Hit NJ’s Wide Open Spaces through Cyberspace

Getting back to nature goes digital in New Jersey.

The state Park Service now has an online and phone system for reserving campsites and cabins in all New Jersey state parks and forests, and an app for planning that works on Apple and Android devices.

ReserveAmerica.com, a national firm, operates the technology similar to its systems in other state and federal parks in the nation, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

DEP Assistant Commissioner Richard Boornazian says it eliminates the need to place calls during business hours only. "You can now search for campsites and cabins and make reservations 24 hours a day, every day of the year," he said in a release.

Reservations can be placed at the DEP parks website, through the green tab at the top left of the main page.The call center at 855-607-3075 operates April 1 through October 31, 8 AM until  8 PM Mondays through Fridays and 9 AM until 5 PM weekends.

The Pocket Ranger app features information about parks, forests, historic sites and wildlife management areas.

There's also an annual State Park Pass which can be bought at any state park or through the Park Service offices in Trenton. Get more details about it here

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New Jersey's state parks take up 440,000 acres, more than 50 historic sites, battlefields and villages, and 39 active recreation spots. They encompass over 500 miles of hiking trails and 10 miles of ocean beachfronts.

Only one campsite in Allaire State Park in Farmingdale remains to be reopened in the aftermath of damage from Superstorm Sandy. The only other sites yet to fully or partly reopen are Cheesequake State Park and the Round Valley Recreation Area.