Yosemite NP:
We are piloting a lottery system for North Pines Campground reservations for arrival dates from July 21 through September 14, 2022. Successful lottery applicants will have an opportunity to make a reservation for campsites in North Pines Campground during an early access period. The early access period will occur before the traditional on-sale dates, with any remaining availability becoming available on the usual on-sale dates. You can find the details at https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... -pilot.htm.
The demand for reservations in Yosemite campgrounds through Recreation.gov far exceeds availability, especially in Yosemite Valley during the busiest times of the year. This has been the case for decades and demand has only increased over time. More than ten thousand people visit Recreation.gov during Yosemite’s on-sale dates in hopes of getting a reservation. On the busiest on-sale dates, reservations sell out in minutes. Hopeful campers take days off work and recruit family and friends to simultaneously try to make any possible reservation. Still, many are unsuccessful year after year, causing frustration, disappointment, and feeling the system is flawed and unfair. We regularly receive complaints from users saying they were unsuccessful because they are not computer savvy, their computers or internet connection are not fast enough, or that bots (automated computer systems) got all the reservations, or that some users receive preferential treatment. The early access lottery pilot is an attempt to address these concerns. Based on an equitable, randomized system, the lottery assigns a limited number of successful applicants a period before the general on-sale during which they can make a reservation. While the lottery does not guarantee your desired dates or campsite will be available, it limits the number of users competing simultaneously for campsites during peak-season dates.