park. The Inns gift card may also be used in the Inn gift stores and restaurants.

Pet Friendly Overnight Facilities

• All campsites and open-air shelters are considered pet friendly, unless otherwise specified

• Park-operated pet friendly cabins are located at:

o Trine SRA: Family Cabins “Towhee” and “Flicker” o Whitewater State Park: Family Cabins 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10

• Indiana State Park Inns within state parks provide some pet friendly accommodations, but must be reserved through indianainns.com or by calling 1-877-LODGES1

Sales Tax Exemption Process

• When a customer indicates that his/her group is “exempt from tax”, it is important to note that this applies to “state sales tax only”. All other county (a/k/a innkeepers) taxes still apply.

• Taxes are NOT removed at the time of the reservation or registration, but are instead, refunded later by the IDNR Project Manager / CRS Administrator once proper documentation has been provided and reviewed

• To process a sales tax refund, the customer must mail or email the following items to the IDNR Project Manager at:

CRS Administrator Or email::

Attn: Jared Teders jteders1@dnr.in.gov Tax Exempt Request Copying csorrels@dnr.in.gov 402 W. Washington St, Rm W298 Indianapolis, IN 46204

A copy of the reservation(s) receipts and/or the reservation ID numbers A letter on the entity’s letterhead, stating that he/she is requesting tax exempt status for the reservations listed A copy of the documentation (including Tax ID number) that indicates the entity is not responsible for paying Indiana state sales tax (out of state tax exemption requests do not apply)

• Any questions can be referred to the IDNR Project Manager / CRS Administrator when necessary at csorrels@dnr.in.gov OR jteders1@dnr.in.gov

• The customer should not be referred to the field or property for tax exempt questions or concerns

Transaction Fee for Indiana DNR Reservations mailto:gbarker@dnr.in.gov mailto:csorrels@dnr.in.gov mailto:csorrels@dnr.in.gov mailto:jteders1@dnr.in.gov

• A $6 non-refundable transaction fee is charged to each new reservation, but not charged again if changes are made later to that reservation. The $6 transaction fee is only charged to reservation phone line and web reservations but will not be charged on walk-in registrations or any other transactions in the field. If a reservation is canceled or transferred, the initial $6 transaction fee will not be refunded.

Accepted Methods of Payment

Web / Online Sales Channel

• www.Camp.IN.Gov

• MasterCard / Visa / Discover / American Express / DNR Camp Gift Card

• No more than two different types / methods of payment can be accepted for each CRS transaction performed on the web (gift card and credit card)

Reservation Phone Line

• 1-866-622-6746

• MasterCard / Visa / Discover / American Express / DNR Camp Gift Card

• (Credit and/or Gift Card are the preferred methods of payment)

• Non-Card Payments (ONLY if the customer has no other way of paying and the reservation arrival date is 30 days or more days out.)

o Corporate checks (accepted on a limited basis, and typically are used for group reservations such as youth groups and school groups) o Money Orders (accepted on an extremely limited basis, for customers who do not have a credit or debit card method of payment to use.)

o Mail-in payments will not be accepted through the reservation phone line if the reservation is made less than 30 days prior to the date of arrival o Mail-in payments MUST be received within 10 days of making the reservation to the following address:

Indiana DNR 1 Technology Drive Frostburg, MD 21532

(Include reservation IDs on form of payment to identify where it should be applied when received)

• NO personal checks or cash accepted for advance reservations through the reservation phone line transaction performed through the call center

Field Sales

• MasterCard / Visa / Discover / American Express / DNR Camp Gift Card

• DNR Camp Gift Card

• (Credit and/or Gift Card are the preferred methods of payment) http://www.camp.in.gov/

• Cash

• Personal checks, corporate checks and/or money orders are all accepted, but none of these can be written for an amount over the balance due transaction performed in the field

CAMPING BUSINESS RULES

• Family camping (primitive, non-electric, electric, full hook-up)

• Equestrian/horse camping (primitive, non-electric, electric, full hook-up)

Payment Required at time of Reservation

Full payment (100%) for the entire rental period of these facilities is required when the reservation is made.

Making Reservations / Changing Primary Occupant Names

• A customer may make an unlimited number of reservations per call or on the web.

• When multiple facilities are reserved for the same stay dates, the primary occupant’s name must be changed for each reservation.

• The main reservation holder can only be the primary occupant on one site during the same stay dates.

• An address for each primary occupant will also be captured; however, the address can be reused if multiple occupants live at the same location, or if the occupant has the same address as the reservation holder. (The key is that each NAME must be different.)

• No subleasing of facilities is allowed.

Check In & Out Times

Check in and out time is 2pm local time, except for Sundays and designated summer holidays, when check in and out time is 5pm local time.

Cancellation Policy

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the facility type.

• If a reservation is cancelled 8 or more days prior to arrival, a flat $10 cancellation fee will be charged (per reservation that is cancelled.) The original reservation fee is also non-refundable.

• If a reservation is cancelled between 1 and 7 days prior to arrival, the first night’s rental fee plus tax will be charged as a cancellation fee (per reservation that is cancelled.) The original reservation fee is also non-refundable.

