With the winter rain and cold right now, camping might be the last thing on your mind. But if you want to head into the outdoors this summer, then it might actually be time to make your campsite reservations.
That’s because many state and national parks open up their camping reservations either three months or six months in advance. And six months means that if you want to camp in July, then many reservations are opening right now.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about making camping reservations for the summer, what the new laws are on canceling your California campsite, and where to find beautiful alternatives to some of the most popular sites — so your forward planning in the depths of winter can finally pay off when the sun is shining.
First, the new California law about campsite cancellations
In an effort to make campsites more accessible, the state Legislature passed a law to prevent no shows. No one’s happy when all the campsite reservations are all taken — and then some campers don’t even show up.
The new cancellation law only applies to California state parks. It requires that you cancel up to seven days before your booking or lose your reservation fee and the cost of your first night — and you’ll also be charged a cancellation fee on top of that. If you don’t show up by the day after your reservation is supposed to start, then the rangers can cancel the rest of your stay. (No more people booking out a whole week at a popular site, just to show up on Friday.)
And if you no-show more than three times in a year? Then you could be banned from making any more reservations. But be sure to check the rules on your specific reservation, because some campgrounds have additional policies about cancellations.
How to make camping reservations in winter for the summer
The process to make camping reservations in California depends on where the campgrounds are located, and what agency operates the campsite. That means there’s a different reservation system and timeline for national parks, state parks and regional parks.
Of note: Private campgrounds, those that operate individually or are available on sites like Hipcamp, typically have more availability — but even they book out in advance for popular dates such as holiday weekends.
Here’s when and how to make reservations at the different locations.
Reservations open: GGNRA and Point Reyes open up three months in advance at 7 a.m.; the Presidio and many other national parks open campsites six months in advance at 7 a.m.
Reservations open: State parks open up six months in advance at 8 a.m. You are also permitted to modify a reservation a limited number of times, which means you are able to make a reservation and then potentially modify it to include a date which was unavailable at the time of initial booking.
There’s also a new trial lottery drawing that opens up eight months ahead of time for the coveted cabins on the coast at Steep Ravine. That means if you want to enter the Steep Ravine lottery for any night in September, enter the lottery this month for the drawing that will be held on Feb. 1. (Mark your calendar now.)
While dispersed camping — i.e., camping anywhere, not necessarily at a campground — is available for free in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and in many cases on Forest Service land, specific permits may be required for thru-camping or in wilderness areas. You can find Forest Service campgrounds in the national forests around Tahoe, the Mendocino National Forest and the areas outside Big Sur.
Camping tents at a campground in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California. (Juan Camilo Bernal/Getty Images)
Reservations open: Family campsites open up 12 weeks in advance, but group and backpack sites open in blocks with the second half of the year opening up on May 1.
Reservations open: Six months in advance for UVAS, Coyote Lake and Joseph Grant.
Do I have to make a camping reservation?
Absolutely not. If you’re more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants camper, many parks have first-come, first-serve campsites (like those sites on Mt. Tam) or hold back same-day reservations that open up in the morning for later that day, like a handful in Pt. Reyes Seashore. Dispersed camping is also available across Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and lots of Forest Service land around Tahoe.
And, of course, you can always keep an eye out for cancellations — even set an alert on the reservation site to let you know if something opens up. (On ReserveCalifornia just click the “Notify Me!” button when you search for a camping spot.)
But, some campgrounds nonetheless require reservations. And if you’re counting on finding a first-come, first-serve site at the most popular campgrounds, then you might have to get there by Thursday evening or early Friday morning ahead of busy weekends. That means if you want a guaranteed camping spot, without the stress, especially during the summer months, then you definitely should consider planning in advance and making those reservations now.
Campers at the Upper Pines Campground are surrounded by trees and granite monoliths in Yosemite National Park, California, on June 13, 2023. (Tracy Barbutes for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Where are the best spots to go camping?
Some of the most popular campsites can seem almost impossible to book. (I just keep throwing my hat in that new lottery for the Steep Ravine cabins!)
And while it might be tempting to blame bots for snapping up all the best spots, the answer might have more to do with the countless other would-be campers who want the same site as you do. In 2023, California State Parks information officer Jorge Moreno said an analysis of reservation IPs and time stamps showed that bots aren’t actually the problem they used to be, especially after a captcha and verification step was added to their Reserve California third-party online reservation system in 2019. Additionally, any account caught using bots or reselling reservations now earns a ban.
Unfortunately, the fact that so many campsites are already full the second they open up for reservations is because “demand is greater than inventory,” Moreno said. For some of the most popular spots, there might be 100 people logging on for one of eight spots. “It’s really like a lottery,” he said.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most sought-after sites within a few hours’ drive of the Bay Area — and some lesser-known alternatives as well, for your possible Plan B.
Kirby Cove
With its view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the coast in the Marin Headlands, Kirby Cove reservations are released three months in advance at 7 a.m.
Alternative: Try the day-of campsite reservations that open at 7 a.m. each morning in the Point Reyes National Seashore, or farther north the Navarro Beach Campground (first-come, first-served) where the river hits the ocean along the Mendocino coast.
Big Sur
There are many public and private campgrounds along the Big Sur coast and in the national wilderness—with the two campsites at the waterfront Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and the camping at Pfeiffer State Park filling up when they open six months in advance. The Kirk Creek campground in the Los Padres National Forest experiences the same demand. There’s even luxury camping at Ventana.
Alternative: The upside is, even if you can’t find a campsite at one of the state parks, you should be able to backpack in the national forest. Or, check out the tree-level glamping.
Camping along the Big Sur/Pacific Coast of California. Kirk Creek Campground, Los Padres National Forest, California. (NNehring/Getty Images)
Most of the 13 campgrounds at Yosemite open up five months ahead of time, with a few opening two weeks before, or requiring a lottery. (Note: You also need an entry reservation to drive through or visit Yosemite on weekends through June and every day through July and mid-August.)
There are literally hundreds of campsites around Lake Tahoe, but some of the most popular can be heavily impacted — like Emerald Bay State Park or the Fallen Leaf campground (both of which open six months in advance).
Alternative: This is when dispersed camping comes in handy. Much of the Tahoe National Forest is open for free to camping outside of designated campgrounds. Or, for lakefront camping in the Sierra south of Tahoe try the Pinecrest campground on Pinecrest Lake.
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