If you’re someone who loves the outdoors, you’ve probably felt the frustration of trying to grab a campsite at a favorite spot, only to find everything already booked. Popular campgrounds, especially in national parks, fill up super fast—sometimes months in advance! Luckily, Recreation.gov has your back with availability alerts.
Why Should You Use Availability Alerts?
In July 2024, Recreation.gov announced a game-changing feature: Availability Alerts! With this tool, you can now get notified when campsites, tickets, or timed entry spots become available across all reservable locations. This is how we’ve successfully scored campsites at 4 out of 5 fully booked campgrounds in National Parks and National Forests this year. Instead of obsessively checking for open spots, you’ll get a notification as soon as a reservation becomes available. Whether it’s because of a last-minute cancellation or new sites opening up, these alerts give you the chance to grab that spot before someone else does.
How to Set an Availability Alert
1. Login to your recreation.gov account
First things first, log in to your recreation.gov account. Don’t have one yet? No problem! Signing up is quick, easy, and free.
2. Search for Your Perfect Campsite
Use the search bar to find the campground or National Park you’re dreaming of. The more specific you are, the better your results will be.
3. Check the Availability Calendar
Once you’ve found your spot, select the desired dates and check the availability calendar. If there’s nothing open, don’t worry – this is where alerts come in!
4. No Availability? Create an Availability Alert
On the availability calendar, look for the ‘Set Availability Alert’ button. Click it to start setting up your alert. If your travel dates are flexible, consider setting an alert with a wider date range to improve your chances.
5. Save Alert and Relax
Once you’ve finalized your date preferences, save your alert. That’s it! You’ll get notified as soon as something becomes available, and you can jump on the reservation. Note, the availability alert you set up does not guarantee you a reservation – other visitors who have alerts set for the same date will also be notified.
Pro Tips to Book Your Dream Campsite:
- Move Fast: When you get an alert, act quickly! Sites are still booked on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t wait too long.
- Stay Flexible: Being open to different dates or even alternate campgrounds can make a big difference in finding a spot.
- Set Up Multiple Alerts: The more locations and dates you’re monitoring, the better your chances of finding something awesome. Note, you can only have 3 active availability alerts at a time.
- Patience and Good Timing: Popular destinations like Yosemite and Glacier often see cancellations closer to the reservation date. Setting alerts 2 to 3 months before your trip is a good buffer to see if last minute availabilities come up.
- No luck? You can also find private campsites on sites like hipcamp.com
Final Thoughts:
Availability alerts on recreation.gov take the stress out of last minute planning and make it so much easier to score a coveted campsite. With just a few clicks, you’re well on your way to your next adventure. Have you tried setting up alerts before? I’d love to hear if this worked for you – share your results in the comments below!