• If a reservation is cancelled on or after the day of arrival, the customer will forfeit their entire rental fee. The original reservation fee is also non-refundable.

• Cancellations may be done through the reservation phone line until it closes the day before arrival, or on the web until 11:59pm eastern time the night before arrival.

• Cancellations on or after the day of arrival will be processed by the property and/or the IDNR Project Manager.

• Partial cancellations are not allowed. The entire reservation must be cancelled.

• NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

Transfer / Change Policy

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the

• The transfer or change fee is $5 for each transaction.

• A transfer or change from one site and/or date to another will be allowed until the reservation phone line’s close of business the day before arrival, or up to 11:59pm on the web the day before arrival.

• Transfers to another date cannot be made on or after the day of arrival. A customer must cancel and re-book a new stay.

• Upon arrival, a customer may make one free campsite change (at the property only).

• Transfers can be made through the reservation phone line and on the web. The only limitation with transfers on the web is the inability to change from one park to another in the transfer process. “Change Reservation” on the web is also known as the transfer button.

• Prior to the arrival date, a transfer can be made to any property and does not have to be within the same calendar year but is dependent upon available inventory and booking windows.

• Transfers to another person are not allowed.

• If the transfer facility is a different rate, the appropriate refund or charge will be assessed to the customer.

• No fee will be assessed to change the primary occupant’s name, but the reservation holder’s name cannot change without cancelling and re-booking under a new name.

• No subleasing of campsites is allowed.

No Show Policy

• A “no show” is processed when a customer does not show up for their reservation at all and does not cancel the reservation either.

• A reservation will not be processed as a “no show” until the very last day of a reservation (the intended date of departure) and no sooner.

• A customer’s site/facility should not be given away to someone else if we have not heard from that customer regarding whether he/she is intending to show up or not.

• Only the field/properties process no shows, not the reservation phone line or the web

Walk-In Registrations (Day of Arrival ONLY)

• Campsites are available for walk-in registrations on the day of arrival only

• Campsites may also be reserved on the web or through the reservation phone line until 2pm local time on the day of arrival.

• It is recommended if a property accepts walk-in campers before 2pm local time on the day of arrival, that they immediately register that camper to remove the campsite(s) from reservable inventory. Otherwise, if they delay, someone could book the same site on the web until 2pm local time, causing a conflict with two campers on one site

• The customer will be charged the regular rental fee for the facility that they request.

• Campsites that have not been reserved in advance of arrival will be available on a first come first served basis at check-in time on the day of arrival.

• Properties do NOT hold back any campsites for walk-ins because Indiana is 100% reservable until

2pm eastern on the day of arrival.

• Properties will not take advance reservations unless a customer service issue arises that forces them to do so.

• The customer must be present to register for a facility on the day of arrival. (Properties will not take requests over the phone for customers who say they will arrive later in the day.)

• A guest without an advance reservation will not be guaranteed a maximum stay.

Maximum Booking Window

• Maximum of 6 months prior to date of arrival

• For example, on March 1st, inventory for September 1st arrivals becomes available

• EXCEPTIONS:

o In months that do not have 31 days, the maximum booking window will “roll forward” to the next available date.

For example, on February 28th, a customer can book August 28th arrivals.

August 29th, 30th and 31st arrivals cannot be booked until March 1st.

During a leap year, August 29th arrivals can be booked on February 29th

• A customer can book up to 13 additional nights of inventory after the maximum window for their initial arrival date, but maximum stay is 14 consecutive nights.

• For example, on March 1st, a customer can reserve September 1st through the 14th

• On the web, the first day of availability will coincide with the opening hour of the reservation phone line

• Thereafter, web reservations are available 24 hours a day (until the minimum booking window is reached.)

Opening Maximum Window for Inventory

• The opening day/time of reservable inventory on the web coincides with the opening of the reservation phone line at 12 noon eastern time, not midnight.

• This prevents web customers from having a 12-hour jump start ahead of call-in customers when booking at the maximum window

• Example: If booking a campsite for next year’s Memorial Day weekend, inventory becomes available 6 months prior to the intended date of arrival, AT NOON on that day, not at midnight.

18-Day Freeze Rule on Maximum Window

• Any reservation with a departure date that is beyond the maximum booking window (depending on the site type), from the date of the reservation, cannot be changed or cancelled for 18 days.

• Transfers and Cancellations can be made on 19 or more days after the date of the reservation.

• Because of the 14-night maximum stay rule for most of our facilities, the 18-day freeze rule will help prevent customers from sliding their reservation forward until they reach their desired stay dates (i.e., date jumpers.)

Minimum Booking Window

• All campsite types have a minimum booking window of 2pm local time on the day of arrival (family camping, equestrian camping, youth tent areas, rally camps, etc.) on the day of arrival

• Advance reservations will only be taken via the web or reservation phone line until 2pm local time on the day of arrival, however the field may accept walk-in campers any time on the day of arrival

• No advance reservations will be taken at the property at any time

• It is recommended if a property accepts walk-in campers before 2pm local time on the day of arrival, that they immediately register that camper to remove the campsite(s) from reservable inventory. Otherwise, if they delay, someone could book the same site on the web until 2pm local time, causing a conflict with two campers on one site

Maximum Stay

• A single facility of this type can be reserved for a maximum of 14 consecutive nights.

