Finding a campsite for tonight

Order of operations

1. Find out whether the system sells same-day at all. Use the table below. If it does not, skip to walk-up options.
2. Note the cutoff and set an alarm 30 minutes before it. After the cutoff the site may still be empty, but you can no longer buy it online.
3. Search one night: today in, tomorrow out. Add nights only after you see what is open.
4. Check the site's limits for length, people, vehicles, and pets.
5. Book it from where you are. Do not drive first. You may lose signal on the way, and the site can sell while you are on the road.
6. Read the confirmation for arrival instructions. Look for check-in time, gate hours, and what to do if you arrive after the office closes.
7. Then drive.

How late can you book for tonight?

These are the rules each provider publishes. All were read on the date shown at the top of this page.

If your system is not listed, look for "same day", "day of arrival", or "cut-off" on its reservation rules page before you rely on it.

Where tonight's openings come from

A site is open tonight because nobody booked it or because somebody gave it up. You cannot predict the second kind, with one exception worth knowing.

California state parks. California State Parks says most cancelled sites return to ReserveCalifornia at 8 a.m. on the day after the cancellation. A site cancelled yesterday goes on sale this morning. If you want a California state park tonight, be signed in and searching at 8 a.m. Pacific.

Everywhere else on this page, no provider publishes a release time for cancelled sites. Wisconsin states only that a cancelled site goes back into inventory for the next customer. Check more than once through the day, or have an alert do it.

If the system does not sell same-day

• Look for the walk-up rule. Missouri registers walk-up campers on unreserved sites. BC Parks says unbooked reservable sites can, in many cases, be used first come, first served.
• Phone the park office during staffed hours and ask what is open tonight and how to claim it.
• Check a second system. A federal campground on Recreation.gov and a state park down the road are sold separately and can have different cutoffs.
• Do not occupy a site that only looks empty. The person who reserved it may still be driving.

Tonight checklist

• Same-day rule confirmed for this system
• Alarm set before the cutoff
• One-night search done, then extended if you want more
• Site limits checked against your vehicle and group
• Booked and paid before leaving
• Confirmation saved offline
• Arrival instructions read

Letting something else do the refreshing

Checking a calendar every few minutes while you pack is a poor use of the afternoon. An OpenCampsite alert set for tonight's date watches a supported campground and sends a text or email when a check finds a match. It will not book for you and it cannot beat a cutoff, so set it early in the day and keep your phone loud.