The best California campsites are “sold out” months out — but people cancel constantly. The real question isn’t whether a spot opens, it’s how long it lasts before someone else grabs it. We scan every California campground on recreation.gov and ReserveCalifornia around the clock and log the exact moment each site opens and gets re-booked. Here’s what that reveals.
Median time a freed site stayed available before it was re-booked — lower means you have to move faster.
| # | Campground | Median time open | Openings measured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Refugio SB | 4.0 hrs | 7 |
| 2 | Kirk Creek Campground | 4.1 hrs | 7 |
| 3 | Pinnacles Campground | 5.0 hrs | 18 |
| 4 | El Capitan SB | 7.0 hrs | 36 |
| 5 | Montana De Oro SP | 8.0 hrs | 31 |
| 6 | Hearst San Simeon SP | 8.0 hrs | 61 |
| 7 | Leo Carrillo SP | 8.0 hrs | 20 |
| 8 | North Shore (Ca) | 10.0 hrs | 10 |
| 9 | Chino Hills SP | 11.0 hrs | 11 |
| 10 | Gaviota SP | 11.0 hrs | 30 |
| 11 | Plaskett Creek Campground | 11.0 hrs | 26 |
| 12 | Silver Strand SB | 11.0 hrs | 43 |
These California parks turn over the most — set an alert and your chances are highest here.
| # | Campground | Openings/week |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serrano | 26.3 |
| 2 | Hearst San Simeon SP | 23.9 |
| 3 | Samuel P. Taylor SP | 23.1 |
| 4 | Silver Strand SB | 20.7 |
| 5 | El Capitan SB | 19.1 |
| 6 | Pismo SB | 19.1 |
| 7 | Gaviota SP | 18.3 |
| 8 | Morro Bay SP | 18.3 |
| 9 | Henry W Coe SP | 17.5 |
| 10 | Dogwood | 16.7 |
Want to catch one of these? Set a free alert on the live map → and we’ll email you the second a site opens.