• The customer must vacate the property for a minimum of 2 nights before returning with a new reservation

Minimum Stay

Year-Round

• 1 night on weekdays, Monday – Thursday

• 2 nights on weekends o A Friday night rental must include a Thursday or a Saturday night o A Saturday night rental must include a Friday or a Sunday night o EXCEPTION: Salamonie Lake six (6) backpack campsites have a minimum one-night stay rule regardless of season or night of the week.

o EXCEPTIONS for weekends

One-night Relaxed Rule: If a campsite is not rented within 3 days of arrival, it will be available for a one-night rental through the call center and online. Required holiday minimum stays are excluded from this relaxed rule.

If 7 nights or more are reserved, there is no restriction on the weekend stay but the reservation cannot exceed the 14-night maximum rule

Holiday weekends require the 3-night holiday minimum stays (see holiday minimum stays)

Gap Rule: If two reservations create a gap that allows a Friday or Saturday to be available for a one-night rental by itself, a customer will be able to reserve that one night by itself. On a holiday weekend, if 2 of the 3 required nights are available due to a gap between reservations, both of those nights must be booked. No one-night gap stays are allowed on holiday weekends.

Holiday Minimum Stay

• The holiday three-day minimum stay days/dates are listed below for each summer holiday.

• Two nights of the holiday may be reserved ONLY IF all 3 of the designated holiday nights are not available. (This requires an override by the Service Resolution Team and cannot be done on the web.)

• No one-night stays on holiday weekends.

Year 2024 o Memorial Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of May 24, 25 and 26 o Independence Day: (Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of July 4, 5 and 6 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of Aug 30, 31 and Sept 1

Year 2025 o Memorial Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of May 23, 24 and 25 o Independence Day: (Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of July 3, 4 and 5 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of August 29, 30 and 31

Year 2026 o Memorial Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of May 22, 23 and 24 o Independence Day: (Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of July 2, 3 and 4 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of Sept 4, 5 and 6

Season Dates & Structure

• Indiana has three season types for all campsites: peak reservation, non-peak reservation season, and walk-in season.

• Some properties have an additional breakdown of non-Peak 1 and Non-Peak 2 to distinguish a tiered level of releasing campsites for reservations. The control of the tiered releasing of campsites is handled by adding/removing closures by park management at the property level.

This recently became the case to accommodate Potato Creek’s more complex tiering of sites in the spring months, for example.

• During the non-peak reservation season (November through April), almost every property that has campsites will have at least a handful of sites available for reservations. This does not mean that every campsite in every campground at every property will be reservable. Some campsites will remain as walk-in only, or some campgrounds may even be closed during the winter months.

• In the winter of 2020/2021, due to higher demand from the Covid-19 pandemic, many properties added additional sites to their year-round (non-peak) reservations list. Some went ahead and made all campsites reservable year-round and will control the availability in the wintertime by specific loop/site closures done at the property-level.

Peak Camping Reservation Season

• 2024: Wed, May 1, 2024 through and including Wed, Nov 6, 2024

• 2025: Wed, April 30, 2025 through and including Wed, Nov 5, 2025

• 2026: Wed, April 29, 2026 through and including Wed, Nov 4, 2026

• Typically includes the Wed before the first full weekend in May, through and including the first

Wed of Nov the same calendar year

EXCEPTIONS:

• Brown County o 2024: Fri, Mar 22, 2024 through and including Sun, Nov 10, 2024 o 2025: Fri, Mar 28, 2025 through and including Sun, Nov 9, 2025 o 2026: Fri, Mar 27, 2026 through and including Sun, Nov 8, 2026

• Greene-Sullivan o Reservable April 1 through Nov 30 each year o Closed (no walk-ins or reservations) Dec 1 through Mar 31 each winter

• Lincoln State Park o 2024: Fri, Mar 22, 2024 through and including Sat, Nov 30, 2024 o 2025: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 through and including Sat, Nov 29, 2025 o 2026: Fri, Mar 20, 2026 through and including Sat, Nov 28, 2026

Non-Peak Camping Reservation Season

This season is designated for winter and shoulder season months to add year-round reservations for campsites at almost every property. Rates/fee changes do not necessarily correlate or change with these dates, as winterization and de-winterization may occur at different times for different areas of the state and different properties.

• 2023 Fall / 2024 Spring: Thurs, Nov 2, 2023 through and including Tues, April 30, 2024

• 2024 Fall / 2025 Spring: Thurs, Nov 7, 2024 through and including Tues, April 29, 2025

• 2025 Fall / 2026 Spring: Thurs, Nov 6, 2025 through and including Tues, April 28, 2026

• Brookville Lake - Quakertown SRA o campground does not have a walk-in season or non-peak reservation season.

o After the peak reservation season, it is closed until the start of the peak reservation season the following spring (Quakertown ONLY).

o No non-peak season, no year-round reservable campsites o Reservable April 1 through Nov 30 each year o Closed (no walk-ins or reservations) Dec 1 through Mar 31 each winter

• Lincoln State Park o 2023/2024: Sun, Nov 26, 2023 through Thurs, Mar 21, 2024 o 2024/2025: Sun, Dec 1, 2024 through Thurs, Mar 20, 2025 o 2025/2026: Sun, Nov 30, 2025 through Thurs, Mar 19, 2026

Walk – In Camping Season

The walk-in season coincides with the non-peak reservation season and will run side-by-side with it on some campsites.

