California State Parks to implement new 'no-show' rules for campsites

For years, campers have complained about the abundance of reserved yet unused campsites throughout California's state parks.

That could change on July 1, when the California Department of Parks and Recreation implements stricter rules and penalties for people who fail to cancel their reservation in a timely manner.

Prior to these new rule changes, the California Department of Parks and Recreation would hold a camper's reservation until noon of the following day after their scheduled arrival date. Once they missed their new noon deadline, the park would cancel their reservation, consider them a "no-show" and charge them a $8.25 cancellation fee and one night use fee.

However, the park would still refund the person the amount they paid to reserve a campsite spot, minus a non-refundable reservation fee.

California State Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who described the system as "outdated," introduced Assembly Bill 618 in 2023, which created new penalties that the California Department of Parks and Recreation could impose on no-showers. The bill was later signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

"California's public parks and beaches are treasures that should be enjoyed by all Californians and demand for them has increased greatly," said Bauer-Kahan in 2023 after the bill was signed.

"Unfortunately, our current outdated reservation system has led to a situation where many campsites are left empty. By promoting responsible reservation practices, we can increase access to these vital resources."

Angelica De La Peña, spokesperson for the California State Parks, noted that these new updated camping cancellation policies will hopefully "encourage reservation holders who are unable to use their campsite reservation to cancel earlier, allowing those sites to be rebooked and made available to other visitors."

"The changes are intended to improve the reservation system and increase campsite availability at State Parks' most popular camping destinations," she added.

What are the new rules for California State Parks reservations?

Starting on July 1, the California Department of Parks and Recreation can now impose new penalties on folks who fail to cancel their campsite reservations in a timely manner or fail to show for their reservation.

While the park will still hold a person's reservation until noon on the following day of the scheduled start date, the park will no longer offer a refund to guests considered a "no-show."

Once a guest is considered a "no-show," they will lose their full deposit on the reservation of the campsite and incur a "no-show" penalty mark on their account.

Once a person incurs three "no-show" penalty marks on their account within one year, the California Department of Parks and Recreation will impose a 365-day restriction on their account's use of the ReserveCalifornia website.

The person will still be able to use campsites in California State Parks, but they will be required to speak with an employee at the state park's visitors center to obtain a walk up or first-come, first-served unit.

As a part of the new rules, the California Department of Parks and Recreation also updated its cancellation protocol, requiring guests to cancel at least a week before their reservation if they would like a full refund.

If guests cancel their reservation between two to six days before their reservation, campers will receive a partial refund. Notably, they will forfeit the first night's site fee and be required to pay a cancellation fee.

If guests give park staff less than a two-day notice that they need to cancel their reservation, campers will not receive a refund.

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California State Parks to implement new 'no-show' rules for campsites

Reporting by Noe Padilla, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 2:17 PM.