When to Book National Park Campsites in 2025

Close to 300 million people visited our national parks in the past year, which means you could be competing with millions of other people for a select few coveted campsites. The majority of these visits happen in the summer, and most campsites are available for booking 6 months in advance (if not longer!). That means that if you wait until after January, you might be too late! Here’s how and when to book national park campsites for the summer. Need more information? Here is the best national parks to visit by month in 2025!

Yosemite National Park Camping

Due to extremely high demand, the booking timeline for Yosemite National Park is different than all of the others. Typically, all Yosemite campsites reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all reservations for the months of May through September and for some other weekends are filled the first day they become available, usually within seconds or minutes after 7 am! Reservations are essential for this magical California park and even the first-come, first-served campgrounds usually fill before noon, if not first thing in the morning. For 2025 Camping: Campground reservations will be required for Camp 4, Hodgdon Meadow, and Wawona Campgrounds beginning February 8–February 23, 2024 (these campgrounds normally operate on a first-come, first-served basis in February). All February reservations for Wawona, Camp 4, and Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds will be released on December 15 at 7 am on Recreation.gov. Upper Pines Campground reservations are always available up to five months in advance. Remember, reservations are required almost year-round in Yosemite so you must plan accordingly. Reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all reservations for the months of May through September and for some other weekends are filled the first day they become available, usually within seconds or minutes after 7 am! In order to manage this event, reservations will be required for entry to Yosemite on: February 8–9, February 15–17, and February 22–23, 2025. You don’t need an additional reservation if you have a campground reservation for Upper Pines, Camp 4, Wawona, or Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds.

Here’s how the blocking window schedule works for 2024/25 reservations:

Arrival Date	First Day to make a reservation (7 am PT)
January 15 through February 14 February 15 through March 14 March 15 through April 14 April 15 through May 14 May 15 through June 14 June 15 through July 14 July 15 through August 14 August 15 through September 14 September 15 through October 14 October 15 through November 14 November 15 through December 14 December 15 through January 14	September 15 October 15 November 15 December 15 January 15 February 15 March 15 April 15 May 15 June 15 July 15 August 15

 

Are Reservations Always Necessary?

While we recommend making your summer campsite reservations as soon as possible, we realize that not everyone can plan this far ahead of time. If the National Park you are visiting happens to be booked up or you’re looking to travel with more freedom, there are plenty of options available nearby. Dispersed camping is always an option, and resources like Hipcamp, The Dyrt, Campendium, and of course, Reserve America are great for finding last-minute camping options and reviews. Remember, cancellations happen, and it’s worth a shot to call into the parks every once in a while to check–you may get lucky! You can also read our blog on how to find camping in Yosemite without reservations. And while you’re making your camping reservations, don’t forget to book your camper van in time for the busy season! Learn more