Campers planning to stay at closed state parks during shutdown to get refunds, officials say

While Governor Chris Christie made headlines during the recent government shutdown by bringing friends and family to the gubernatorial beach house while the rest of Island Beach State Park was closed, many families were not as lucky during the holiday weekend and had their camping trips cut short or cancelled entirely.

For those people whose stays were cut short during the shutdown, the state has announced refunds for their planned stays. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced on its website that starting this coming week they will begin the process of refunding campers who made reservations on credit cards.

The refund process is expected to take up to three weeks and people will be notified by the department when their refund has been processed. For those who paid for their reservations with cash or check the department is encouraging them to contact the office of the park where they had made the reservation to find out more about the reimbursement process.

"We regret the interruption and disappointment that the temporary shutdown caused," a statement from the New Jersey State Park Service Staff said. "We value you, our visitors and look forward to seeing you soon."

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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com