Booking campsites on national parks can be challenging, especially during the peak season.

Here are the crucial steps you have to follow if you are intent on booking a campsite at a popular national park during summer:

1. You have to know where you want to go.

If you have no idea where to camp, it will help to search at the official websites of national parks to check the descriptions of their campgrounds. While on it, limit your choices so you won’t get confused in the end about where to camp.

Remember that most of these campsites have limited amenities, and some of them may be closed during your visit. It’s a good idea to list out alternative options if your original choice isn’t available.

2. You have to check when the reservation window opens, depending on your travel date.

Before you can do this, you must already have plans regarding your travel dates. This way, you can check the reservation window once it opens to book your stay. The reservation window in many national parks in the US is six months ahead of time.

However, there is one exclusion, the Yellowstone National Park, that you have to reserve one year in advance.

You can create an account on an online booking site. Once logged in, check the availability of your preferred campsites on your travel date. If the site has a Build a Trip feature, you can use it to make planning easier and faster.

3. Book your preferred campground once the booking window opens.

If you need to download an app on your cell phone, make sure you have already done that in advance. If you use a computer or laptop, you have to bookmark the sites and have your login details ready.

• An hour before the window starts accepting reservations, make sure you are already logged on. This way, you can still do something about the common problems, such as technical or forgotten passwords.
• Set the time of your device at a similar time as the site that will accept the reservations.
• Refresh the site’s page once the clock hits the time you are waiting for.
• Check all the information you have uploaded, including personal and credit details.

Book your campsite, but make sure that you have a backup plan in case the reservation encounters errors or something happens at the time of your travel.