Easier California State Park Campsite Reservations On The Horizon?

The California State Assembly recently passed the Campsite Reservation Bill that should make it easier to get a campsite reservation at California State Parks.

San Elijo State Beach

AB 618, introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-San Ramon), passed unanimously. It proposes to open campsites by deterring late cancellations and no-shows with added penalties at California State Parks.

The bill also directs the California State Parks to implement a lottery system for up to 5 of the most popular campgrounds. These will be determined based on which parks/campgrounds that have the most booking interest 6 months before the reservation date. A 25% discount on campsite bookings to low-income park visitors will also be available through the Golden Bear pass.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Under AB 618, campers that cancel a reservation at least 7 days before a reservation will receive a credit for another reservation within 5 years. Campers that don’t show up after the first day of the reservation will forfeit the remainder of the booking.

The easiest way to get notified of a cancellation is to use Campsite Assist. Campsite Assist will scan availability for the dates you choose and send you a text and email alert when the site becomes available. The alert also includes a link to ReserveCalifornia so you can try and reserve the site.

The bill would cap the number of days that people can stay at 30 per year. It will also limit the length of reservations during peak season to 7 consecutive nights.

AB 618 is currently waiting for a committee assignment from the Committee on Rules for legislative hearings.