Twin Lakes Campground

How to Play Master Chess on Recreation.Gov

If you’ve camped for a little while, you know that Recreation.gov is the U.S. government’s central travel planning website for 14 federal agencies.  This website is the place to go to make campground reservations at national parks, national monuments, USDA federal forest service areas, and other federal lands.  Real time availability, amenities offered, location information and more can be found for each campground on the website.  Some examples of the most popular campgrounds are:

Upper Pines Campground at Yosemite

Kirk Creek Campground in Big Sur

Twin Lakes Campground at Mammoth Lakes

Nevada Beach Campground at Lake Tahoe

Federal public campgrounds like the ones listed above have become increasingly difficult to reserve due to overwhelming demand.  Reserving a campsite even six months in advance (the standard maximum advance reservation time allowed by Recreation.gov for most campgrounds) often isn’t enough to guarantee getting a spot.  And trying to secure campsites at the most popular campgrounds (like the ones listed above) can be like playing the lottery to “win” a reservation.  The Dyrt, a popular RV travel website, ranked the hardest to book campgrounds in the U.S. for 2024 with Nevada Beach Campground at Lake Tahoe ranking #1.

Seeing The Dyrt report on the hardest to book campgrounds presented a challenge too good to resist.  We’ve already used strategies to successfully book three of the top ten campgrounds on the list, but wanted to see if it was possible to not only secure the #1 spot, Nevada Beach Campground, but also get reservations there on Fourth of July weekend!  This is no doubt a popular summertime destination for campers and their families, plus a winning fireworks show on the lake right under your noses!

What’s Special about Nevada Beach Campground?
Campers here can step right out onto the beautiful soft sandy beach and dip their toes into the crystal clear waters of Zephyr Cove while being surrounded by snow-capped mountains.   With multi-million dollar lake front homes here, it’s no wonder why campsites at Nevada Beach Campground at $47/night are so popular.

1. Scenic Beauty – The campground offers panoramic views of Lake Tahoe with the Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop. Sunsets here are particularly spectacular.
2. Spacious and Serene – Unlike some of the more crowded campgrounds around the lake, Nevada Beach provides a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere.
3. Beach Access – One of its biggest draws is the wide, sandy beach, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, paddleboarding, and picnicking.
4. Proximity to South Lake Tahoe – While offering a peaceful retreat, it’s just a short drive from the lively attractions, restaurants, and casinos in South Lake Tahoe.
5. Hiking and Biking Trails – The campground provides easy access to scenic trails like the Lam Watah Nature Trail, ideal for exploring the local landscape.
6. Pet-Friendly – Unlike many Tahoe beaches, Nevada Beach has a designated dog-friendly area, making it a great spot for visitors with pets.

Master Chess Strategies to Employ on Recreation.gov

The 6 Month + 14 Day Strategy

Most campsites on Recreation.gov can be reserved 6 months in advance (on a rolling basis).  So, to reserve a campsite on July 4^th, the earliest one can make the reservation is at 7 a.m. (PST) on January 4^th.  However, at a popular campground, by January 4^th, many if not all the campsites may already be reserved for July 4^th!  This is because reservations are allowed to break the 6 month advanced reservation rule if the reservation is made for dates preceding the blocked reservation period.  For example, if a reservation was made on January 3^rd for July 3^rd, then the reservation could be extended up to 13 days beyond July 3^rd (14 day maximum stay limit).  At the time of this writing, reservations may be made for up to 14 days and modifications can be made without charge up to four times (adding/removing dates and changing campsites) as long as the new stay dates are not “completely different”.  In turn, to get a big edge on the competition, plan to make a reservation 14 days earlier than the desired end date.

In our case, we wanted to be at Nevada Beach Campground through July 6^th.  So, we counted back the days from July 6^th so that our reservation would be 14 days (June 22^nd) and then attempted to make the reservation for 14 nights starting June 22^nd on December 22^nd at 7 a.m. PST.  The upside is that you can try again the next day if all the available campsites are taken on reservation day but there are still open opportunities for the next day.  The downside to this strategy is that although you will get all the money back for the days you don’t use when you modify your reservation, you will be initially charged for the entire 14 days (which in our case was $664) and, in the case of Nevada Beach Campground, there is a long freeze period to wait until you are allowed to shorten the reservation dates (“to ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation.”)  This means that you may have to pay the full 14 day reservation amount on your credit card statement initially, but it will eventually be refunded several weeks later after you drop the days you don’t want to use.

The Day Before Plan

Log onto Recreation.gov the day before making reservations to check which campsites are available for your desired dates.  Make a list of your top 5 campsites.  One useful website,  Campsite Photos, provides images of most campsites (and the Pro version puts green stars on their favorite campsites).  Campendium is another useful website where users sometimes list their favorite campsite.

Game Day Plan

Plan to be on Recreation.gov at least 10 minutes before game time (7 a.m. PST).  Sign into the website and open multiple browsers so that at least three are visible on the computer monitor.  Select the desired reservation dates on each window, click on the desired campsites for each, and then position each window close together so that the Add to Cart buttons are close to each other.  Open the official Time website and position it such that the time and seconds are visible along with the campsite windows on the same monitor screen.  Click the Add to Cart buttons sequentially starting at 6:59:59.  Most likely you will get a message saying the system is working on your first request and the other clicks will be put on hold.  So, it’s really a one shot deal (but having multiple clicks allows you to get the second or third reservation request out in case there’s an issue with the first one – e.g. too early).  The system only allows one account to make a single reservation at a given time.  Therefore, if there are more people in your family household, have each open their own account and be prepared the same way to make the reservation.

Post Game Strategies

If you didn’t get a reservation, check back at 7:15 a.m. (Recreation.gov releases incomplete reservations back into inventory after 15 minutes).  Hit F5 on your PC screen (Cmd + R on Apple) to refresh the website right at 7:15 a.m.  Sometimes people no longer finish the reservation for a variety of reasons (e.g. someone else in family booked, reservation at another location, ….) and a campsite might become available (blue A).

Use the Set Availability Alert button – blue button below listed sites.  Input your start date and the number of nights desired.  You will receive an alert via email as soon as a campsite becomes available.  Make sure you have the ability to log into Recreation.gov on your mobile phone and that you carry your credit card with you.  That way you will be able to secure a reservation wherever you are when you get an email alert.

Use Campflare.com – like the alert button on Recreation.gov, Campflare.com is a free service that will notify you via text/email when your desired dates become available.

Be flexible – if you are able, being flexible allows you to keep trying daily until you are successful!

Have an Alternate Game Plan – don’t sweat it if you don’t get a spot at a popular campground.  Even with all the strategies listed above, it still takes a bit of luck to land a site at one of the most popular campgrounds in the U.S.  Fortunately, there are a lot of campgrounds out there and there are many ways to find alternatives.  For example, Recreation.gov has a list of Available alternatives under the list of sites on every campground reservation page.  And, The Dyrt has a free map which shows most of the campgrounds in your desired area.  If you are flexible and open minded about travel locations, there will likely be a campsite available to you.

Lastly, and most importantly, part of the fun of camping is the joy of playing Master Chess on Recreation.gov and winning.  Oh, and stay tuned for our Nevada Beach trip report in July 2025!

 

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