Tracking Camp Sites

Before heading to the great outdoors this summer, head online to make campground reservations.

The National Park Service offers online campground and tour reservations for more than two dozen national parks, including Yellowstone, at https://reservations.nps.gov. The site provides profiles of each campground, including directions, check-in and check-out times and amenities. Although campground information can be accessed 24 hours a day, online requests for reservations are processed only from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific time.

For trips closer to home, the California Department of Parks and Recreation offers reservations for state parks up to seven months in advance at https://parks.ca.gov/travel/online.htm. Reservations are processed through ReserveAmerica, which also runs its own Web site at https://www.reserveamerica.com.

In addition to campground reservations, the company provides registration for wilderness adventures, cabins and day use at federal campgrounds and nine state parks, including parks in California. The company also accepts requests through the National Recreation Reservation Service at https://www.reserveusa.com.

Reservations for the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone can be made through AmFac Parks and Resorts at https://www.amfac.com. The company runs accommodations at several national parks and provides registration at its cabins and lodges. AmFac also sells the National Park Pass online, which is good for one-year admission at 379 national parks.