How to Book a Campsite on Recreation.gov (and Actually Get One)

To get a popular campsite on Recreation.gov, find the campground’s booking window, usually six months ahead on a rolling basis, and be logged in and ready when reservations open, typically at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Pick three or four specific site numbers in advance, put one in your cart within seconds of release and check out quickly. If you miss out, check for cancellations daily, especially in the final two weeks, and use first-come, first-served campgrounds and nearby national forest sites as backup.

Recreation.gov is the official booking site for campgrounds, permits, tours and timed-entry tickets at federal lands across the United States: national parks, national forests, Bureau of Land Management areas, Army Corps of Engineers lakes and more. It handles millions of reservations a year. For most campgrounds, booking is easy. For the famous ones, like Yosemite Valley, Grand Canyon’s Mather, Zion’s Watchman or Glacier’s Many Glacier, sites can sell out within minutes of opening. Getting one takes preparation and a little luck. This guide covers the preparation. We can’t help with the luck, but we can tell you how to create more chances for it, and what to do when it runs out.

• 6 monthsCommon rolling booking window
• 10 a.m. ETTypical daily release time
• MinutesHow fast top campgrounds can sell out
• CancellationsYour second chance

Step 1: Understand the booking window

Every campground sets its own rules, shown on its Recreation.gov page. The most common type is a rolling window, where each date becomes available a set time ahead, often six months, sometimes one, two or twelve months. With a six-month rolling window, you can book July 15 on January 15. Stays that run several nights may be bookable from the first night’s release date.

Other campgrounds use a block release, where a whole season or month opens on a single day. Yosemite’s campgrounds, for example, have historically released a month’s worth of dates at once on the 15th of the month, five months ahead. Those release days are especially competitive.

Some campgrounds are first-come, first-served for all or some sites, meaning no reservations. Others hold some sites for walk-ups. The campground page will say.

Find the exact window for your campground and write down the date and time it opens. Times are listed in Eastern Time on the site, so convert to your local time zone.

Step 2: Prepare before release day

• Create an account well in advance. Log in and save your payment details.
• Research specific sites. Look at the campground map and site details, like length limits, number of people, shade and distance from restrooms. Pick four or five favorites and write down their numbers, in order of preference, on paper next to your keyboard.
• Check your equipment details. Some sites allow only tents, others RVs of certain lengths.
• Know your exact dates and length of stay. Have backup dates ready.
• Coordinate with friends. Several people trying at once improves your odds. Each account must follow the site’s rules on how many reservations a person can hold.
• Sync your clock to an accurate time source.

Step 3: Release day tactics

Be logged in 10 to 15 minutes early. Have the campground page open, on the right month in the availability grid. Refresh right at release time, not before; refreshing too early just shows the old grid. As soon as dates turn available, click your first-choice site and dates and add to cart. Once a site is in your cart, it is held for a short time, about 15 minutes, while you complete checkout. Don’t browse. Check out immediately.

If your first choice is gone, move to the next instantly. Don’t hesitate on a “pretty good” site. In a competitive release, taking a decent site in five seconds beats hunting for the perfect one for a minute and getting nothing.

Use the website on a fast, stable connection. The mobile app works too, and some people try both at once.

Recreation.gov prohibits automated bots. Don’t use scripts to grab sites; accounts can be banned and reservations canceled.

Step 4: If you miss out

Don’t give up. People cancel constantly, and canceled sites return to the system, usually right away.

Check often. Look daily, especially in the final two weeks and the last few days before your dates, when people with changed plans cancel to avoid fees.

Use availability alerts. Several third-party services scan Recreation.gov and send a text or email when a site opens. Some charge a fee. They don’t book for you, but they let you jump in quickly.

Be flexible. One night is easier to find than four. Weekdays are easier than weekends. Shoulder seasons are easier than summer.

Look nearby. National forest campgrounds just outside national parks are often easier to book and cheaper. State parks use separate systems. Private campgrounds in gateway towns take reservations too.

Try first-come, first-served sites. Arrive early in the morning, ideally midweek, when campers are leaving. Some parks post daily campground status online.

Fees and cancellation rules

Campsite prices are set by each campground, typically $15 to $50 a night for tent sites in national parks and forests. Recreation.gov charges reservation fees on some bookings and service fees for changes and cancellations, commonly about $10. If you cancel close to your arrival date, or after it begins, you may forfeit the first night’s fee as well. Policies vary by facility and type, and they change, so read the cancellation rules before booking.

