With over 10,000 people visiting Recreation.gov hoping to secure reservations, Park Ranger Scott Gediman said they are launching a lottery system for North Pines Campground in Yosemite.
He said that “many are unsuccessful year after year, causing frustration, disappointment, and feeling the system is flawed and unfair.”
“The booking windows literally sell out within minutes. We’ve had a lot of concerns from visitors who say, ‘Look, if you’re not computer savvy or you don’t get on right that minute, they can’t get a campground reservation.'”
The early access lottery attempts to tackle these issues. Gediman said, “it adds more equitability and gives more opportunities for people to get a reservation. We know this is not the be-all-end-all, but we’re trying something new and trying something different. If it works out, great, and if it doesn’t, then we’ll take it from there.”
Application for the lottery is from January 18 through February 6 for campsites available between July 21 through September 14, 2022.
Gediman explains the process, “You don’t have to go in on exactly that day and put it in. Whether you put in for the lottery on January 18th or February 1st or wherever it doesn’t matter. It all just goes into a random lottery, and then once people are chosen, they’ll get an email, and they’ll be able to make a campground reservation.”
Today is the first day for reserving spots through the usual method. The campground reservations are for May 15 through June 14 at Upper Pines, North Pines, Lower Pines, and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds.
Gediman said that although the lottery cannot guarantee the availability of campers‘ preferred dates or campsites, it does limit the number of people who can compete simultaneously for campsites on peak-season dates.
To participate in the lottery beginning on Tuesday, go here.
