The California Department of Parks and Recreation has some advice for unhappy campers struggling to find a campsite for Memorial Day Weekend. People who left it to the last minute to try and get a prime spot at beach and coastal campsites are asked to consider campgrounds farther inland or north, said Roy Stearns of the Parks and Rec Department.
The reason for the lack of campground space is because bookings for Memorial Day have broken their 2011 all-time record of 25,718. As of today, the State Parks reservation system shows that 26,791 nights have been booked, a four percent increase over 2011.
Camping reservations are still available, but state park visitors must act quickly or try a “first-come, first-served” campground. California State Parks is providing regular updates online.
State Park officials remind people that although the website is updated daily, availability can change hourly. Reservations can be made up to 48 hours in advance of the day chosen if the site is available.
There are 280 state parks in California and 115 of them offer camping, according to Stearns. If your camp group is too large for a traditional site, there are 230 group campsites throughout the State Park system. Group sites can accommodate from nine to 100 people, depending on the park. Traditional campsites accommodate up to eight people.
Campground Availability
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22687
Reservations online or by phone: 800-444-PARK (7525)
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1023
First-come, first-served campgrounds, no reservations taken:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/737/files/firstCome_firstServed_06.pdf