Holders of the Senior Pass and the Access Pass, for people with permanent disabilities, often get a 50 percent discount on camping fees at many federal campgrounds. Check if your campground offers it. Our America the Beautiful pass guide explains the passes.

Permits, lotteries and timed entry

Recreation.gov also handles many of the most sought-after permits and entry tickets in the country. Unlike campsites, many of these use lotteries rather than first-come booking.

Lotteries usually charge a non-refundable application fee and, if you win, a permit fee. Apply for several dates to improve your odds, and read the rules on group size and leaders. See our Zion guide for Angels Landing and our Arches guide for timed entry.

More than campsites

Recreation.gov books far more than tent sites, and some of its best offerings are little known. You can rent historic fire lookout towers and rustic cabins in national forests, many with incredible views, for less than a motel room. You can reserve guided cave tours at places like Carlsbad Caverns and Mammoth Cave, tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and the Washington Monument, wilderness permits for backpacking, river permits for rafting trips and even Christmas tree permits to cut your own tree in a national forest. Search by location and browse the categories. It’s a good way to find trip ideas you didn’t know existed.

Group campsites

Traveling with a big family, scouts or friends? Many campgrounds have group sites that hold anywhere from about 10 to 100 people, with large fire rings, multiple picnic tables and space for many tents. They are booked the same way, often with longer advance windows, and cost more per night but less per person. They also fill quickly for summer weekends, so book as soon as the window opens.

State parks use different systems

Recreation.gov covers federal lands only. State parks, which include many excellent campgrounds, have their own reservation websites, each with different windows and rules. Some popular state parks, like those along the California coast, are as hard to book as top national parks. Others have plenty of space. When a national park is full, nearby state parks are often the smartest backup.

Picking a good site

When you have a choice, compare sites on the map. Look for level tent pads, shade in summer, and distance from roads and restrooms. Sites on the outside of a loop are often more private. Check for a bear box or food locker if required in that park. Read site photos and notes; Recreation.gov often lists details like slope and max vehicle length. Avoid sites next to busy trailheads or group sites if you want quiet.

Common mistakes

Getting the time zone wrong. Release times are listed in Eastern Time.

Not having an account ready. Account creation on release day wastes precious seconds.

Being too picky. Grab a good site fast, then look for upgrades through cancellations.

Ignoring equipment limits. If your RV is too long for the site, you may be turned away.

Forgetting the park entrance fee. A campsite reservation usually doesn’t include park entry.

A sample plan for a popular park

Say you want three nights at a popular national park campground in mid-July, with a six-month rolling window. In early January, check the campground page and confirm the window. Create your account and save payment. A few days before release, study the map and list five sites. On release morning, log in early, refresh at 10 a.m. Eastern and grab the first available. If you miss, set up an alert service and check daily. Book a refundable room in the gateway town as backup. Cancel it if a campsite opens. Either way, you have somewhere to sleep, and you stop refreshing the page at midnight.

On arrival: checking in

Most federal campgrounds don’t have a front desk like a hotel. Your reservation is usually linked to your site, and a list or tag at the campground entrance or site post shows your name and dates. Some campgrounds have a camp host, a volunteer who lives on site and can answer questions. Check-in times are often around noon or later, and checkout around 11 a.m. or noon. Keep a copy of your confirmation on your phone and on paper, since many campgrounds have no cell service. Display any required parking or vehicle tag on your dashboard.

If you are arriving late, check whether the campground has rules about late arrivals or gate closures. And if your plans change on the day, cancel or update in the app as soon as possible so someone else can use the site. In a system where thousands of people are hunting for a single opening, that small courtesy matters.

Why it is so competitive

National park visitation has grown strongly over the past decade, while the number of campsites in most parks has barely changed. Some campgrounds have even lost sites to floods, fires and road damage. Meanwhile, more people than ever plan trips months ahead online. The result is a supply problem. Knowing that helps set expectations. Missing a release isn’t a sign you did something wrong. It means you need a backup plan, which every experienced camper has.

Frequently asked questions

Your next steps

1. Find your campground on Recreation.gov and note its exact booking window.
2. Create your account and save your payment details now.
3. List four or five specific site numbers you would be happy with.
4. Read our camping for beginners guide before your trip.