How to Get a Campsite at a Popular National Park Campground

Have you ever been to an event and everyone is laughing except you?  And better yet you have no idea why everyone is laughing.  Try showing up to go camping in a busy national park campground later in the day and you will get this same experience.  In this article I am going to walk you through how to get a campsite in a busy national park campground.  Reading this post will prevent you from being left out of the campground you had your heart set on staying.​

I thought I knew everything there was to camping until my wife taught me how to get a campsite.  I had camped all over the United States from sleeping in the snow with just a ground sheet under me to traveling to Alaska in a motorhome.  I knew how to camp which is important but to use the ability to camp you have to have a campsite.
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Car’s packed, everyone is excited for a week of camping in the Tetons.  You have a great travel time getting to the Tetons.  Sharing stories the whole time of past camping stories.  You get to Jenny Lake Campground at the base of the Tetons in the afternoon to find it is full.  All the excitement of camping and the great trip thus far just flew out the window when you heard the campground is full.  How can this be?  Should there not be a spot for you?  You heard this is the best camp spot in the Tetons.  What to do?​

If you want a campsite in a busy national park campground then either reserve it 6 months ahead and if you can’t reserve it then this is what you do.​

​We have gotten to Many Glacier Campground in Glacier National Park at 6:30 A.M. to get a campsite!  The campground was full by 7:15 A.M.!  We’ve gotten to Jenny Lake Campground in the Tetons by 7 A.M. and it is full by 7:30 A.M.!  Yes, you have to sacrifice sleep for one night if you want to stay in the best National Park Campgrounds.

What?  Remember getting to the campground by 7 A.M. is only half the battle.  If you don’t like Black Friday shopping then you will not like getting a campsite in a busy national park.  Campers in general are very nice and willing to help each other out but when it comes to getting a camping spot, nice unfortunately goes to the woods sometimes.

When you get to the campground drive straight to camping spots.  The best is to have a map already before you arrive.  Don’t waste your time stopping and reading any literature when you get to the campground.  If you stop and read or pick up info., you may have 3 cars pass ​you looking for a campsite.  And there may only be three campsites available that day and you just gave your spot away by stopping. DON’T STOP

​Drive to campsites and start looking for people packing up.  Roll your window down and ask if they are leaving or get out and walk up and ask quietly if they are leaving.  Once you find someone leaving, this may be your spot.  Leave someone at the site.

​​Why leave some one?   There will be others coming into the campground looking for a spot.  If you leave someone by the spot have them stand at the site number.  This way when others drive by you can say, "Yes we are going to take this spot probably."  If you don’t leave someone there to "reserve" there may not be another site.  As well it is best if you have a walkie talkie or cell phones if they work so you can communicate.

​After you’ve driven through you have an idea of how many sites are available.  Drive to the front and pick up an envelope to reserve the site. (usually non-reservable busy national park campgrounds don’t have a reservation person. There is simply a sign with a spot to get an envelope and put your money in and tear off a tag to leave at the site you chose.)  With envelope either you take the one spot where you left one person or take another that is still open or even maybe you left another person at another spot.

​Once the people have left you are free to set up camp.  Sometimes the people are leaving, but wait until check out time.  You are still welcome to put your stub of paper on top and go hike until the people have left.  In these campgrounds everyone knows and understands how hard it is to get a site so are fine with you asking if they are leaving and if so what time.

​There it is!  Your in the “IN” as to how to get a campsite at a busy national park campground.  Do your homework before going.  Ask if the campground fills and if so about what time.  Some campgrounds online tell you that info.  Plan where to stay the night before you get to the campground early.  Get there early, have someone ready to stand by the site, choose ​a site, and set up camp.  

​Any other tips or tricks you’ve learned on how to get a campsite at a non-reservable campground?  Let’s help each other!