California Department of Parks and Recreation — Reservations

Parks and Recreation, Department of

The following policies apply to accommodations that are available for booking through California State Parks’ reservation system, ReserveCalifornia. This includes camping (with and without hookups), equestrian camping, group camping, lodging (cabins, cottages, hotels, floating campsites, tent cabins, trailers, and yurts), and remote camping.

Reservations can be booked upon arrival at the park (depending on availability) or up to six months in advance of the arrival date on a rolling window of reservation sale dates. Inventory becomes available on ReserveCalifornia.com, State Parks’ official reservation service, each day at 8 a.m. PST. Reservations can be made at most state parks until two days prior to the planned arrival, subject to availability. A limited number of state parks offer same-day reservations. As they are subject to change, we recommend reviewing the reservations policies prior to booking.

I’m new to ReserveCalifornia™. How do I get started? Welcome! To get started, please create an account: Go to www.reservecalifornia.com and select the “Log in / Sign up” link in the upper-right corner. On the Sign In page, select the “Create an Account” link. Enter your name, email address, and create a password. Check your email inbox for a verification email and follow the instructions to verify your account. Once verified, complete your profile and your account will be ready to use!

California State Parks Site Fees To help keep your state parks safe, clean and open for everyone to enjoy, California State Parks charges site fees for camping and lodging. Amounts vary based on the accommodation type and the amenities available at that park. Payment entitles the reservation holder to the use of the campsite or lodging and includes entry for one vehicle and one legally towed vehicle or trailer. Additional vehicles will be charged per night at the park. Although a site may hold two or more vehicles, a reservation only covers one vehicle (except for group or specialty sites).  Fees support essential services like clean restrooms, walkable trails, protected wildlife habitats and inclusive experiences throughout the California State Park System. When you pay a fee to enjoy a state park, you’re investing in its care and future. Thank you for supporting your California state parks for generations to come!  ReserveCalifornia Fees Camping and lodging reservations booked through ReserveCalifornia.com, State Parks’ official reservation service, also require a non-refundable processing fee that goes toward operating the reservation system. These non-refundable fees are listed below: Reservation Fee: $8.25 Modification Fee: $8.25 Cancellation Fee: $8.25

State Parks is making it easier for guests to book a reservation at some of our most popular and iconic camping sites. The public can enter a lottery-style drawing for an opportunity to reserve high-demand campgrounds. This system provides all visitors with a chance to apply for a future reservation up to eight months in advance. Parks using reservations drawings are listed below: Malibu Creek State Park McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Morro Bay State Park Mount Tamalpais State Park, Steep Ravine Cabins Visit ReserveCalifornia at www.reservecalifornia.com/active-reservation-drawings to see the active drawings. Being selected in the drawing still requires payment for the reservation. However, even if not selected, participating will improve the chances of being selected in future drawings. For more information, review our Reservation Drawing FAQs.

You must be at least 18 years old to book a reservation. For minors with a Disabled Discount Pass, the parent or guardian booking the reservation must be at least 18 years old.

Reservations that are made for California State Parks are for personal use only. Any resale, transfer, use, for profit activity, or memberships that are not approved in advance by California State Parks are strictly prohibited and will be subject to immediate cancellation without notice, refund or reimbursement. There are currently no approved vendors to operate as third-party partners of the California State Parks reservation system for resale purposes.

We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel your reservation, please do so at your earliest convenience so that the site(s) can be made available for other customers to reserve or purchase. There is an additional fee in the amount of $8.25 to ReserveCalifornia for cancellations. This will be deducted from any refund you may be due. The remainder of your reservation costs (site fees) may be refunded. The $8.25 reservation fee charged by ReserveCalifornia at time of booking is non-refundable. Refund amounts for cancellations are assessed on the following schedule:    7 or more days prior to the reservation start date: All site fees are refunded, minus the cancellation fee.  Between 2-6 days prior to the reservation start date: Forfeit the first night’s site fee. Any remaining funds will be refunded, minus the cancellation fee.  Less than 2 days prior to the start date or a no-show: No refund. All fees paid will be forfeited.  California State Parks considers the “reservation start” to be 12:00 PM on the arrival date of the reservation. It is not the check-in time. For example, a reservation that begins on a Friday must be cancelled by 12:00 PM on the preceding Friday in order to receive a full refund of the site fees, minus the cancellation fee.  Allow at least 30 days for the processing of refunds. Retain any refund confirmation messages until the refund is received.    Reservations can be cancelled online through ReserveCalifornia.com or by reaching the Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT. Cancellations within 48 hours of reservation start are not eligible for a refund; however, you can avoid incurring a no-show penalty and help park staff manage the available inventory by cancelling with as much notice as possible.

