Recreation.gov
Federal campgrounds nationwide — national parks, national forests, BLM, and Army Corps of Engineers sites.
Recreation.gov is the federal booking platform for campgrounds across the United States — national parks, national forests, BLM land, and Army Corps of Engineers sites. If a campground is run by a federal agency, odds are you book it here.
Booking & release timing
Rolling 6-month window for most campgrounds — sites become bookable about 6 months ahead. Some popular parks drop on a fixed schedule at a set time; the exact rule varies by park.
Most campgrounds release on a rolling 6-month window: each day a new day roughly six months out becomes bookable. A number of high-demand parks instead drop their inventory on a fixed date and time — varies by park, so always check the specific campground’s page on Recreation.gov for its booking rules before you plan.
Booking windows
Recreation.gov releases new dates on a rolling window. Here is when each watched park opens for booking, and the furthest night you can grab today.
| Campground | Books out | Bookable through | Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| SANTA CRUZ SCORPION | ~7 months out | Jan 31, 2027 | New dates release on a rolling 6-month window, typically ~7:00 AM local. |
When does it open?
Site & camp types
Tent sites, RV sites (with and without hookups), group sites, cabins/yurts, and ADA-accessible sites — availability of each varies by campground.
Limitations & rules
Stay limits, fees, and check-in windows are set per campground. Many popular sites sell out the moment they release, and cancellations are where Camp Snipe shines.
Tips & tricks
For a fully-booked campground, set a Camp Snipe watch on your dates and let it catch cancellations the instant a site frees up. Have the Recreation.gov booking page open on your phone so you can grab it before someone else does.
Data source & accuracy
Camp Snipe reads Recreation.gov API (RIDB + availability). That gives High accuracy (API).