Haleakala National Park is changing the way it handles reservations for its three wilderness cabins.

Starting in September, the park will drop the lottery system it has been using to choose cabin users, and will take reservations by phone on a first-come, first-served basis, said park spokesman Dominic Cardea.

Cabins can be reserved up to three months in advance.

A minimum hike of 3.7 miles is required to reach Holua Cabin, a hike of 5.5 miles to reach Kapalaoa, and 9.3 miles to Paliku.

To make a reservation, call 572-4400 between 1 and 3 p.m. daily. All reservations require a credit card and are subject to a cancellation fee.

Cardea said the park is working with a local vendor to develop an online cabin reservation system. Ending the lottery system and converting to a credit-card-based system is the first step in that transition, he said.

An online system, with access through the park's Web site, is expected to be operational before the end of the year.