These Are The 10 Most Popular Campgrounds In America Nearly Impossible To Book

Camping became one of the most popular pastimes for Americans last year. More than 80 million people went camping in 2022, and according to The Dyrt, the app for camping information, 58.4 percent of campers said they had difficulty finding a campsite to book because all reservations were taken.

The ten campgrounds on the list are usually sold out 97 percent of the year. Slough Creek and Mammoth campgrounds in Yellowstone National Park are at the top of the list and are the most popular with campers. The reason for the extreme demand is the natural beauty of each campground, extreme views of the surrounding mountains, and lots of wildlife for photos. Most campgrounds are open from March through October.

“Camping spiked dramatically during the pandemic and we’re not seeing it slow down,” said The Dyrt founder Sarah Smith. “The Dyrt’s 2023 Camping Report found that over 15 million people camped for the first time in the past two years and over 80 million people in the U.S. are campers.”

“The properties on our 2023 list of hardest to book campgrounds are a mixture of famous campgrounds in popular national parks like Mammoth Campground in Yellowstone or South Campground in Zion, and local favorites like Seven Points outside of Nashville,” she adds. “Getting a reservation at one of the most popular campgrounds in the country has been fairly difficult for a long time. But it’s getting to the point where many local favorite state park campgrounds are booked most of the season as well. And I say “booked,” because there’s a difference between a campground being sold out and actually being full with campers. If you drive around state parks, you can see they’re not at full capacity. Some of the booked sites sit empty as campers cancel them last minute and those openings go unfilled. We just launched The Dyrt Alerts — which sends The Dyrt campers notifications when a sold-out campground has a cancellation — to help campers capture some of that hidden availability.”

These are the Top 10 hardest-to-book campgrounds in the U.S.:

1. Slough Creek Campground, Wyoming

Located in Buffalo Ford, Wyoming / Yellowstone National Park, this popular campground only has 16 sites and is fully booked well in advance. This campground is located creekside on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park. There is plenty of hiking and fishing in the area, including the nearby Slough Creek Trail.

2. Mammoth Campground, Wyoming

Located in Mammoth, Wyoming / Yellowstone National Park, this campground includes 82 sites and is fully booked well in advance. Mammoth Campground is the only campground open year-round in Yellowstone. Elk and bison often pass through the site close to fishing, hiking, and the Mammoth Hot Springs.

3. Seven Points, Tennessee

Located in Hermitage, Tennessee, with 61 sites, the campground offers lakefront activities and surrounding miles of woods and grasslands and the green hills of Tennessee.

4. Fruita Campground, Utah

Located in Torrey, Utah / Capitol Reef National Park, the 71 camping sites are usually fully booked. Historic orchards and the Fremont River surround this oasis in the desert.

5. South Campground, Utah

Located in Springdale, Utah / Zion National Park, the 120 sites are usually booked well in advance. Located near the entrance of Zion National Park, South Campground is a short walk to the main visitor center and Zion Canyon Shuttle System, making the canyon and many of the park’s trails easily accessible. This campground is currently closed for rehabilitation work.

6. Piñon Flats Campground, Colorado

Located in Mosca, Colorado / Great Sand Dunes National Park, the 90 sites are among the most popular in the state. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Piñon Flats Campground has easy access to hiking, sand sledding, wildlife viewing, and photography of the diverse landscape.

7. Upper Coffee Pot, Idaho

Located in Island Park, Idaho / Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the limited 14 sites are much in demand. World-class fishing and wildlife viewing on a floatable stretch of the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River.

8. Cages Bend, Tennessee

Located in Gallatin, Tennessee, there are 42 sites positioned on the shores of Old Hickory Lake. Water recreation is the major attraction for lake-goers; there are also white-tailed deer, migratory songbirds, and waterfowl in the area.

9. Twin Lakes Campground, California

Located in Mammoth Lakes, California / Inyo National Forest, this large 94-site area offers lakeside camping with fishing, boating, waterfall views, and hiking, all while in close proximity to the amenities in the town of Mammoth Lakes.

10. Signal Mountain Campground, Wyoming

Located in Moran, Wyoming / Grand Teton National Park, there are 79 sites, all tucked into the pine forest near Signal Mountain Lodge. This campground has spectacular views of Jackson Lake, Mount Moran, and the northern Teton Range. One of the first campgrounds to open and last to close often provides a snowpack during the opening weeks.