California State Parks · Yosemite · Half Dome · Mount Whitney
When does booking open?
State parks open one day at a time at 8 a.m. Yosemite opens a month at a time on the 15th. Half Dome and Whitney are lotteries. Pick where and when, and get the exact day and time, plus a reminder for your calendar.
Find your booking day
Pick a campground or permit and your date. You'll get the day and time it becomes bookable, and a calendar reminder.
Opening in the next 3 days
Tuesday, November 3
- California State Parks campsites and lodgingArrivals May 3, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Doheny State Beach (3-month window)Arrivals February 3, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Yosemite: Camp 4Arrivals November 10, 2026 open at 7 a.m. Pacific Time.
Wednesday, November 4
- California State Parks campsites and lodgingArrivals May 4, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Doheny State Beach (3-month window)Arrivals February 4, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Yosemite: Camp 4Arrivals November 11, 2026 open at 7 a.m. Pacific Time.
Thursday, November 5
- California State Parks campsites and lodgingArrivals May 5, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Doheny State Beach (3-month window)Arrivals February 5, 2027 open at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
- Yosemite: Camp 4Arrivals November 12, 2026 open at 7 a.m. Pacific Time.
Dates to know
- Every day, 8 a.m. PacificCalifornia State Parks open one more arrival day, 6 months out (Doheny: 3 months). Source
- The 15th of every month, 7 a.m. PacificYosemite's Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow open a whole month of arrivals. Source
- February 1 to March 1Mount Whitney lottery applications (results March 15; leftovers on sale April 22, 7 a.m.). Source
- March 1 to March 31Half Dome preseason lottery (results mid-April). Source
- Not announcedNorth Pines early-access lottery for 2027 (2026's took applications November 24 to December 14, 2025). Source
- 2026: noneYosemite entry reservations. The park dropped its timed reservation system for 2026. Source
Booking rules by system
Full park guides, each with its own booking tool: Carpinteria State Beach, South Carlsbad State Beach, San Elijo State Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Portola Redwoods State Park.
Get the reminder by email
One email the week before the big California dates (the Mount Whitney lottery in February, the Half Dome lottery in March, and North Pines' early-access lottery once NPS announces it). Nothing else.
Before any reminder, you'll get one email asking you to confirm. It comes from New England Reservations (hello@newenglandreservations.com), our sister site. Unsubscribe anytime. See the privacy policy.
Questions
How far in advance can you book a California state park campsite?
Six months before arrival, on ReserveCalifornia, with new dates at 8 a.m. Pacific every day. State Parks' example: on August 1, February 1 arrivals open. Doheny State Beach is temporarily 3 months.
What time do ReserveCalifornia reservations open?
8 a.m. Pacific, every day. The agency writes it as 8 a.m. PST.
When do Yosemite campground reservations open?
Upper, Lower and North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow open a month of arrivals at a time on the 15th at 7 a.m. Pacific on Recreation.gov. Arrivals May 15 to June 14 open January 15, for example. Camp 4 opens one week ahead, daily.
Do you need a reservation to enter Yosemite in 2026?
No. Yosemite dropped its timed reservation system for 2026. The entrance fee still applies, and campgrounds still need reservations.
Is this an official reservation site?
No. This is an independent site, not affiliated with any state park agency or the National Park Service. It works out dates from each agency's published rules and links you to the official booking site.
Sources
- California State Parks: Booking and Fees, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Reservation Sale Dates, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Doheny Campground Climate Resilience & Modernization Project, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: Campground Reservations, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: Entrance Reservations, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: North Pines Campground Early Access Lottery, checked November 2, 2026.
- NPS Yosemite: Half Dome Permits for Day Hikers, checked November 2, 2026.
- Inyo National Forest: Mount Whitney, checked November 2, 2026.
Rules change. Always confirm on the official site before you rely on a date.