Summer is the season of exploring the great outdoors, but if you want to book a spot at one of California’s most picturesque campgrounds for a weekend getaway, you might be out of luck.
In fact, two of the hardest-to-book camping spots in the country are located in California.
Camping website the Dyrt released its annual ranking of the American campgrounds that are most competitive to reserve, and two California campground landed in the top 10.
The California campground that is the most difficult to book is Kirk Creek Campground near Big Sur in the Los Padres National Forest.
Kirk Creek Campground near Big Sur is shown in this undated photo provided by The Dyrt. The campground is the hardest to book in California in 2024, the website says. 
Kirk Creek Campground near Big Sur is shown in this undated photo provided by The Dyrt. The campground is the hardest to book in California in 2024, the website says.
The campground is highly sought-after because of its location on a scenic bluff near Highway 1 with every site offering a view of the Big Sur shoreline. It’s also just a short drive from San Dollar Beach or a good starting point for those looking to explore redwood groves, waterfalls and coves.
“Kirk Creek isn’t just a legend of the camping community: It’s a destination with prehistoric archaeological wonders that earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places,” The Dyrt added in its ranking.
The campground, which has only 32 campsites for RVs and tents, is fully booked more than 97.5% of the year, the website found. There are a handful of first-come, first-served campsites if you are willing and brave enough to roll the dice.
Kirk Creek landed at No. 5 on the list of hardest-to-book campgrounds.
A second California campground, which earned the crown as the most desired in the state in last year’s list, is located near Mammoth Lakes.
The Twin Lakes Campground in Inyo County rounded out the top 10 of the annual rankings; it came in at ninth last year.
The campground has 94 camping spots for tents and RVs, nearly three times as much as Kirk Creek, but they are fully booked 93.7% of the year, according to the Dyrt.
The campground is described as “an adventurer’s dream in the rugged Eastern Sierra,” located between Tahoe and Sequoia National Park. Twin Lakes has several waterfront campsites which are probably the most competitive to secure.
It includes easy access to “world-class” trout fishing, boating, waterfall hikes and mountain biking. It’s not far from the John Muir Wilderness and its high elevation, well over a mile above sea level, means the “air is as fresh as the views are stunning.”
This year’s hardest-to-book campground is located about two hours northwest of Mammoth Lakes near Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side of the border.
Nevada Beach Campground is fully booked 99.4% of the year, the Dyrt ranking shows.
It’s a true underdog story for the plucky campground with 54 campsites for tents and small RVs. Nevada Beach didn’t even crack the top 10 in last year’s ranking.
The complete top 10 list is below:
| Rank | Campground | No. of campsites | Percentage of year fully booked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada Beach Campground, Nevada | 54 | 99.4% |
| 2 | Twelvemile Beach Campground, Michigan | 37 | 99.4% |
| 3 | Devils Garden Campground, Utah | 52 | 99.2% |
| 4 | Seven Points Campground, Tennessee | 61 | 97.6% |
| 5 | Kirk Creek Campground, California | 32 | 97.5% |
| 6 | Hurricane River Campground, Michigan | 22 | 96.8% |
| 7 | Aspenglen Campground, Colorado | 55 | 96.1% |
| 8 | Fruita Campground, Utah | 66 | 95.9% |
| 9 | Colter Bay RV Park at Colter Bay Village, Wyoming | 112 | 94.9% |
| 10 | Twin Lakes Campground, California | 94 | 93.7% |
To read more detailed information about the top 10 hardest-to-book campgrounds for 2024, click here.