Those campsites that are not closed for the winter, or do not fall under the Peak or Non-Peak status will be considered walk-in for first come first serve on the day of arrival only.

During the Peak and Non-Peak Reservation Seasons, campsites that are designated as “reservable” until 2pm local time on the day of arrival, may also be treated as walk-in sites at the field level at any time on the day of arrival.

It is recommended if a property accepts walk-in campers before 2pm local time, that they immediately register that camper to remove the campsite(s) from reservable inventory. Otherwise, if they delay, someone could book the same site on the web until 2pm local time, causing a conflict with two campers on one site.

• Brookville Lake - Quakertown SRA o campground does not have a walk-in season or non-peak reservation season.

o After the peak reservation season, it is closed until the start of the peak reservation season the following spring

FAMILY CABINS BUSINESS RULES

• Park and Forestry-Operated Family cabins are located at: Chain O’Lakes, Harmonie, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Morgan-Monroe SF, Potato Creek, Shakamak, Trine SRA, Whitewater Memorial, and Yellowwood SF.

• Inns-Operated cabins are located at: Brown County (Abe Martin Lodge), Fort Harrison (Harrison

House & Officers Homes), Pokagon (Potawatomi Inn), and Turkey Run (Turkey Run Inn) and must be booked by calling 1-877-LODGES-1 or visiting IndianaInns.com

• If a cabin reservation is made more than 45 days prior to the arrival date, a customer can pay 100% of their payment due, however only 50% of the balance is required to confirm his/her reservation. The remaining balance is due 30 days or more prior to the arrival date or the reservation may be cancelled.

• If a reservation is made 45 or fewer days prior to the arrival date, 100% of the balance will be collected at the time of booking.

be changed for each reservation.

• The main reservation holder can only be the primary occupant on one site during the same stay dates.

• An address for each primary occupant will also be captured; however, the address can be reused if multiple occupants live at the same location, or if the occupant has the same address as the

Check-in is at 4pm local time, and check-out is at 11am local time, seven days a week, including holidays.

• EXCEPTIONS: Morgan-Monroe cabin (Cherry Lake Lodge) and Yellowwood cabin (Lodge at

Yellowwood) check-in time is 1:00 PM local time and check-out is 11:00 AM local time, seven days a week, including holidays

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the facility type

• If reservation is cancelled 31 days or more prior to date of arrival, a flat fee of $25 will be assessed.

• If the reservation is cancelled between 1-30 days prior to the date of arrival, the first night’s rental fee plus all applicable taxes will be assessed.

• If a reservation is cancelled on or after the day of arrival, the customer will forfeit their entire rental fee.

• Cancellations may be done through the reservation phone line until it closes the day before arrival, or on the web until 11:59pm eastern time the night before arrival.

• Cancellations on or after the day of arrival will be processed by the property and/or the IDNR

Project Manager.

• Partial cancellations are not allowed. The entire reservation must be cancelled

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the

• A transfer or change from one of these facilities to another must be made 31 days or more prior to the date of arrival.

• A transfer can be made to any cabin property and does not have to be within the same calendar year but is dependent upon available inventory and booking windows.

• No transfers of these facility types will be allowed 30 or fewer days prior to arrival.

• Transfers can be made through the reservation phone line and on the web. The only limitation with transfers on the web is the inability to change from one park to another in the transfer process. “Change Reservation” on the web is also known as the transfer button.

• Transfers to another person are not allowed.

• If the transfer facility is a different rate, the appropriate refund or charge will be assessed to the customer.

• No fee will be assessed to change the primary occupant’s name, but the reservation holder’s name cannot change without cancelling and re-booking under a new name.

• A reservation will not be processed as a “no show” until the very last day of a reservation (the intended date of departure) and no sooner.

• A customer’s site/facility should not be given away to someone else if we have not heard from that customer regarding whether he/she is intending to show up or not.

• Due to limited family cabin inventory and cleaning staff available, there may not be any available cabins leftover/available for walk-in registrations.

• The customer will be charged the regular rental fee for the facility that they request.

• Facilities that have not been reserved in advance of arrival will be available on a first come first served basis at check-in time on the day of arrival.

• Properties do NOT hold back any family cabins for walk-ins because Indiana is 100% reservable.

• Properties will not take advance reservations unless a customer service issue arises that forces them to do so.

• The customer must be present to register for a facility on the day of arrival. (Properties will not

• Maximum of 12 months (one year) prior to date of arrival

• For example, on June 1st of one year, inventory for June 1st arrivals the following year, becomes available

• A customer can book up to 13 additional nights / days of inventory after the maximum window for their initial arrival date, but maximum stay is 14 consecutive days.

