How to Research and Book Campsites Online…
…especially when it seems like everyone else is trying to get the same site as you!
Summer is fast approaching and with many of the changes made to national and state park booking protocols, campsite reservations are almost entirely online only at this point, requiring you to research and book your campsite sight unseen in advance of your arrival. Quickly fading are the days of showing up at a campground, circling the loop to see what looks good, and then paying the host for the number of days you want.
Yes, there are absolutely pros and cons to this change and as someone who travels full time and doesn’t plan out a day by day itinerary six months in advance (which is when booking windows for some of the most popular parks open), it certainly has forced me to figure out some strategies. Read on to learn all my best tips and tricks...
Before You Make The Reservation
Research Campsites Online
First, make a list of wants and don’t wants. These will be different for every person and every situation. For example, some people absolutely want to be in a site where generator use is permitted because they rely on that for cooking or charging devices. Other people absolutely do not want to be in a generator loop because they don’t use a generator and they don’t want to have to listen to other people running their generators every morning and evening.
Here are some factors you may want to consider:
Do I care about being in a generator loop?
Do I need a level parking spot?
How close do I want to be to the bathroom?
Do I need hook-ups?
How much parking space do I need?
Do I want cell service? (not a given)
You’ll likely have to have some level of flexibility on this list, but it’s always helpful to have your preferences figured out before you get too deep in the comparisons.
Next, find the booking platform for your campground. This would be something like recreation.gov for national parks or other federal lands or the state equivalent if you are looking at state parks and lands. Local campgrounds will often have their own booking systems.
Take note of the date you want to arrive and see what is going to be available for that date. Site availability changes from day to day, so this will affect which sites you research further.
If you have flexibility with your arrival date, this will definitely be in your favor. If possible, I recommend trying to start your reservation Sunday-Wednesday so that you aren’t competing with everyone who is trying to book for the weekend. Date flexibility will also give you more options of available sites that fall within your preferences.
Take a look at the campground map and see if anything automatically catches your eye (maybe there are sites near a waterfront or trailhead, for example).
Take a look through available sites, check the reviews and photos, and start putting together your list of preferred sites. Recreation.gov has gotten better at including more descriptive information on their site, such as parking type (back-in, parallel, pull-through), driveway grade (great if you’re in search of a level site for your van or RV), cell phone service availability, and guest reviews.
Time for some external research
Photo + review sites - www.campsitephotos.com, www.thedyrt.com, www.campendium.com
Take your list of preferred sites and pull up the photos. You can usually get another angle to get more information.
These sites sometimes include additional reviews or lists of their recommended sites.
Google Maps
You may be lucky enough to find a campground that has Google street view and this will allow you to virtually walk through and look at the different sites to get more information and a better idea of things like how close together sites are.
Prepare to Make the Reservation
Note: These next steps are particularly helpful for places where sites go fast when the booking window opens and you need to be ready to move the moment they become available.
Take note of the booking window and set an alarm for ten minutes prior on the day you want to book so you don’t forget.
List your top three sites in preference order. It’s important to have a couple of back up sites in case your top pick gets snatched up before you can hit reserve.
Make sure you already have an account set up with the booking platform (such as recreation.gov or whichever platform your particular campground uses).
Make The Reservation
When your alarm goes off, open up the website and make sure you are logged in.
Go to the reservation page for campground or site you want.
When the clock hits the magic moment, hit reserve and hope for the best!
Optional tip for the spiritually minded: For a little peace of mind and stress reduction, say a prayer to the Universe or God or your spirit team (or whomever you talk to) that they connect you with the site you’re meant for on the time frame you’re meant to be there. This has helped me be much less anxious about this sort of thing because I know that I generally end up where I’m supposed to be when I’m supposed to be there. If I don’t get what I wanted, I take it to mean that it simply isn’t for me right now and move on to figure out what is for me.
Congratulations! You’re Going Camping!!
What’s that? Oh, you didn’t get a site...
It happens to the best of us, even yours truly. Definitely frustrating and a little (or a lot) disappointing. Here are my tips if you were unsuccessful with booking on this go around.
If you have a bit of flexibility on your dates, try again for a different date. Follow the same steps as above for making the reservation.
Keep an eye out for cancellations. You never know what will pop up!
Consider alternative options. For example, if you were trying to get a national park spot, is there another campground within the park or a private campground nearby where you can stay? Perhaps you are near a national forest or state park that will be easier for booking. Not the same, I know, but certainly an option if you have less flexibility with your date availability.
Notes for my last minute planners
If you’re like me and prefer to have more fluid travel arrangements, here are some extra tips for you.
Always check to see what cancellations are available. Usually openings pop up, even if only for a day or two.
You’ll likely have to be more flexible with what site you get or exactly which campground you choose
Some parks have multiple booking windows - long range and short range. For example, Big Bend National Park opens 2/3 of sites for booking six months out and holds back 1/3 of sites for booking two weeks out. Rocky Mountain National Park has three booking windows, with some sites available six months out, some available two weeks out, and some available just four days out. So that does give some added flexibility but since there are fewer sites available for booking, it is still competitive (in my experience).
Final Thoughts
Unless you’ve actually been to the campground before and have that prior knowledge, you are just trusting the internet and the opinions of other people. Go into it with an open mind and be flexible. You did the best you could with the research and now it’s time to get your gear ready and enjoy your adventure!
Do you have any tips you’d add? I’d love to hear them! You can send an email to hello@thewelltraveler.co with your favorite strategies for booking a good campsite online. Good luck and happy adventuring!