How to Book California Campgrounds
California camping is spread across three different reservation systems — ReserveCalifornia for state parks, Recreation.gov for national parks and forests, and county systems for many regional parks. Instead of checking each one, Campsite Tonight searches them together, tracks cancellations, and shows which sites are releasing each day — so you can find and book California campgrounds, even sold-out ones, faster.
Where California campgrounds are booked
ReserveCalifornia
California state parks & beaches
The official portal for California State Park campgrounds. Reservations open six months out at 8:00 AM Pacific. Campsite Tonight monitors these campgrounds for cancellations and alerts you when sold-out sites reopen.
Recreation.gov
National parks & national forests
California's federal campgrounds — Yosemite, Sequoia, the national forests and more. On Recreation.gov, Campsite Tonight can automatically add a freed-up site to your cart the instant a cancellation appears.
County & regional parks
Participating California counties
Many popular coastal and inland campgrounds are run by county park systems with their own booking. Campsite Tonight tracks availability across supported county parks so they show up in the same search.
Sold out? Catch the cancellations
California's most popular campgrounds — Big Sur, the coast, Yosemite Valley — sell out fast, but cancellations open up daily. Campsite Tonight monitors sold-out California campgrounds and alerts you the instant a site reopens, and for federal (Recreation.gov) campgrounds it adds the open site to your cart automatically.
You can also see which California state park sites are releasing today (8:00 AM Pacific), or learn how to book a sold-out campsite.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best app for booking California campgrounds?
Campsite Tonight searches California’s major reservation systems — ReserveCalifornia (state parks), Recreation.gov (national parks and forests), and participating county parks — in one place, so you don’t have to check each site separately. It also tracks cancellations and daily releasing sites, and on Recreation.gov it can add an open site to your cart automatically. You complete booking on the official system.
How do I book a sold-out California state park campsite?
California state park campgrounds release cancellations through ReserveCalifornia, and sites reopen as campers cancel. Campsite Tonight monitors sold-out ReserveCalifornia campgrounds and alerts you the moment a site opens up, so you can book it before it’s taken. It also tracks state-park sites releasing each morning at 8:00 AM Pacific.
When does ReserveCalifornia release campsites?
ReserveCalifornia releases California state park reservations six months in advance on a rolling basis, at 8:00 AM Pacific Time. New dates open every morning, and popular sites can book within minutes — so being ready at release time, or using alerts for cancellations, matters.
Do I need different sites for California state and national park campgrounds?
Yes — California state parks use ReserveCalifornia, while national parks and national forests use Recreation.gov, and some regional parks use their own county systems. Campsite Tonight covers all of them in one search, so you can find and track availability without juggling multiple websites.
Find your California campsite faster
Search ReserveCalifornia, Recreation.gov, and county parks in one app, with cancellation alerts for sold-out sites. Free on iOS and Android.
Get Campsite Tonight