Camping Information & Reservations Policies

The following policies apply to accommodations that are available for booking through California State Parks’ reservation system, ReserveCalifornia. This includes camping (with and without hookups), equestrian camping, group camping, lodging (cabins, cottages, hotels, floating campsites, tent cabins, trailers, and yurts), and remote camping. 

Reservations that are made for California State Parks are for personal use only. Any resale, transfer, use, for profit activity, or memberships that are not approved in advance by California State Parks are strictly prohibited and will be subject to immediate cancellation without notice, refund or reimbursement. If you attempt or participate in any prohibited or unlawful activities, your ReserveCalifornia account may be blocked, terminated and cancelled without notice and you may not be allowed to make any reservations or open new accounts. There are currently no approved vendors to operate as third-party partners of the California State Parks reservation system. 

The policies below are effective for reservations with arrival dates on and after July 1, 2026:

Cancellations and Refunds 

We understand that plans can change. If you need to cancel your reservation, please do so at your earliest convenience so that the site(s) can be made available for other customers to reserve or purchase. There is an additional fee in the amount of $8.25 to ReserveCalifornia for cancellations. This will be deducted from any refund you may be due. The remainder of your reservation costs (site fees) may be refunded. The $8.25 reservation fee charged by ReserveCalifornia at time of booking is non-refundable.

Refund amounts for cancellations are assessed on the following schedule:   

• 7 or more days prior to the reservation start date: All site fees are refunded, minus the cancellation fee. 
• Between 2-6 days prior to the reservation start date: Forfeit the first night’s site fee. Any remaining funds will be refunded, minus the cancellation fee. 
• Less than 2 days prior to the start date or a no-show: No refund. All fees paid are forfeit. 

California State Parks considers the “reservation start” to be 12:00 PM on the arrival date of the reservation. It is not the check-in time. For example, a reservation that begins on a Friday must be cancelled by 12:00 PM on the preceding Friday in order to receive a full refund of the site fees, minus the cancellation fee. 

Allow at least 30 days for the processing of refunds. Retain any refund confirmation messages until the refund is received.   

Reservations can be cancelled online through ReserveCalifornia.com or by reaching the Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT. Cancellations within 48 hours of reservation start are not eligible for a refund; however, you can avoid incurring a no-show and help park staff manage the available inventory by cancelling.

No-Shows

Reservations are held until 12:00 PM the day after the reservation start date. If you have not arrived or called the park prior to that time, your reservation will be considered a “no-show”. No-show reservations are subject to the penalties listed below and will be promptly cancelled to make the site(s) available for other visitors to reserve. Check the confirmation email or the specific park’s webpage for contact information – www.parks.ca.gov/Find-A-Park.  

No-show penalties include: 

• Forfeiture of all fees paid—no refund.
• 365-day restriction on reserving sites using the ReserveCalifornia website and Contact Center after incurring three no-shows within one calendar year. Walkup or first-come-first-serve units may still be obtained.

Modifications 

Changes to reservation dates, sites, or parks, or extending or shortening reservation length are considered modifications. For ReserveCalifornia to process modifications to your reservation, an $8.25 modification fee will be assessed. A maximum of two modifications may be made to an existing reservation and must be made at least 48 hours prior to the reservation start. Modifications are subject to availability.

Modifications can be made online through ReserveCalifornia.com or by calling the Contact Center at 1-800-444-7275 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. PT.   

Exception - The following facilities do not allow modifications:  

• Crystal Cove Beach Cottages   
• San Clemente Holiday Vintage Trailers 

Early Out 

If a party checks out prior to the reservation end date, that reservation may be eligible for a partial refund. Inquire with park staff or call the park to make a request.  

Reservation holders that are approved for an Early Out refund will forfeit two nights site fees. The nonrefundable $8.25 reservation fee and the $8.25 cancellation fee will be deducted from the balance of any refund they may be due.   

In cases of inclement weather, when the campground remains open, but the reservation holder chooses to leave, refunds may be issued under the Early Out policy.  

