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California

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California · find a service

Reserve a park or campsite in California

Reserve a park or campsite.

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In California, 29 county departments, 2 special districts, 1 city government and 1 state agency publish 50 official links for this service, 1 of them online. Reviewed requirements cover availability notices (21), documents (3), eligibility (3), deadlines (3), payment methods (2), accessibility (2) and appointments (1). 32 counties have a page for it below.

Before you start · 2 things to check
  • Check the operator's current park status, season, reservation availability and fees before travelling.
  • County, city, district, state and federal parks can have different operators and rules.

33 guides with reviewed service links · Reviewed local guides

Choose a county on the map

Highlighted counties have a reviewed service guide matching this selection. An agency may serve only a city or part of a county.

California58 counties
California county mapChoose a county to open its directory. Use the county search and list for smaller counties.Alameda County: open directoryAlpine County: open directoryAmador County: open directoryButte County: open directoryCalaveras County: open directoryColusa County: open directoryContra Costa County: open directoryDel Norte County: open directoryEl Dorado County: open directoryFresno County: open directoryGlenn County: open directoryHumboldt County: open directoryImperial County: open directoryInyo County: open directoryKern County: open directoryKings County: open directoryLake County: open directoryLassen County: open directoryLos Angeles County: open directoryMadera County: open directoryMarin County: open directoryMariposa County: open directoryMendocino County: open directoryMerced County: open directoryModoc County: open directoryMono County: open directoryMonterey County: open directoryNapa County: open directoryNevada County: open directoryOrange County: open directoryPlacer County: open directoryPlumas County: open directoryRiverside County: open directorySacramento County: open directorySan Benito County: open directorySan Bernardino County: open directorySan Diego County: open directorySan Francisco County: open directorySan Joaquin County: open directorySan Luis Obispo County: open directorySan Mateo County: open directorySanta Barbara County: open directorySanta Clara County: open directorySanta Cruz County: open directoryShasta County: open directorySierra County: open directorySiskiyou County: open directorySolano County: open directorySonoma County: open directoryStanislaus County: open directorySutter County: open directoryTehama County: open directoryTrinity County: open directoryTulare County: open directoryTuolumne County: open directoryVentura County: open directoryYolo County: open directoryYuba County: open directory
County directory Reviewed service guides available
Map for browsing; agency service areas may differ.
Map source

U.S. Census boundaries via U.S. Atlas · 2017 edition, simplified for display.

Showing 33 guides as a short list. Choose your county or type a city above to see each guide’s instructions, conditions and sources here.

Special district · Butte

Chico Area Recreation and Park District (CARD)

Independent recreation district serving the greater Chico area in Butte County. This is an actual district provider, not a Butte County parks department or a claim of countywide park service.

CARD park rental instructions (opens in a new tab)
CARD park rentals; does not establish all facilities' present operating status

Please note, that the playgrounds are not rentable and will remain open to the public.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
County government · Marin

Marin County Parks — visitor and reservation information

Marin County Parks information. Park sites, open-space preserves, court bookings, group permits and special events have different requirements; live closures and actual inventory must be checked with the operator.

Marin County site reservations and permit instructions (opens in a new tab)
Rec.Us Instant Book use limit

Use Instant Book for recreational reservations that are not commercial use or special events.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

County picnic areas; not a universal open-space group threshold

Advance reservations are required for groups of 20 or more. Use permits may also be required.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
County government · Placer

Placer County Parks — reservations and visitor information

County Parks, Trails & Open Space reservation information and separately scoped Hidden Falls visitor instructions. Mears Place and the announced future Big Hill Preserve entrance have different rules.

Placer County park and Hidden Falls parking reservations (opens in a new tab)
Hidden Falls parking cannot be booked by phone

No. Parking reservations must be made online through our parking reservation system.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
County government · Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz County Parks — facilities and reservations

Santa Cruz County parks and recreation information; city parks and state parks have their own operators. Picnic reservation confirmation requires the returned signed county permit.

Santa Cruz County picnic-area reservations (opens in a new tab)
Santa Cruz County picnic-area online bookings

Online Picnic Area Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis, and may be made up to one year in advance. Full payment is required when reservations are made.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Payment alone is not final county permit confirmation

Your reservation is confirmed once you have received a Docusign permit from County Parks and returned it with your signature!

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →
California state agency · Statewide

California Department of Parks and Recreation — Reservations

California statewide reservation programme information; county browsing does not establish local facilities, inventory or booking eligibility

Reserve a California State Parks campsite or lodging (opens in a new tab)
Read state park booking windows and fees (opens in a new tab)
Standard ReserveCalifornia booking window; selected drawings have a separate process

The standard rolling window opens up to six months before arrival, with daily releases at 8 a.m. (the guide labels this PST).

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Exception to the standard six-month window; only facilities included in DPR’s active drawings

Selected high-demand facilities use reservation drawings for a chance to reserve up to eight months ahead.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Check cancellation, modification and accessible-site rules (opens in a new tab)
DPR’s conditional same-day accessible-site release; no current availability claimed

Unoccupied accessible overnight facilities are held for people with disabilities until 5 p.m. each day.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Park and campground-specific restrictions are separate from the statewide guide

Review the individual park and campground page for occupancy limits, pets and other critical restrictions before booking.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

1 more service link
Get ReserveCalifornia account and booking help (opens in a new tab)
Booking assistance, not emergency or park field operations

For technical or booking problems, call (800) 444-7275 or use ReserveCalifornia’s Contact Us option.

Official information checked October 26, 2026 · Details & sources

Full guide, contact details & sources →

Reserve a park or campsite by county