• On the web, the first day of availability will coincide with the opening hour of the reservation phone line

• Thereafter, web reservations are available 24 hours a day (until the minimum booking window

• This prevents web customers from having a 12-hour jump start ahead of call-in customers when booking at the maximum window

• Transfers and Cancellations can be made on 19 or more days after the date of the reservation.

• Because of the 14-night maximum stay rule for most of our facilities, the 18-day freeze rule will

• Two nights prior to the day of arrival – at the closing of the reservation phone line, or 11:59pm on the reservation website

• No advance reservations will be taken at the property at any time

• No advance reservations will be made via the web or call center after the minimum booking window has passed (so, not the day before arrival or on the day of arrival itself.)

• EXCEPTION:

o Morgan-Monroe Cherry Lake Lodge (Cabin) – the minimum booking window year-round is four nights prior to arrival. There is also a two-night spacer inserted between bookings, which means that no arrivals can occur within two nights after the last date of departure for Cherry Lake Lodge (cabin).

Non-Peak Season

• A two-night minimum stay is required

• If a cabin is not rented within 14 days of arrival during non-peak season and non-holiday stays, a one-night relaxed rule applies, and a one-night stay is allowed o EXCEPTIONS – no one-night stays:

No one night stays allowed at all during Summer Peak Season in any cabins.

Morgan-Monroe – no one-night cabin rentals in Cherry Lake Lodge at all McCormick’s Creek – no one-night cabin rentals in the Centennial Cabin or Sunset

Cabin at all Yellowwood – no one-night cabin rentals in Lodge at Yellowwood Cabin at all

Peak Summer Season

• See season dates listed elsewhere

• 7-night minimum (a/k/a “weekly rental”) o EXCEPTIONS:

Trine SRA, Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood do not have a summer peak season for cabins. Instead, the regular business rules for the general reservation season apply during the peak time also for these two

• Arrivals will be on Saturdays, unless two reservations create a gap that allows someone to fill in a gap in the middle of the week.

• If the weekly requirement has not been met within 30 days of the requested arrival date, a customer will be allowed to rent the cabin for a 2-night minimum through the call center or online

• If the weekly requirement has not been met within 30 days of the Fourth of July holiday, the 3-night minimum stay for camping will apply to cabin stays

• NO one-night cabin rentals will be allowed during the PEAK summer season, which includes one-night gaps that were created by other reservations in any family cabins

The holiday minimum stay days/dates are listed below for each cabin holiday. Fewer nights may be reserved ONLY IF all of the designated holiday nights are not available. This requires an override by the Service Resolution Team (SRT). No one-night stays during holiday minimums.

Year 2024

• Memorial Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of May 24, 25, and 26

• Independence Day: Regular peak season weekly minimum rental applies first, then the

Independence Day minimum stay kicks in if no one reserves the weekly minimum: (Thu/Fri/Sat) nights of July 4, 5 and 6

• Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of Aug 30, 31, and Sept 1

• No arrivals or departures are allowed for cabins on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Day, or New

Year’s Days

• Thanksgiving: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of November 27, 28, 29 and 30

• Christmas: (Mon/Tues/Wed) nights of December 23, 24 and 25, departing December 26

• New Year: (Mon/Tues/Wed) nights of December 30, 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, departing

January 2, 2025 o Independence Day: Regular peak season weekly minimum rental applies first, then the

Independence Day minimum stay kicks in if no one reserves the weekly minimum: (Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of July 3, 4 and 5 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of August 29, 30 and 31 o No arrivals/departures allowed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, or New Year’s Day o Thanksgiving: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of Nov 26, 27, 28 and 29 o Christmas: (Tues/Wed/Thurs) nights of Dec 23, 24 and 25 o New Year: (Tues/Wed/Thurs) nights of Dec 30, 31, 2025 and January 1, 2026 o Independence Day: Regular peak season weekly minimum rental applies first, then the

Independence Day minimum stay kicks in if no one reserves the weekly minimum: (Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of July 2, 3 and 4 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of Sept 4, 5 and 6 o No arrivals/departures allowed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Day, or New Year’s Day o Thanksgiving: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of Nov 25, 26, 27 and 28 o Christmas: (Wed/Thurs/Fri) nights of Dec 23, 24 and 25 o New Year: (Wed/Thurs/Fri) nights of Dec 30, 31, 2026 and January 1, 2027

Year-Round Cabin Reservations

One or more cabins at these locations: Harmonie, Lincoln (with limitations), McCormick’s Creek, Morgan-Monroe State Forest (Cherry Lake Lodge & Draper), Potato Creek, Shakamak, Whitewater, and Yellowwood (Lodge at Yellowwood cabin only)

Seasonal Cabin Reservations Only

One or more cabins at these locations: Chain O’Lakes, McCormick’s Creek, and Trine SRA do NOT any have year-round cabins

Inns-Operated (Year-Round Cabins)

Cabins with year-round availability, but reserved at indianainns.com and operated by the Indiana State Park Inns are located at Brown County (Abe Martin Lodge), Fort Harrison (Harrison House & Officers’ Homes), Pokagon (Potawatomi Inn), and Turkey Run (Turkey Run Inn)

General Family Cabin Reservation Seasons

• Chain O’Lakes o 2024: Fri, April 12, 2024 through and including Sat, October 26, 2024 o 2025: Fri, April 11, 2025 through and including Sat, October 25, 2025 o 2026: Fri, April 10, 2026 through and including Sat, October 31, 2026 o Typically begins the first or second Fri in April each year. Chain O’Lakes is in northern

Indiana and experiences colder weather so the reservation season for their cabins ends a week or two earlier than most others (end of October.)

o Chain O’Lakes cabins are closed from Nov through mid-April.