Accessible Overnight Facilities

• If an accessible overnight facility is required, this must be specified at the time of the reservation.
• The disabled person who requires use of the accessible overnight facility need not be the reservation holder.
• Visitors reserving accessible overnight facilities will be asked to provide proof of disability. California State Parks will accept the following as proof of disability:

o   Valid Permanent Disabled Person (DP) Parking Placard, DP License Plates, or Disabled Veteran (DV) License Plates issued to the disabled person by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

o   Valid Disabled Discount Pass (DDP) issued to the disabled person by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

o   Other similarly reliable documentation issued by a governmental entity demonstrating the need for an accessible overnight facility. Such documentation includes, but is not limited to, DP Parking Placards, DP License Plates, DV License Plates, or disabled discount passes issued by governmental entities other than the State of California, including local, out-of-state, or foreign governmental entities.

• The person to whom the proof of disability has been issued must be an occupant of the accessible overnight facility for the entirety of the stay.
• Possession of valid proof of disability does not automatically qualify for a reservation discount. Only individuals with a valid California State Parks’ Disabled Discount Pass (DDP) or Distinguished Veterans Pass (DVP) are eligible to receive a discount. Reservations associated with a valid California State Parks' DDP or DVP will be discounted at the time of booking only.
• Whether use of an accessible overnight facility is subject to reservation or on a first-come first-served basis, unoccupied accessible overnight facilities shall be held for people with disabilities until 5:00 pm each day. If an accessible overnight facility is not occupied by 5:00 pm the site may be occupied on a first-come, first-served basis by a person without a disability for one night only. This process repeats daily.
• Reservations for accessible overnight facilities will not be honored, and all fees associated with the reservation will be forfeit, under the following circumstances:

o   A reservation made by an individual in which no occupant of the accessible overnight facility is disabled, or

o   A reservation made by an individual who is unable to provide credible proof of disability for themselves or someone else in the party, or

o   A reservation made by an individual in which the proof of disability provided is issued to an individual who is not an occupant of the accessible overnight facility, or

o   A reservation made by an individual that provides proof of disability that is known to be stolen, altered, forged, or counterfeit.

Closures

• In the event of an evacuation or park closure, California State Parks will make every effort to notify impacted reservation holders.
• A refund for the nights the park was evacuated and/or closed will be initiated by California State Parks automatically (allow time for processing).
• Review the cancellation policy for information on refund processing.

Check In and Check Out

• At most parks, check-in begins at 2:00 p.m. on the reservation’s start date. Check your reservation confirmation to verify your reservation’s check-in time.
• Upon arrival, be prepared to present the reservation confirmation message, photo identification, and valid proof of disability (if you reserved an accessible overnight facility).
• For reservation discounts, proof of discount eligibility must be shown at check-in.
• Fees include entry for one vehicle and one legally towed vehicle or trailer. Additional vehicles will be charged per-night at the park. Although a site may hold two or more vehicles, a reservation only covers one vehicle (except for group or specialty sites).
• Park- and campground-specific information regarding occupancy limits, pet rules, and other critical information may be found specific park’s webpage– www.parks.ca.gov/Find-A-Park. Please review the Park and Campground specific information provided.
• Campsite assignments are made upon arrival unless the reservation is in a site-specific park. For parties that reserved two sites in a non-site-specific park, the park staff will try to assign adjacent campsites, subject to availability.
• Check out time is noon. Please leave the reserved site in good condition and follow any specific instructions provided by park staff.

Late Arrivals

• If you plan to arrive after 12:00 PM the day after the reservation start date, you must provide notice of late arrival each day by 12:00 PM to staff at the state park unit where the reservation is held to hold the remainder of your reservation.

Stay Limit

• Each campground has a limit on the consecutive number of nights a camper may stay. Once this consecutive night limit has been reached, the campground must be vacated, and no one in the party may return to camp in the same park for 48 hours.
• For most parks, there is a 30-night maximum stay limit per customer in a calendar year; please check individual park policy limits.
• Creating multiple profiles in the reservations system to bypass the stay limit is not acceptable. Reservations made under individual unique multiple user IDs will not be honored.