Booking rules by system
California State Parks camping reservations
How far ahead you can book, what time dates open, and the rules that trip people up.
The rules
- Campsites and lodging open on a rolling window, up to six months before arrival. Each morning one more arrival day opens. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- New dates go on sale on ReserveCalifornia at 8 a.m. Pacific every day. (The agency writes "8 a.m. PST" all year.) Source, checked November 2, 2026
- State Parks' example: on August 1, February 1 arrivals open. When the matching day doesn't exist six months earlier, it rolls forward: August 29, 30 and 31 all open on March 1. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- Most parks take reservations until two days before arrival; a few allow same-day booking. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- Four high-demand spots use a free Reservation Drawing instead of the usual race: Malibu Creek, Morro Bay and McArthur-Burney Falls (select campsites) and the Steep Ravine Cabins at Mount Tamalpais. Apply up to eight months ahead; the drawing runs seven months ahead; winners have 30 days to pay. Anything unclaimed goes on sale at the usual six-month mark. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- Doheny State Beach is the exception: since July 1, 2026 its window is 3 months, not 6, ahead of a planned campground closure sometime between 2027 and 2029. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- Fees: $8.25 to reserve, $8.25 to change, $8.25 to cancel. Cancel 7+ days out for a full site-fee refund; 2 to 6 days out you lose the first night; under 2 days, nothing back. Source, checked November 2, 2026
- No more than two overlapping reservations per person, and most parks cap you at 30 nights a calendar year. Resale is banned; State Parks has no approved resellers. Source, checked November 2, 2026
Book on ReserveCalifornia, the official system run for California State Parks.
Check a California State Parks campground
Pick a campground or permit and your date. You'll get the day and time it becomes bookable, and a calendar reminder.
Campground guides: Pfeiffer Big Sur campground, Doheny State Beach campground, Crystal Cove campground & beach cottages. Full park guides with their own booking tools: Carpinteria State Beach, South Carlsbad State Beach, San Elijo State Beach, Bolsa Chica State Beach, Portola Redwoods State Park. See what opens in the next seven days on What opens this week.
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.
Sources
- California State Parks: Booking and Fees, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Reservation Sale Dates, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Reservation Drawing FAQs, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Doheny Campground Climate Resilience & Modernization Project, checked November 2, 2026.
- California State Parks: Camping Information & Reservations Policies, checked November 2, 2026.
Rules change. Always confirm on the official site before you rely on a date.