Upper Pines Campground
A Yosemite Valley option on the standard monthly schedule. Check individual sites for equipment and vehicle limits.
Guide · California · Reviewed by OpenCampsite
Yosemite campground reservations and cancellation alerts
If your Yosemite dates are sold out, you can still watch for returned campsites. The National Park Service says cancellations happen frequently and recommends Recreation.gov availability alerts or continued checks. OpenCampsite can also notify you when a check finds a matching opening at supported Yosemite campgrounds.
Start by choosing the campground and stay you can use. A notification does not reserve a site: you complete the booking on Recreation.gov while it is still available.
Why Yosemite National Park sells out
The National Park Service describes Yosemite's campgrounds as popular and says non-lottery releases can sell out within minutes. Campgrounds use different reservation schedules, so being ready for the correct release matters. A full calendar on release morning does not tell you whether later availability will appear.
How booking works on Recreation.gov
The standard schedule for Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow releases reservations on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific, in arrival blocks running from the 15th through the 14th of the next month. For example, May 15–June 14 arrivals open January 15; June 15–July 14 arrivals open February 15.
This is not a six-month rolling window and does not apply to every Yosemite campground. Tuolumne Meadows uses a mix of two-month and two-week releases; other campgrounds have shorter windows. Confirm the current campground season, any lottery or special release, and the National Park Service schedule before booking.
Recreation.gov offers availability alerts. Its guidance says a matching notice goes to everyone watching the same dates and does not guarantee a reservation.
Reservation-system facts checked against official sources on September 9, 2026. Policies change — the reservation system's own pages are always authoritative.
Yosemite campgrounds to watch
Lower Pines Campground
A seasonal Valley campground on the monthly schedule. Confirm operating dates for your stay.
North Pines Campground
Another seasonal Valley option. Check the current official schedule for any special reservation process before planning a release-day attempt.
Wawona Campground
An alternative outside Yosemite Valley. Check travel time for your plans and the campground's reservation season.
Hodgdon Meadow Campground
Consider this alternative if a Valley campsite stays full. Its seasonal reservation rules matter when choosing dates.
Tuolumne Meadows Campground
A high-country option with a different release schedule. Confirm road access, opening dates, and the two-month or two-week booking window.
See everything we track in this park — live alert status included — on the Yosemite National Park coverage page.
Where Yosemite National Park is
If Yosemite National Park stays full
The closest places we also track, by straight-line distance from Yosemite National Park's coordinates. Watching a fallback at the same time costs nothing — the free beta includes three trips at a time.
- Merced River Recreation Management Area
~23 miles · 3 locations we can watch
- Sierra National Forest
~41 miles · 28 locations we can watch
- Eastman Lake
~42 miles · 2 locations we can watch
- Stanislaus National Forest
~44 miles · 21 locations we can watch
- Hensley Lake
~47 miles · 2 locations we can watch
- Millerton Lake SRA
~51 miles · 6 locations we can watch
Cancellations and returned openings
Yosemite's monthly release is a scheduled event. Cancellations are separate: NPS recommends checking again or using the bell above the Recreation.gov availability calendar when a campground is full. The official guidance does not promise one best cancellation hour or a dependable final-48-hour wave.
Watch dates you can actually use, including earlier in the planning period. If an alert leads to an unavailable site, compare the campground, dates, and equipment with the alert. Availability may have changed before you reached the booking page; keep the alert active if you still want the trip.
Compare cancellation timing across booking systems or choose a campsite notifier.
The playbook
- Confirm the exact campground's release schedule. For the standard Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow monthly block, calculate the release date and be signed in to Recreation.gov before 7 am Pacific.
- If the release sells out, create an alert for your dates and supported campgrounds. Use the free Recreation.gov bell notification as well if it suits your search.
- Consider a second campground, a shorter stay, or different dates only if those changes work for your trip. A split stay requires separate reservations and may mean moving campsites.
- When an alert arrives, open Recreation.gov, confirm the dates and site restrictions, and complete the reservation. An alert is not a booking confirmation.
- Keep a confirmed fallback until your preferred reservation is secured. Follow the reservation system's change and cancellation rules, and pause alerts you no longer need.
Common questions
How do I get Yosemite campsite cancellation alerts?
On Recreation.gov, use the bell above the campground's availability calendar to request an alert. You can also create an OpenCampsite alert for supported Yosemite campgrounds and choose email or text. Browser notifications can be enabled separately for all your OpenCampsite alerts. Book any opening directly on Recreation.gov.
When do Yosemite campground reservations open?
The standard Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow schedule releases monthly blocks on the 15th at 7 am Pacific, up to five months ahead. May 15–June 14 arrivals, for example, open January 15. Other Yosemite campgrounds use different windows; check the current official schedule and season dates.
When is the best time to check for Yosemite cancellations?
NPS recommends repeated checks or an availability alert. Its guidance does not name one best cancellation hour. Start watching when your dates are known rather than relying on a last-minute opening. The initial 7 am reservation release is separate from cancellations.
What if Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and North Pines stay full?
Consider Wawona or Hodgdon Meadow, and seasonal campgrounds such as Tuolumne Meadows when operating. Check travel time, road access, and the reservation window before choosing an alternative. A campsite outside the Valley may change your daily itinerary.
Are OpenCampsite's Yosemite alerts free?
The free beta covers three trips at a time, up to six campgrounds each, with no card required. OpenCampsite notifies you after a check detects a matching site. You book directly on Recreation.gov; neither an alert nor an available result guarantees a reservation.
Put Yosemite National Park on watch
Choose your locations and dates, then select email or text. We notify you when a check finds a matching opening. Browser notifications can be enabled separately for all your alerts.
Official sources
Reservation facts were checked on September 9, 2026, and campground inventory on October 10, 2026. Policies and seasonal rules change, so confirm your trip on the official pages below.