Reservations are held until 12:00 PM the day after the reservation start date. If you have not arrived or called the park prior to that time, your reservation will be considered a “no-show”. No-show reservations are subject to the penalties listed below and will be promptly cancelled to make the site(s) available for other visitors to reserve. Check the confirmation email or the specific park’s webpage for contact information – www.parks.ca.gov/Find-A-Park.   No-show penalties include:  Forfeiture of all fees paid—no refund. 365-day restriction on reserving sites using the ReserveCalifornia website and Contact Center after incurring three no-shows within one calendar year. Walkup or first-come-first-serve units may still be obtained.

Changes to reservation dates, sites, or parks, or extending or shortening reservation length are considered modifications. For ReserveCalifornia to process modifications to your reservation, an $8.25 modification fee will be assessed. A maximum of two modifications may be made to an existing reservation and must be made at least 48 hours prior to the reservation start. Modifications are subject to availability. Modifications can be made online through ReserveCalifornia.com or by calling the Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT.    Exception - The following facilities do not allow modifications:   Crystal Cove Beach Cottages    San Clemente Holiday Vintage Trailers

If an accessible overnight facility is required, this must be specified at the time of the reservation. The disabled person who requires use of the accessible overnight facility need not be the reservation holder. Visitors reserving accessible overnight facilities will be asked to provide proof of disability. California State Parks will accept the following as proof of disability: o   Valid Permanent Disabled Person (DP) Parking Placard, DP License Plates, or Disabled Veteran (DV) License Plates issued to the disabled person by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). o   Valid Disabled Discount Pass (DDP) issued to the disabled person by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. o   Other similarly reliable documentation issued by a governmental entity demonstrating the need for an accessible overnight facility. Such documentation includes, but is not limited to, DP Parking Placards, DP License Plates, DV License Plates, or disabled discount passes issued by governmental entities other than the State of California, including local, out-of-state, or foreign governmental entities. The person to whom the proof of disability has been issued must be an occupant of the accessible overnight facility for the entirety of the stay.

Possession of valid proof of disability does not automatically qualify for a reservation discount. Only individuals with a valid California State Parks’ Disabled Discount Pass (DDP) or Distinguished Veterans Pass (DVP) are eligible to receive a discount. Reservations associated with a valid California State Parks' DDP or DVP will be discounted at the time of booking only.

Whether use of an accessible overnight facility is subject to reservation or on a first-come first-served basis, unoccupied accessible overnight facilities shall be held for people with disabilities until 5:00 pm each day. If an accessible overnight facility is not occupied by 5:00 pm the site may be occupied on a first-come, first-served basis by a person without a disability for one night only. This process repeats daily.

At most parks, check-in begins at 2:00 p.m. on the reservation’s start date. Check your reservation confirmation to verify your reservation’s check-in time. Upon arrival, be prepared to present the reservation confirmation message, photo identification, and valid proof of disability (if you reserved an accessible overnight facility). For reservation discounts, proof of discount eligibility must be shown at check-in.

Park- and campground-specific information regarding occupancy limits, pet rules, and other critical information may be found specific park’s webpage– www.parks.ca.gov/Find-A-Park. Please review the Park and Campground specific information provided.

Reservations can be cancelled online through ReserveCalifornia.com or by reaching the Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT.

Phone Reservations: 1-800-444-PARK (7275) The ReserveCalifornia customer call center is available 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST (except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day). The best times to call are midday and midweek, when the phone lines are less busy. International callers use 833-448-7287.

Visitors encountering technical issues or who are unable to make a reservation on ReserveCalifornia.com are encouraged to call our Customer Call Center via phone at (800) 444-7275 or submit their feedback online under the “Contact Us” link located at the bottom of the ReserveCalifornia.com website. Individual parks do not take reservations. Please contact the Customer Call Center.

Booking and Fees

Camping Information & Reservations Policies

ReserveCalifornia™ FAQs

I’m new to ReserveCalifornia™. How do I get started? Welcome! To get started, please create an account: Go to www.reservecalifornia.com and select the “Log in / Sign up” link in the upper-right corner. On the Sign In page, select the “Create an Account” link. Enter your name, email address, and create a password. Check your email inbox for a verification email and follow the instructions to verify your account. Once verified, complete your profile and your account will be ready to use! I haven’t used my ReserveCalifornia™ profile in a while. Why aren’t my credentials working? In October 2025, ReserveCalifornia™ introduced a one-time email verification step to improve account security. If you haven’t logged in since then, you will need to verify your existing account. If you are not sure whether you’ve already verified your email, start with Steps 1-3 below. If you see a message stating, “a user with this Primary email already exists”, it means your email has already been verified. Try logging in with your email and password. Verification Steps Go to www.ReserveCalifornia.com and select the “Log in / Sign up” link in the upper-right corner. On the Sign In page, select the “Create an Account” link. Enter the same email address you used before and create a new password. Check your email inbox for a verification email and follow the instructions to verify your account. Once verified, your updated login will automatically reconnect to your previous account.