California’s 10 most popular state campgrounds
For millions of outdoorsy Californians, fresh air is about to meet fine print. On Jan. 1, new rules take effect at about 150 of California’s state campgrounds. The changes are intended to reduce no-shows and give more people access to the most popular spots, and they’ll be followed by a new reservation lottery system at up to five high-demand campgrounds by January 2025. In a park system with about 15,000 campsites and lodgings that attract an estimated 6.5 million campers yearly, these changes, signed into law Oct. 8, mark a substantial shift. They may be a blow to seasoned campers accustomed to working the system — and a comfort to those who have logged onto the state reservation system at 8:05 a.m., six months ahead of their target date, and found every spot already claimed. Which campgrounds will switch to a lottery? State Parks and Recreation officials haven’t said (and they prefer the phrase “reservation drawing”). But when asked to name the most coveted campgrounds, they came up with the top 10 list below, based …