• Lincoln o 2024: Fri, Mar 22, 2024 through and including Sat, Nov 30, 2024 o 2025: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 through and including Sat, Nov 29, 2025 o 2026: Fri, Mar 20, 2026 through and including Sat, Nov 28, 2026 o No walk-in registrations allowed during non-peak cabin season

• McCormick’s Creek o 2023: Fri, Mar 31, 2023 through Sat, Nov 4, 2023 o 2024: Fri, Mar 29, 2024 through Sat, Nov 2, 2024 o 2025: Fri, Mar 28, 2025 through Sat, Nov 8, 2025 o 2026: Fri, Mar 27, 2026 through Sat, Nov 7, 2026 o Typically, the fourth or fifth Fri in Mar through and including the first or second Sat in

Nov o Cabin # 7, Centennial Cabin, and Sunset Cabin are the only three cabins are the only cabins at McCormick’s Creek with year-round reservations and availability

• Shakamak o 2023: Fri, Mar 17, 2023 through and including Sat, Nov 4, 2023 o 2024: Fri, Mar 22, 2024 through and including Sat, Nov 9, 2024 o 2025: Fri, Mar 21, 2025 through and including Sat, Nov 8, 2025 o 2026: Fri, Mar 20, 2026 through and including Sat, Nov 7, 2026 o Typically includes the third or fourth Fri in Mar through and including the first or second

Sat in Nov o Cabins B, C, D, Lakeview A and B, Cabin 1 and Cabin 9 are the cabins at Shakamak with year-round reservations and availability

• Trine SRA o 2024: Wed, May 1, 2024 through and including Wed, Nov 6, 2024 o 2025: Wed, April 30, 2025 through and including Wed, Nov 5, 2025 o 2026: Wed, April 29, 2026 through and including Wed, Nov 4, 2026 o Typically includes the Wed before the first full weekend in May, through and including the first Wed of Nov the same calendar year.

o Follows camping peak season dates. (changed season dates to remove April from reservations in late 2023)

Summer Peak Season Dates for Family Cabins

• Minimum 7-night stay from Saturday to Saturday is required.

• 2024: Sat, June 15, 2024 through and including Fri, August 9, 2024

• 2025: Sat, June 14, 2025 through and including Fri, August 8, 2025

• 2026: Sat, June 13, 2026 through and including Fri, August 7, 2026

• Typically includes the second or third Saturday in June through and including the first Friday night in August each year (and is embedded within the General Reservation Season)

• EXCEPTIONS:

o Morgan-Monroe does not have a summer peak season for Cherry Lake Lodge or Draper Hollow Cabin o Trine SRA does not have a summer peak season for cabins; however, they do require a 2-night minimum stay during the peak season dates of other family cabins (no one-night stays) o Yellowwood does not have a summer peak season for the Lodge at Yellowwood cabin.

RENT-A-CAMP CABINS

Park and Forestry-Operated Family cabins that are reservable on the CRS are located at:

Deam Lake, Greene-Sullivan SF, Mississinewa Lake, Starve Hollow, and Tippecanoe River

Full payment (100%) for the entire rental period of these facilities is required when the reservation is be changed for each reservation.

• The main reservation holder can only be the primary occupant on one site during the same stay dates.

• An address for each primary occupant will also be captured; however, the address can be reused if multiple occupants live at the same location, or if the occupant has the same address as the

Check in is 3pm local time and check out is 12pm (noon) local time, seven days a week, including holidays.

• EXCEPTION: Morgan-Monroe primitive cabin (Draper Hollow Cabin) where check-in time is 1pm local time and check-out is 11am local time, seven days a week, including holidays

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the

• If a reservation is cancelled between 1 and 7 days prior to arrival, the first night’s rental fee plus tax will be charged as a cancellation fee (per reservation that is cancelled.) The original reservation fee is also non-refundable.

• If a reservation is cancelled on or after the day of arrival, the customer will forfeit their entire rental fee. The original reservation fee is also non-refundable.

• Cancellations may be done through the reservation phone line until it closes the day before arrival, or on the web until 11:59pm eastern time the night before arrival.

• Cancellations on or after the day of arrival will be processed by the property and/or the IDNR Project Manager.

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the phone line’s close of business the day before arrival, or up to 11:59pm on the web the day before arrival.

• Transfers to another date cannot be made on or after the day of arrival. A customer must cancel and re-book a new stay.

