Book more campsites with the 15-minute trick

Finding an available campsite can be challenging, especially as more campers compete for popular spots. You might click on a campsite alert only to find the site is already gone. Many are searching for canceled campsites so they can get rebooked super-fast. Don’t worry—this happens often, but there’s a trick that can help you secure those highly sought-after campsites. (I gathered some other tips to help increase your chances of success in this article.)

As competition for popular campsites increases, campers have developed a technique in which they temporarily hold sites to assess the site’s suitability. Once the site is in their cart, it is typically held for 15 minutes, allowing them to check the campsite details. Then, they can complete the booking or pass on the opportunity. If they don’t complete the booking, the campsite gets re-released.

A re-released site will trigger a new alert. Some mistake this for a system error—especially when it occurs more than a few times in a row. One Campnab member called me, frustrated, because he kept getting alerts for the same campsite while working under his car. He had to roll out and check each time, only to find the site unavailable. He thought there was a system error, but I explained these were just repeat cancellations for the same site. (After seven alerts, he finally snagged the site.)

I’m frequently surprised by how often the same campsite opens up repeatedly. However, the reason usually becomes clear when I check these campsites. Often, campsites that get canceled numerous times are ADA campsites. Most folks either aren’t eligible to book these sites or wish to leave them for those with accessibility needs. We also see a lot of repeat alerts for shorter sites. Those with larger RVs can’t book these sites as their rigs won’t fit.

These aren’t the only reasons that a campsite might get re-released. I personally ran into an error with BC Parks’ booking system this past summer. The system would freeze during the purchase workflow when using Firefox, resulting in a blank white screen. This bug forced me to abandon my cart, reload the page in Chrome, and then try to book the campsite again once it re-released. Similarly, a camper might have to abandon their cart if there’s an issue with booking or completing the credit card transaction. This results in the site becoming available, triggering a new alert.

As such, it can be a good idea to check your park’s booking website for up to 15 minutes after an alert—even if the site you were alerted to is gone. Although it won’t always happen, there are so many repeat cancellations that it’s worth keeping an eye on that booking site for a little while. If the campsite gets re-released and you hit Refresh when it opens up, you can act faster than someone responding to a new alert.

You can watch a video explaining this strategy here:

I was on both sides of this 15-minute scenario earlier this summer. I had a scan running on Pacific Rim National Park for early July. I got an alert, added it to my cart, and then realized that the day wouldn’t work. (My wife wasn’t interested in driving that far for just a two-night stay.) So, I dropped that site from my cart and was alerted to it again later. That same spot came up ~5 times over the next two hours. So, it seemed like a few folks had the same mixed feelings about that short opening as my wife and I.

However, I was later able to book spots at Pacific Rim and Rathtrevor (both popular parks) by waiting a bit on subsequent alerts and seeing sites open up multiple times. For what it’s worth, I’m not the one who discovered this unique little trick; instead, other Campnab members told me about it, and I’m now sharing it with you.

This same scenario occurs on launch day when campsites are initially released for booking. Campers commonly work together to book campsites, with each family member trying to book a different site at a popular park. Sometimes, folks get lucky and secure multiple campsites at that time. When this happens, they typically unload one of those two campsites, which can result in new availabilities—even at a sold-out park—roughly 15 minutes after they open for booking.

If this 15-minute trick helps you snag a campsite, I’d love to hear your story. Feel free to reach out and let me know. I hope this tip helps make your next camping trip a success. Have a fantastic weekend!

P.S., Thanks to Jonathan Zerger for the beautiful photo!

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