Your Guide to Campsite Cancellation Alerts for Washington Parks
Posted Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Eric Karjaluoto
I’m one of the two people working on Campnab. I like to run, ski, bike, and camp with my family and friends. (I love saunas.)
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Whether it’s for the coastal forests, snow-capped mountains, or countless miles of pristine beach, campers have no shortage of reasons to visit the Pacific Northwest. As a result, Washington parks are seeing increased demand from campers who wish to take in the outdoors for themselves.
The one downside to this enthusiasm is added pressure on the already limited campsite supply. As such, you’ll need to act early to know when sites open for booking. Should you not be one of the lucky campers who secures a campsite on launch day, you might still have a chance with the help of a campsite tracking tool.
Understanding campsite cancellations
A lot of folks believe that bots are booking all of the campsites. Spoiler alert: They aren’t. Instead, campsite shortages are largely a matter of a lot of interest, coupled with booking windows opening up many months in advance. National parks in Washington typically become available 6 months in advance on recreation.gov. Washington State Parks can be booked online or by phone, up to nine months in advance of your arrival date.
Being able to book 6 – 9 months in advance is handy if you have specific plans, or are travelling from abroad. Most don’t make fixed plans that far in advance. That said, those wishing to camp recognize that if they don’t book some dates, they might find themselves without a place to camp when the time comes. For this reason, a lot of campers book some tentative dates and hope for the best.
As months pass, plans change. Weddings are announced. Kids have soccer games. A family emergency occurs. Whatever the reason, events arise that require campers to cancel their camping reservations. This happens a lot more than you might realize. The result: hundreds of thousands of new campsite availabilities that most are entirely unaware of.
How to set up availability alerts
There’s no trick to finding these newly available Washington campsite openings. All you have to do is check the booking system for the park you’re interested in. Periodically hit Refresh and you’ll occasionally spot an available campsite that was listed as reserved just a few moments earlier. (Cancelled campsites in Washington’s state and national parks are released immediately when someone cancels, unlike some areas that lock some sites.)
For those who prefer to automate the process, there’s Campnab. My friend Eric built it to save his wife from having to hit Refresh day in and day out to find a campsite. Campnab is largely a set-it-and-forget-it tool. Here’s the process:
- Visit Campnab.com
- Find the park you want to scan
- Pick the campgrounds you’re interested in
- Apply any filters (campsite type, RV length, etc.)
- Choose your preferred arrival date(s)
- Note your minimum stay length
- Validate your phone (so we can send alerts)
- Choose a pay-per-use scan or a plan
- Provide payment information
As I look at the above instructions, setting up a scan seems like a bit of work. In actuality, it takes less than a minute from start to finish. Future ones will be even quicker, as your phone will already be connected.
How to create scans that work
The way you set up your campsite scan can have a HUGE impact on the number of results you see. A big part of this is just a matter of odds. If you only monitor a single campsite, the odds of that person canceling are lower than if you scan the entire park. Here are some quick suggestions that can help you make the most of your scan for campsite cancellations in Washington parks:
- Add more campgrounds (you can monitor up to 6 per scan)
- Scan as many campsites in a park as possible
- Avoid getting overly particular with your filters
- Scan a wide range (up to 7 days) of arrival dates
- Make your minimum stay as short as possible
- Start your scan early to see the most cancellations
- If you’re on a plan, use all of your available scan slots
These tips should help you get more alerts, but they don’t guarantee that you’ll be able to book the spot. There may be many campers after the same campsites—especially during peak season. Sometimes they’ll act faster than you, allowing them to book before you even click the link we sent.
To maximize your chances of booking the newly available campsite, opt for text alerts over email alerts. Setting a custom ringtone is another good way to remind yourself to act fast. (Here’s a step-by-step set of instructions for setting up a custom ringtone.)
Pro-tip: Don’t get frustrated if you miss out on some newly available campsites. Instead, remain persistent, and hopefully your luck will change on the next alert you receive.
Popular Washington parks and quick links
We’ve monitored national parks in Washington for cancellations for several years now. We’ve also done so for campsite cancellations at Washington State Parks. Out of curiosity, I quickly checked to see the most popular ones according to scan history. These are the ones we see the most interest in:
The 5 most popular national parks in Washington for camping
- Deception Pass State Park
- Moran State Park
- Cape Disappointment State Park
- Fort Worden State Park
- Steamboat Rock State Park
The 5 most popular state parks in Washington for camping
- Olympic National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest
- Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
BTW: Campnab also monitors many wilderness areas and can send you alerts for backcountry permits at Washington parks.
Alternative ways to find campsite availability
As you read this article, you probably recognize that I’m trying to sell you on Campnab. (This is sort of my job—and I’d love to have you become a member.) That said, our service isn’t the only way to find campsite and permit availabilities at Washington parks. Campnab is just a convenience that gives you some handy features and saves you a bit of time.
Most parks have some number of first-come, first-served campsites available. These do go quickly but tend to be easier to pick up if you arrive earlier in the week. (Showing up on Friday night with hopes of picking up one of these campsites isn’t a great idea.) Another option is to look at parks that others might be unaware of. For example, Tacoma Public Utilities maintains some parks. (Yes—we can scan these for cancellations, too.)
Some folks suggest looking at bulletin boards or online forums for folks who might be willing to sell their camping reservations. I recommend against doing this as Washington State Parks and Recreation.gov both prohibit the transfer of campsite reservations. So, if you do buy reservations from anyone other than the official vendor you might lose your reservation and forfeit what you paid.
Best practices for booking a campsite
Finding a campsite can feel overwhelming at times. It requires you to do research into viable parks, assessing their proximity and amenities. Some might not fit your RV or be too small if you’re camping with a group. You might only find available campsites that are in undesirable locations. I feel you, and I’ve been there.
Here’s the deal: Start slowly and with low expectations. Find any nearby park with an open campsite and give it a try. While there, walk around and make note of the best campsites. (This will pay off when you plan your next visit to this park.) Strike up conversations with other campers and ask them which parks they like best. These tips will give you ideas for other campgrounds you visit in the future.
Camping isn’t the same as checking into a hotel. You don’t need it to be perfect, and each experience will be unique. This is all part of the fun—even when things go a little awry. Remain flexible and open-minded, and you’ll open yourself up to all kinds of fun camping adventures!
Be a kind camper
I hope the above tips were informative, and help you make the most of camping in Washington State’s gorgeous campgrounds and wilderness. Before I let you go, though, I’d like to make one little appeal to you, camper to camper.
As more people visit these beautiful parks, stress increases—on nature, park staff members, and campers alike. You can do a lot to keep camping happy for all by being a good member of the outdoor community.
Remain mindful of wildlife and keep a good distance. Pack out anything you bring with you, and follow any park regulations (they’re in place for a good reason). Be respectful of fellow campers, and keep noise to a minimum. And if you can’t use your campsite reservation, please cancel it.
Until next time, thanks for reading! 👋
Thanks to Cody Fitzgerald for the image above of Alta Lake State Park.
Other articles you might find helpful:
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