Findings from continuous watching
Hardest campground reservations in California
Every campground we watch in California, each ranked over its own park's most recent season — a summer park and a winter park in the same state aren't forced onto one calendar.
Campsites
Ranked
Share of this campground's counted nights that never showed availability on any check, highest first. Cancellations per week is how often we caught a night open up anyway.
| Campground | Window | Fully booked | Nights counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Pfeiffer Burns California State Parks | last 28 days | 100% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| San Onofre Bluffs California State Parks | last 28 days | 100% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Steep Ravine (Mount Tamalpais) California State Parks | last 28 days | 100% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Steep Ravine Cabins (Mount Tamalpais) California State Parks | last 28 days | 100% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈3,269 checks |
| Dorst Creek Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 100% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Kirby Cove Golden Gate National Recreation Area | last 28 days | 75% fully booked 0.2 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,555 checks |
| Oak Grove Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Fremont Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Los Prietos Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Mt. Figueroa Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 0.0 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Fry Creek Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 1.1 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Paradise Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 1.1 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Dripping Springs Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 1.8 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Moro (Crystal Cove) California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 2.2 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Sage Hill Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 2.2 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Observatory Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 2.5 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| El Capitán State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 3.1 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| Burnt Rancheria Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 3.3 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Wheeler Gorge Los Padres National Forest (Santa Barbara & Ojai) | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 3.6 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Refugio State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 3.9 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| Carpinteria State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 5.6 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| San Elijo State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 5.8 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Wright's Beach (Sonoma Coast) California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 5.8 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Bodega Dunes (Sonoma Coast) California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 8.5 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| Laguna Cleveland National Forest | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 8.7 cancellations/wk | 20 nights · ≈1,846 checks |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 10 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| Leo Carrillo California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 11 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| Doheny State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 11 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| South Carlsbad State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 11 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,606 checks |
| New Brighton State Beach California State Parks | last 28 days | 0% fully booked 13 cancellations/wk | 8 nights · ≈6,607 checks |
| Potwisha Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 14 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Ryan Joshua Tree National Park | Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 | 0% fully booked 16 cancellations/wk | 31 nights · ≈7,902 checks |
| Indian Cove Joshua Tree National Park | Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 | 0% fully booked 21 cancellations/wk | 31 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Black Rock Joshua Tree National Park | Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 | 0% fully booked 23 cancellations/wk | 31 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Cottonwood Joshua Tree National Park | Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 | 0% fully booked 27 cancellations/wk | 31 nights · ≈8,599 checks |
| Hodgdon Meadow Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 27 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈7,902 checks |
| Crane Flat Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 31 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈7,902 checks |
| Jumbo Rocks Joshua Tree National Park | Oct 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027 | 0% fully booked 32 cancellations/wk | 31 nights · ≈7,902 checks |
| Wawona Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 40 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Camp 4 Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 42 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Lower Pines Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 65 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| North Pines Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 68 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈7,910 checks |
| Lodgepole Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 68 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈7,902 checks |
| Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 72 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,741 checks |
| Upper Pines Yosemite National Park | Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 | 0% fully booked 146 cancellations/wk | 57 nights · ≈8,635 checks |
Campsites
Season not in view yet
Watched here too, but none of the nights that count for these has been bookable while we watched.
Dogwood San Bernardino National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Fallen Leaf Lake Tahoe (Forest Service) · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Hanna Flat San Bernardino National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Hospital Flat Kern River (Sequoia National Forest) · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Kirk Creek Big Sur (Los Padres National Forest) · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Mountain Oak Angeles National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · North Shore San Bernardino National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Pineknot San Bernardino National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Serrano San Bernardino National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Table Mountain Angeles National Forest · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026 · Twin Lakes Mammoth Lakes (Inyo National Forest) · Jun 1 – Sep 7, 2026