At some point I felt more ambitious in planning my camping and hiking trips. I wanted to do more than sit around a campground, and the closest forest I had visited dozens of times wasn't satisfying my urge to explore. I wanted to go further away from the city, deeper into the wilderness and experience big nature.
Soon after I began researching campgrounds near popular national and state parks, I learned that most campgrounds are seasonal and they book up fast! Online campground booking site Recreation.gov allows guests to book campgrounds up to six months in advance, and you better believe that the campsite booking pros are snagging campsites left and right within the hour that they become available.
Don't miss out on having an epic camping experience. Follow these campsite booking tips to reserve the perfect campsite on the days you need it.
The six-month rule: Six months to the day that you want to camp, go online and book your reservation
Decide which months you want to go camping in the next year
Narrow your window to book a campsite to at least the month that you want to go. Say you want to camp once in the spring and once in the fall; then you could choose May and September as the months you'll want to camp next year.
Set a reminder for six months ahead of when you want to camp
You'll want to be ready to book your campsite as soon as it becomes available. Set a reminder on your phone or mark your calendar for six months ahead of the date. That's the day that Recreation.gov will make the campsite available to book a reservation.
Research campgrounds
While you're waiting for the booking date to arrive, research the campgrounds closest to the parks and trails that you want to explore. You can do this research on Recreation.gov for both national and state parks. Once you find a campground that you like, go a step further and check out the campground map. See which campsites you'd prefer and make a note of the number.
Book your camping trip one day at a time
I knew that I wanted to go camping for three nights but I wasn't sure if I should wait until all three days became available for reservations before booking. I waited one day during my preferred window and discovered that people had begun booking the campsites one day at a time. I would have to do the same if I wanted to secure it for sure. So each day, I booked the site for another night until I had all three that I wanted.
Campsite already booked? Subscribe for notifications
If you're hoping to book a campsite in less than six months and the campsites at the campground you're looking at are already all booked up, you still have a chance to get in! Recreation.gov has a feature where you can subscribe to be notified if a campsite becomes available. You can do this at the campground level or at the campsite level, and select the dates that you are looking to book.
Jump on the notification emails ASAP!
If you're hoping to get the opportunity to book a campsite that becomes available, you'll need to monitor your email like a hawk! As soon as you get that Recreation.gov email, click through to the link to book your site, and complete the booking within the window of time. (It's one of those countdown situations that logs you out.) To light a fire under your ass, the email includes how many other people are receiving the same email - act quickly!
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Overbook to be safe, but be courteous, too
If you're not 100% sure which nights you'll want to go or how many sites you'll need, it's better to over-book than lose the spot. There's a reasonable cancellation fee if you cancel at least 48 hours in advance. That being said, be courteous to others and don't block others from the opportunity of booking the campsite if you don't think you'll be able to use it.
Get out there and camp! Were these tips helpful? Let us know in the comments.
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