Most western campgrounds book on a rolling window — new dates open a fixed number of months ahead, all at once. Miss the release and it's gone in seconds. Here's how the windows work, and your fallback when you're too late.
recreation.gov opens most campground dates 6 months in advance on a rolling daily basis: on any given morning, the date exactly six months out becomes bookable. So to camp a specific weekend, mark the calendar six months prior.
New inventory typically releases at 8:00 AM (in the campground's local time, or 10 AM ET for many federal sites). Popular weekends sell out in under a minute — log in early, have your dates and payment ready, and refresh at the top of the hour.
California's state parks and coastal beach campgrounds book through ReserveCalifornia on a similar 6-month rolling window, releasing at 8:00 AM Pacific. These are among the most competitive in the country — the coastal beach sites especially.
If your dates are gone, don't give up — the six-month wall means someone always over-books. Put the campground on a free CampSage alert and watch the just-opened map; cancellations reopen those “impossible” spots daily. See how to get a sold-out campsite.
Usually 6 months in advance on a rolling daily window for both recreation.gov and ReserveCalifornia.
Typically 8:00 AM in the site's local time (8 AM Pacific for ReserveCalifornia). Be logged in and ready.
Set a free cancellation alert — sold-out sites reopen daily as people cancel, and CampSage tells you the moment one does.
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