• Upon arrival, a customer may make one free campsite change (at the property only).

• Transfers can be made through the reservation phone line and on the web. The only limitation with transfers on the web is the inability to change from one park to another in the transfer process. “Change Reservation” on the web is also known as the transfer button.

• Prior to the arrival date, a transfer can be made to any property and does not have to be within the same calendar year but is dependent upon available inventory and booking windows.

• Transfers to another person are not allowed.

• If the transfer facility is a different rate, the appropriate refund or charge will be assessed to the customer.

name cannot change without cancelling and re-booking under a new name.

• A reservation will not be processed as a “no show” until the very last day of a reservation (the intended date of departure) and no sooner.

• A customer’s site/facility should not be given away to someone else if we have not heard from that customer regarding whether he/she is intending to show up or not.

• Due to limited rent-a-camp cabin inventory and cleaning staff available, there may not be any available rent-a-camp cabins leftover/available for walk-in registrations.

• The customer will be charged the regular rental fee for the facility that they request.

• Facilities that have not been reserved in advance of arrival will be available on a first come first served basis at check-in time on the day of arrival.

• During the reservation season, properties do NOT hold back any rent-a-camp cabins for walk-ins because Indiana is 100% reservable.

• Some properties do have a walk-in season only for their rent-a-camp cabins during the fall/spring shoulder seasons and/or over the winter. Some have their rent-a-camp cabins closed during the winter months.

• Properties will not take advance reservations unless a customer service issue arises that forces them to do so.

• The customer must be present to register for a facility on the day of arrival. (Properties will not available

• A customer can book up to 13 additional nights / days of inventory after the maximum window for their initial arrival date, but maximum stay is 14 consecutive days.

• On the web, the first day of availability will coincide with the opening hour of the reservation phone line

• On Monday, May 21, 2018, at 12 noon Eastern Time, the maximum booking window for all rent-a-camp cabins changed from 6 months to 12 months prior to the date of arrival, starting with 2019 arrival dates.

• This prevents web customers from having a 12-hour jump start ahead of call-in customers when booking at the maximum window

• Example: If booking a campsite for next year’s Memorial Day weekend, inventory becomes

• Transfers and Cancellations can be made on 19 or more days after the date of the reservation.

• Because of the 14-night maximum stay rule for most of our facilities, the 18-day freeze rule will

• No advance reservations will be taken at the property at any time

• No advance reservations will be made via the web or call center after the minimum booking window has passed (so, not the day before arrival or on the day of arrival itself.)

Year-Round o A Friday night rental must include a Thursday or a Saturday night o A Saturday night rental must include a Friday or a Sunday night o EXCEPTIONS for weekends

One-night Relaxed Rule: If a campsite is not rented within 3 days of arrival, it will be available for a one-night rental through the call center and online. Required holiday minimum stays are excluded from this relaxed rule.

If 7 nights or more are reserved, there is no restriction on the weekend stay but the reservation cannot exceed the 14-night maximum rule

Holiday weekends require the 3-night holiday minimum stays (see holiday minimum stays)

Gap Rule: If two reservations create a gap that allows a Friday or Saturday to be available for a one-night rental by itself, a customer will be able to reserve that one night by itself. On a holiday weekend, if 2 of the 3 required nights are

• Two nights of the holiday may be reserved ONLY IF all 3 of the designated holiday nights are not available. (This requires an override by the Service Resolution Team and cannot be done on the web.)

• No one-night stays on holiday weekends.

Year 2024 o Memorial Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of May 24, 25, and 26 o Independence Day: (Thu/Fri/Sat) nights of July 4, 5, and 6 o Labor Day: (Fri/Sat/Sun) nights of Aug 30, 31, and Sept 1

Tippecanoe River (ONLY) Rent-a-camp Cabins also have the following Thanksgiving holiday stay minimum:

2024: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of Nov 27, 28, 29 and 30 2025: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of Nov 26, 27, 28 and 29 2026: (Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat) nights of Nov 25, 26, 27 and 28

Peak Reservation Season BY PROPERTY

Deam Lake

• 2024: Mon, April 1, 2024 through and including Sun, Nov 3, 2024

• 2025: Tues, April 1, 2025 through and including Sun, Nov 2, 2025

• 2026: Wed, April 1, 2026 through and including Sun, Nov 1, 2026

• (Eagle cabin will remain closed for internal use only)

Greene-Sullivan (Forestry)

• April 1 through Nov 30 each year – available for reservations

• Dec 1 through Mar 31 each year – CLOSED – NO WALK-INS

Mississinewa Lake

• 2025: Wed, April 30, 2025 through and including Wed, Nov 5, 2025

• 2026: Wed, April 29, 2026 through and including Wed, Nov 4, 2026

• Follows same dates as camping peak season dates.

Morgan-Monroe (Draper Hollow Cabin only) (Forestry)

• Available for reservations year-round.

