When does booking open?

The 15th of each month, 07:00 PT, about five months ahead. From the park's release table: 15 October opens arrivals 15 February to 14 March, 15 November opens 15 March to 14 April, 15 December opens 15 April to 14 May, 15 January opens 15 May to 14 June, 15 February opens 15 June to 14 July. This covers Upper, Lower and North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow. Half of Tuolumne Meadows opens two months ahead on the 15th. Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, Bridalveil Creek and the other half of Tuolumne open 14 days ahead on a rolling basis, and Camp 4 opens 7 days ahead.

Only online at Recreation.gov, with an account. The official pages checked set no limits on visitors from abroad, but they do not say whether cards issued outside the US are accepted.

The park says releases sell out within minutes, and the Upper Pines booking page says its sites typically sell out in minutes. There is no published count.

Can I cancel or change?

Cancel more than 48 hours before arrival and $10 is kept. Within 48 hours, $10 and the first night are kept. No-shows pay $20 and lose the first night. Moving to different dates costs $10.

Yosemite, California, United States

Yosemite campground reservations: when they open

On the 15th of each month at 07:00 Pacific time on Recreation.gov, for a one-month block of arrival dates about five months ahead: 15 November 2026 opens arrivals from 15 March to 14 April 2027. The park says these sites sell out within minutes.

When does booking open?: The 15th of each month, 07:00 PT, about five months ahead. From the park's release table: 15 October opens arrivals 15 February to 14 March, 15 November opens 15 March to 14 April, 15 December opens 15 April to 14 May, 15 January opens 15 May to 14 June, 15 February opens 15 June to 14 July. This covers Upper, Lower and North Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow. Half of Tuolumne Meadows opens two months ahead on the 15th. Crane Flat, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat, Bridalveil Creek and the other half of Tuolumne open 14 days ahead on a rolling basis, and Camp 4 opens 7 days ahead.
How far ahead is that?: About five months ahead.
Where do I book?: Only online at Recreation.gov, with an account. The official pages checked set no limits on visitors from abroad, but they do not say whether cards issued outside the US are accepted.
Does it sell out?: The park says releases sell out within minutes, and the Upper Pines booking page says its sites typically sell out in minutes. There is no published count.
Can I cancel or change?: Cancel more than 48 hours before arrival and $10 is kept. Within 48 hours, $10 and the first night are kept. No-shows pay $20 and lose the first night. Moving to different dates costs $10.

Checked 15 October 2026

How to book

Book on Recreation.gov. Make the account ahead of time and be logged in before 07:00 PT on the 15th, with the campground and dates already chosen. A news report gives Upper Pines as $36 a night; check the campground page for the current price.

Reservations are needed at every campground from about April to October, and there is no first-come, first-served camping from late May through October. Check in at the campground kiosk. Check-in and checkout are at noon, and if you have not checked in by 10:00 the morning after arrival you can lose the site.

A campsite is not a park entry ticket, though in 2026 you need no entry reservation: Yosemite dropped its timed entry system for 2026. The $35 vehicle fee applies, and each non-US resident aged 16 or over pays a $100 nonresident fee on top, unless they enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass.

If it’s sold out

Watch Recreation.gov for cancellations and set availability alerts for your dates.

Try the campgrounds that open 14 days ahead on a rolling basis (Crane Flat, White Wolf, Tamarack Flat, Yosemite Creek, Porcupine Flat and half of Tuolumne Meadows), or Camp 4, which opens 7 days ahead. In late fall, winter and early spring, three campgrounds are first-come, first-served.

Booking for a group

A site holds up to six people, children included, and two motor vehicles. A group of seven or more needs two sites, and getting two side by side in the first minutes comes down to luck.

Have two or more people logged in at 07:00 PT, each trying for a site on the same dates. Yosemite also has group campsites (no RVs, trailers or pets); their booking window is not covered here.

Good to know

Use the park's release table rather than counting five months: 15 October opens arrivals from 15 February, not 15 March.
From 1 May to 15 September you can camp 14 nights in the park, and only seven of them in Yosemite Valley or Wawona.
Check for closures before you book: Upper Pines was closed for parts of spring and early summer 2026 for tree removal and road work.
Set your clock accurately, as the park advises: the release is over in minutes.

Sources

NPS Yosemite: Camping (official): Pines, Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow are released five months ahead on the 15th at 7 am Pacific time and sell out within minutes; a table maps each 15th to its arrival dates.
NPS Yosemite: Campgrounds (official): Reservations are required at all campgrounds from about April through October; no first-come, first-served camping from late May through October.
NPS Yosemite: Camping regulations (official): Up to six people and two vehicles per site; 14 nights from 1 May to 15 September, only seven in the Valley or Wawona.
Recreation.gov: Upper Pines Campground (official): Cancelling more than 48 hours ahead costs $10; within 48 hours, $10 and the first night; no-shows pay $20 and lose the first night.
NPS: Summer 2026 access at high-visitation parks (official, 18 February 2026): Yosemite will not require advance entry reservations in 2026, including during peak summer months.
NPS Yosemite: Fees (official): Private vehicles pay $35; each non-US resident aged 16 or over pays a $100 nonresident fee unless entering with an annual or America the Beautiful pass.
Travelers Today: Yosemite camping reservations open today (15 August 2026): Upper Pines has 236 sites at $36 a night, and popular sites can sell out within minutes.

Checked on 15 October 2026. Booking rules change; the official site has the last word.