Skip to main content

When to Book Your National Park Campsite for 2022

When to Book Your National Park Campsite for Summer 2021
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Warm weather is just around the corner in the U.S., and most of us are daydreaming of the return to outdoor “normal.” If you’re planning to hike, camp, kayak, or escape into nature at some point this year, you can expect company. Americans are heading outdoors in record numbers, and campgrounds and hiking trails around the country will be very busy. That’s why now is the time to start booking your National Park campsite for this season. Here are the key dates to know for the most popular U.S. National Parks.

Related Guides

Acadia National Park

Maine’s only National Park is among the top ten most visited parks in the country. Acadia’s campgrounds open each year between May and October, with reservations possible up to three months in advance. For 2021, Blackwoods will open May 7 through October 17, while Schoodic Woods and Seawall will open May 26 through October 10. Bookings for all campgrounds are open now. Due to its wild popularity, Cadillac Mountain will require a day-use reservation for visitors from the middle of June through the end of October.

Glacier National Park

Many Glacier and Fish Creek are the only two campgrounds within Glacier National Park that will be bookable online this year. Visitors can reserve campsites up to six months prior to the date of arrival. New spots will be released online every morning at 10 a.m. ET. Sites at every other campground within the National Park will be available on a first-come, first-served basis this year. However, Rising Sun Campgrounds and St. Mary will remain closed for 2021.

Grand Canyon National Park

Reservations for North Rim and Mather Campgrounds can be made online six months in advance. Mather Campground will open all year, while North Rim will likely be open from May 15 through October 2021. Desert View operates on a first-come, first-served basis. The popular Phantom Ranch cottages at the bottom of the Grand Canyon use a lottery system with spots opening 15 months in advance. That means visitors should start thinking now about their vacation.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

As the most popular park in the country, Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees more visitors each year than Yellowstone, Zion, and Rocky Mountain National Park combined. Campgrounds here can be booked online up to six months before arrival. Most of the park’s campgrounds open in April and close by Halloween. Smokemont and Cades Cove remain open all year and are worth a look for last-minute bookings if everywhere else is full.

Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Rocky Mountain National Park

After overcoming a few hurdles with its new online booking system, Rocky Mountain National Park’s wilderness camping permits are now available for the 2021 camping season (May through October). Car campers can book spots at Moraine Park and Glacier Basin — both of which open May 27. Timber Creek and Longs Peak are only available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is wildly popular, and, due to a shorter tourist season than many other National Parks, the campgrounds here fill up fast. Starting March 24 this year, Slough Creek, Mammoth, and Pebble Creek will be bookable online up to six months in advance. Approximately 40% of all sites will be reservable on Recreation.gov, with the remainder available first-come, first-served. The other campgrounds are private and accept reservations 12 months in advance. They’ll be open to reservations starting May 1.

Yosemite National Park

Booking a campsite at Yosemite is notoriously difficult. On the 15th of each month, the Park Service opens up blocks of sites a month at a time, five months in advance. Sound complicated? You’re not alone. The good news is that a few of the park’s campgrounds — including half the sites at beautiful Tuolumne Meadows Campground — are all first-come, first-served. So, even if you can’t snag a reservation, showing up early could be all you need to secure a site. Just note that most of these spots fill by midday.

It’s also worth noting that regular cancellations, even during peak season, mean new spots become available all the time. So, if you have your heart set on a park within a specific time frame, be sure to check that park’s reservation system often. You never know when you might get lucky.

If heading to the National Parks isn’t in the cards for you this year, check out the best ways to visit national parks virtually from the comfort of your own home.

Editors' Recommendations

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
To avoid a bear attack, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed a road
Hungry bears get hangry, too
BLACK BEARS LOOKING FOR FOOD AND FEEDING

 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a haven for both nature enthusiasts and wildlife. However, coexisting with the park's wildlife has its responsibilities, especially when it comes to respecting and protecting its resident black bear population. A recent incident involving a bear encounter has prompted park officials to take a proactive step toward ensuring the safety of both visitors and these magnificent creatures.
Why Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed a road
On a seemingly ordinary day in the Cades Cove area, a visitor had an unexpected and heart-pounding encounter with one of the park's iconic residents — a black bear. While the visitor remained unharmed, the incident shed light on a concerning issue that has been gradually developing: bears becoming habituated to human presence and vehicles.

Read more
2 popular national parks want your opinion about proposed fee increases and reservation changes
National parks are considering fee hikes and reservation changes. What do you think?
View from Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon and Zion are a couple of Utah's most amazing national parks, and officials want to keep it that way. Management is constantly seeking to improve visitors' experiences while preserving these national treasures. In this pursuit, officials are now calling for public comment on several proposals aimed at addressing discrepancies. Some of these proposals are designed to make getting a reservation easier —we're all for anything that can help us plan a trip in advance — while others include various fee increases. Of course, no one likes paying more, but the aim of these increases is to use the money to keep up standards at the parks. Here's what you need to know.
Bryce Canyon
Proposal 1: Campground reservations will get a little easier
Right now, a major struggle that Sunset Campground campers face is that reservations can't be booked in advance unless you want to grab Sunset's Group Site. This means that many people come all the way up to the campground only to find that every spot is taken.

By comparison, the North Campground has a reservation system through Recreation.gov and has dates available from May through October six months in advance. It's still a first-come, first-serve situation, but because you can reserve a spot, it has smoothed out many of the hiccups visitors have been experiencing.

Read more
Get the right sleeping bag for your camping trips with this guide
Every camper needs a great sleeping bag, and here's how to get yours
Camping looking out his tent door in a sleeping bag

Your sleeping bag is the cornerstone on which your entire camping sleep system should be built. Get your sleeping bag right, and you'll sleep soundly and wake feeling refreshed, ready to face the day ahead, whether relaxing in camp with the family or hitting the trail to your next campground. But get it wrong, and you face more than just a host of discomforts; too hot, too cold, too bulky for your pack, and baffles in all the wrong places.

But how do you go about choosing your perfect sleeping bag? Unfortunately, there isn't a 'one-sleeping bag' solution to your camping needs. Many experienced campers — especially those who like to camp year-round — end up with three or four sleeping bags that fit various needs. Whether this is you and you're looking to expand your camping setup, or you're looking to finally replace the sleeping bag you've had since you were a teenager, you want to be sure that you spend your money wisely. Here's how to buy the right sleeping bag.

Read more