May 2004 -- We've shown you how to pick the park that's right for you and your family. Now that you know where you're going, let's get down to the details on how to claim your space.
Camping & Hotel Reservations
More people want to sleep in the national parks in the summer than the parks can accommodate. To ration campground sites and backcountry permits, the National Park Service has reservation systems that reward those who know the rules and know when to call. You can't buy your way around these systems or get an agent to reserve for you; the race goes to the prepared.
The National Park Reservation Service
The national reservation system currently handles Acadia, Cape Hatteras, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky, Olympic, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Zion parks. The National Recreation Reservation Service, described below, books North Campground at Bryce Canyon National Park. Other parks do not take reservations, offering sites on a first-come, first-served basis, and usually allowing you to choose your own site and self-register. Some reservation campgrounds, including the campgrounds at Yosemite Valley, allow you to request a particular site when you reserve. Even if they don't, rangers at the campground may give you your choice if you arrive early enough.
When To Reserve
Timing is everything. At all parks on the system other than Yosemite and Yellowstone, reservations become available on the 5th of the month for the following 5 months. For example, starting on January 5, you can reserve January 6 through June 4. For the next month, no additional days become available. Then, starting February 5, you can reserve the period through July 4. Popular campgrounds on popular dates fill as soon as they become available, so you need to make your move on the 5th day of the month 5 months before your trip. One trick: If your stay begins during the time for which reservations are open and extends beyond it, you can still reserve enough days to finish your stay -- during a time available to no one else. Of course, the phones are tied up on the 5th of each month, so you'll need patience if you call. The Internet is the better way to go. The system is the same for Yosemite, except that the magic date is the 15th of the month.
Changes in the Reservation Systems
The system for reserving campsites will likely change soon. The National Park Service, Forest Service, and other federal agencies plan to put all reservations in the hands of one contractor operating a single system, replacing a patchwork of phone numbers and websites. This change, if it occurs, will happen no sooner than the fall of 2004. How it will work was entirely unknown at press time. Follow the advice offered here, which reflects the existing system; if it isn't working, check with the park you are visiting for advice or go to www.nps.gov or www.recreation.gov to find out about the new system.Whom To Contact
A company called Spherix operates the National Park Service Reservation Center by phone, by mail, and through the Internet. Using their website (https://reservations.nps.gov) gets you past busy signals, and that gives you a slightly better chance at the best campsites during rush periods. The phone number for reservations is 800/365-CAMP (800/365-2267) or, for Yosemite National Park only, 800/436-PARK (800/436-7275). From outside the U.S., call 301/722-1257. The TDD number is 888/530-9796. The line is open from 10am to 10pm Eastern Standard Time every day except January 1 and December 25. The same hours apply to making online reservations, but you can use the site to check availability and get much other useful information at any time. It has details on each campground, online listings of how many sites are available for each date, and a way to make reservations. I've used the phone and online systems, and both work well.
How To Pay
You pay for your campsite when you reserve. The camping fee, which is typically a few dollars more than at a first-come, first-served campground, includes the reservation fee. You can charge it on Discover, MasterCard, or Visa, or, if reserving at least 21 days in advance, you can send a check or money order. If the money isn't received within 7 days of your call, the reservation is automatically canceled. Use the telephone to reserve, and ask the reservation clerk the information you need about sending in the money.
Using a Reservation
Once you pay for your reservation, you'll receive a voucher to present at the campground. If you arrive after the campground office closes, your site is posted on a bulletin board and you can set up camp. Come back to the office to check in the morning, however, or your reservation for your entire stay likely will be canceled. Each campground has a phone number to call in case you will be late. Get the number and open times for that campground when you reserve (on the website, the information comes up before you reserve). If you need to cancel up to the day before the first night of the reservation, call 800/388-2733; the cancellation fee is $13.65 per reservation, but you get the entire camping fee back. On the day of the reservation, you have to call the park directly; then you pay the cancellation fee and lose the first night's camping fee. These are not large amounts of money. It makes sense to reserve and pay for as many nights as you think you might use; the insurance is worth it at busy parks.
The National Recreation Reservation Service
This service covers many thousands of national forest and Corps of Engineers campsites, and some national park campsites. Bryce Canyon is the only national park in this book with campsites on this NRRS system, which operates entirely separately from the National Park Service Reservation Center described above. Generally, only popular and well-developed national forest campgrounds accept reservations, and they often have sites for people without reservations, too. You can reserve family sites through this system up to 240 days ahead. ReserveAmerica's NRRS website (https://reserveusa.com) lists all the campsites you can reserve in advance. It gives descriptions of each campground and often of each site, along with availability and frequently an opportunity to select the particular site. ReserveAmerica has a separate site (www.reserveamerica.com) that also includes campgrounds in 15 state park systems, among others.
To reach the National Recreation Reservation Service, call 877/444-6777; the TDD number is 877/833-6777; international callers use 518/885-3639. The service accepts reservations by phone and online (all Eastern time) during these hours: April 1 through Labor Day Monday through Friday 8am to midnight, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 9pm; the rest of the year Monday through Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm. To reserve online, you need an American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa card. If you reserve by phone, you can pay by credit card, certified check (no personal checks), or money order, but you must reserve at least 20 days ahead. The reservation fee ($9 per site, no matter how many nights you reserve) is added to the camping fee. Check the cancellation and no-show fees when you reserve.
Backcountry Permits
You almost never need a permit for a day hike, but you usually do for overnight camping in national park backcountry, whether you get there by backpacking, by canoe, on horseback, or by other means. Sometimes you need a backcountry permit in national forests as well. Getting a permit is different at every park; sometimes it's as simple as filling out a form at a trailhead, and sometimes you have to do it many months ahead at just the right time. If you plan a backpacking trip to the Grand Canyon or the high country camps at Yosemite, the permit should be your first priority, with other arrangements revolving around the dates you're able to get. If your dates are flexible, you improve your chances of going where you want to go.
Park Hotel Reservations
The systems to reserve hotel rooms are different at each park. Generally, reserving rooms is similar to booking any hotel room, except that you need to call early to get one. The best places can book up a year early, whereas less desirable lodgings may be open a few months out.
Passes & Fees
After many years of underfunding, Congress let the national parks charge higher fees and keep the money for improvements. The program is making a visible difference in the parks, and the fees still amount to an insignificant percentage of the cost of a vacation, topping out at $20 per car for 7 days at a few of the most popular parks, with most charging only $10 or less.
You may be able to save on park fees by getting a pass. With a pass, people over 62 or with a disability get in virtually free, along with anyone else in the car. If you are over 62, get a Golden Age Passport, which costs only $10 and never has to be renewed. The Golden Access Passport is free to anyone with medical proof of blindness or disability and eligibility for federal benefits, and is also good for a lifetime. Either one also gives 50% off on campsites and some other park fees. You can obtain these passes only in person at a park entrance station; be prepared with proof of age or medical disability when you first request one at the gate. For everyone else, the National Park Pass costs $50 and is good for 1 year; it covers only park entrance fees. If you plan to visit many parks -- on a Southwest tour, perhaps -- the pass may be worth the price; we've saved a little with ours on our extensive travels. (If you visit only one park many times in a year, you can buy an annual pass for that park only for less than $50.) The national pass also makes it quicker to get through the gate. You can get all three passes at any park fee station, or get National Park Pass or information about any of the passes at 888/GO-PARKS or www.nationalparks.org.