Starve Hollow

• 2024: Mon, April 1, 2024 through and including Sun, Nov 3, 2024

• 2025: Tues, April 1, 2025 through and including Sun, Nov 2, 2025

• 2026: Wed, April 1, 2026 through and including Sun, Nov 1, 2026

• (Sassafras cabin will remain closed for internal use only)

Tippecanoe River

• Mar 2 through Dec 14 each year – available for reservations

• Dec 15 through Mar 1 each year – CLOSED – NO WALK-INS

Walk-In Shoulder and/or Winter Season

• During the Peak Season, rent-a-camp cabins become walk-in only ON the day of arrival

• Varies by property – typically runs from early-to-mid November through late March-to-early-

May

• No walk-in season during winter for rent-a-camp cabins at Greene-Sullivan SF or Tippecanoe River. CABINS ARE CLOSED.

• Deam Lake o 2023 / 2024: Mon, Nov 6, 2023 through and including Sun, March 31, 2024 o 2024 / 2025: Mon, Nov 4, 2024 through and including Mon, March 31, 2025 o 2025 / 2026: Mon, Nov 3, 2025 through and including Tues, March 31, 2026

• Mississinewa Lake (matches camping non-peak season dates) o 2023 / 2024: Thurs, Nov 2, 2023 through and including Tues, April 30, 2024 o 2024 / 2025: Thurs, Nov 7, 2024 through and including Tues, April 29, 2025 o 2025 / 2026: Thurs, Nov 6, 2025 through and including Tues, April 28, 2026

• Morgan-Monroe (Draper Hollow Cabin only) (Forestry) o Available for reservations year-round.

• Starve Hollow* o 2023 / 2024: Mon, Nov 27, 2023 through and including Tues, Mar 5, 2024 o 2024 / 2025: Mon, Nov 4, 2024 through and including Mon, March 31, 2025 o 2025 / 2026: Mon, Nov 3, 2025 through and including Tues, March 31, 2026 o *For the months of December, January, and February each year only Cedar, Maple, Red Oak, and Dogwood cabins will be available for walk-in registrations. All other cabins will be closed during those three months.

o April 1 through Nov 30 – available for reservations o Dec 1 through Mar 31 – CLOSED – NO WALK-INS

• Tippecanoe River’s rent-a-camp cabins o Mar 2 through Dec 14 – available for reservations o Dec 15 through Mar 1 – CLOSED – NO WALK-INS

GROUP CAMPS & COTTAGES BUSINESS RULES

• Group camps consist of several dormitory style living quarters/buildings, and typically one large dining hall or mess hall for large gathering space. Available restroom and kitchen facilities vary from location to location.

• Group camps are located at: Lincoln State Park, McCormick’s Creek State Park, O’Bannon Woods

State Park, Pokagon State Park, Shakamak State Park and Versailles State Park

• Cottages – only at Lincoln and Shakamak State Parks – the group camp facilities are broken apart and reservable as individual cottages and a dining/mess hall when not being booked as an entire group camp. (SEE COTTAGE RULES AFTER GROUP CAMP RULES, at the end of this chapter.)

• If a group camp reservation is made more than 45 days prior to the arrival date, a customer can pay 100% of their payment due, however only 50% of the balance is required to confirm his/her reservation. The remaining balance is due 30 days or more prior to the arrival date or the reservation may be cancelled.

• If a reservation is made 45 or fewer days prior to the arrival date, 100% of the balance will be collected at the time of booking.

be changed for each reservation.

• The main reservation holder can only be the primary occupant on one site during the same stay dates.

• An address for each primary occupant will also be captured; however, the address can be reused if multiple occupants live at the same location, or if the occupant has the same address as the

Check-in is at 3pm local time, and check-out is at 12pm local time, seven days a week, including holidays.

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the

• If reservation is cancelled 91 days or more prior to date of arrival, the cancellation fee will be 25% of the rental fees

• If the reservation is cancelled between 1-90 days prior to the date of arrival, the cancellation fee will be 50% of the rental fees

• If a reservation is cancelled on or after the day of arrival, the cancellation fee will be 100% of the rental fees

• Cancellations may be done through the reservation phone line until it closes the day before arrival, or on the web until 11:59pm eastern time the night before arrival.

• Cancellations on or after the day of arrival will be processed by the property and/or the IDNR Project Manager.

Only the reservation holder can cancel or make a change to an existing reservation, regardless of the

• No transfers or changes to other dates or camps are allowed for group camps.

name cannot change without canceling and re-booking under a new name.

• Transfers to another person are not allowed.

• No subleasing of sites is allowed.

• NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER.

• A reservation will not be processed as a “no show” until the very last day of a reservation (the intended date of departure) and no sooner.

• A customer’s site/facility should not be given away to someone else if we have not heard from that customer regarding whether he/she is intending to show up or not.

• Due to the extremely limited inventory, group camps are NOT usually available for same day walk-in registrations. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ADVANCE RESERVATION, please call the park office prior to departing for the property to see if the group camp is available for walk-in.

• The customer will be charged the regular rental fee for the facility that they request.

• Facilities that have not been reserved in advance of arrival will be available on a first come first served basis at check-in time on the day of arrival.

• Properties do NOT hold back any inventory for walk-ins because Indiana is 100% reservable.

• Properties do not take advance…