CampBuddy Support
Last updated October 22, 2026
CampBuddy is an iPhone app for finding open campsites at U.S. national parks and nearby national forests. You ask in plain English; it checks live availability on Recreation.gov and links you to the booking page. This page covers what it can do, where it works, and what it won't do.
What CampBuddy can do
- Understand plain-English questions. “Anything open at Zion the second weekend of May?” or “A tent site near Yosemite Valley for two nights in June.” No forms or filters.
- Check availability on Recreation.gov for the campgrounds listed below, for the dates you ask about.
- Look across a range of dates when you’re flexible, and often point to the next opening when your dates are full.
- Describe campgrounds using CampBuddy’s own campground notes and Recreation.gov details, including a site’s type and accessibility. When it doesn’t know something, it’s built to say so instead of guessing.
- Suggest nearby national forest campgrounds when a park is full, and say clearly that they’re outside the park.
- Follow the conversation, so you can ask “what about the weekend after?” without starting over.
- Take you to the booking page on Recreation.gov for the campground it found.
What CampBuddy won’t do
- It doesn’t book, hold, change, or cancel reservations. You book on Recreation.gov, under your own account. CampBuddy never touches your reservations.
- It can’t promise a site is still open when you tap through. Popular campgrounds can fill in minutes. Recreation.gov always has the final word.
- It only covers the places listed below. No state parks, private campgrounds, or RV parks.
- It searches one park at a time. To compare parks, ask about each one in turn.
- It can’t check first-come, first-served campgrounds or campgrounds booked outside Recreation.gov. It will tell you how those work instead.
- It doesn’t handle permits or park entry. Backcountry and wilderness permits, timed-entry and day-use reservations aren’t covered.
- It doesn’t send alerts when a site opens up. Ask again later to check.
- It doesn’t know about road, weather, fire, or closure conditions. Check the park’s page on nps.gov before you go.
Where it works
Tap a park to see its campgrounds. “Nearby” campgrounds are in the national forest next to the park; CampBuddy suggests them when the park itself is full. Campgrounds with a label can’t be checked for openings; CampBuddy will explain how they work.
34 parks and forests · 200 campgrounds
Acadia National Park4 campgrounds
- Blackwoods
- Duck Harbor
- Schoodic Woods
- Seawall
Arches National Park2 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Warner Lake Manti-La Sal National Forest
Assateague Island National Seashore1 campground
- Assateague Island National Seashore Campground
Badlands National Park1 campground
Big Bend National Park3 campgrounds
- Chisos Basin
- Cottonwood
- Rio Grande Village
Bryce Canyon National Park5 campgrounds
- North Campground
- Sunset Campground
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Kings Creek Dixie National Forest
- Pine Lake Campground Dixie National Forest
- White Bridge Dixie National Forest
Canyonlands National Park1 campground
- Needles District (Loop B)
Cape Hatteras National Seashore3 campgrounds
- Frisco Campground
- Ocracoke Campground
- Oregon Inlet Campground
Capitol Reef National Park1 campground
Congaree National Park2 campgrounds
- Bluff Hike In Camping
- Longleaf Campground
Crater Lake National Park7 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Broken Arrow Campground Umpqua National Forest
- Diamond Lake Umpqua National Forest
- Farewell Bend Campground Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
- Jim Creek Group Campground Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
- Thielsen View Campground Umpqua National Forest
- Union Creek Campground - Rogue River Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
Death Valley National Park1 campground
Glacier National Park6 campgrounds
- Apgar
- Fish Creek
- Many Glacier
- St. Mary
- Two Medicine
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Big Creek Campground Flathead National Forest
Grand Canyon National Park5 campgrounds
- Desert View
- Mather
- North Rim
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- DeMotte Kaibab National Forest
- Tusayan – Montane Kaibab National Forest
Grand Teton National Park8 campgrounds
- Colter Bay
- Gros Ventre
- Jenny Lake
- Lizard Creek
- Signal Mountain
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Reunion Flat Caribou-Targhee National Forest
- Teton Canyon Caribou-Targhee National Forest
- Trail Creek Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Great Sand Dunes National Park2 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Alvarado Campground Rio Grande National Forest
Great Smoky Mountains National Park15 campgrounds
- Big Creek
- Cades Cove
- Cosby
- Deep Creek
- Elkmont
- Smokemont
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Cheoah Point Campground Nantahala National Forest
- Chilhowee Campground Cherokee National Forest
- Indian Boundary Cherokee National Forest
- Jackrabbit Mountain Nantahala National Forest
- Parksville Lake RV Campground Cherokee National Forest
- Rock Creek Recreation Area Cherokee National Forest
- Standing Indian Campground Nantahala National Forest
- Thunder Rock Campground Cherokee National Forest
- Van Hook Glade Nantahala National Forest
Guadalupe Mountains National Park2 campgrounds
Joshua Tree National Park5 campgrounds
- Black Rock
- Cottonwood
- Indian Cove
- Jumbo Rocks
- Ryan
Kings Canyon National Park14 campgrounds
- Azalea
- Crystal Springs
- Moraine (Cedar Grove)
- Sentinel (Cedar Grove)
- Sheep Creek (Cedar Grove)
- Sunset (Grant Grove)
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Big Pine Canyon Inyo National Forest
- Big Pine Creek Campground Inyo National Forest
- Bishop Park Campground Inyo National Forest
- Bishop Park Group Inyo National Forest
- Grays Meadows Inyo National Forest
- Onion Valley Inyo National Forest
- Table Mountain (Inyo) Inyo National Forest
- Upper Sage Flat Inyo National Forest
Lassen Volcanic National Park7 campgrounds
- Butte Lake
- Manzanita Lake
- Summit Lake North
- Summit Lake South
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Almanor Lassen National Forest
- Gurnsey Creek Lassen National Forest
- Hat Creek Lassen National Forest
Mammoth Cave National Park1 campground
Monongahela National Forest2 campgrounds
- Seneca Shadows
- Spruce Knob Lake
Mount Rainier National Park12 campgrounds
- Cougar Rock
- Ohanapecosh
- White River
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Big Creek Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- Bumping Lake Campground Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- Hells Crossing Campground Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- La Wis Wis Campground Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- Lodgepole Campground (Washington) Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- Pleasant Valley Campground Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- Salmon Cove Group Site Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- Silver Springs Campground Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
- The Dalles Campground Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Olympic National Park10 campgrounds
- Fairholme
- Heart O' the Hills first-come, first-served
- Hoh Rainforest
- Kalaloch
- Mora
- Ozette first-come, first-served
- Sol Duc
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Coho Campground Olympic National Forest
- Falls Creek Campground Olympic National Forest
- Willaby Campground Olympic National Forest
Pinnacles National Park3 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Arroyo Seco Los Padres National Forest
- White Oaks Campground Los Padres National Forest
Rocky Mountain National Park16 campgrounds
- Aspenglen
- Glacier Basin
- Longs Peak
- Moraine Park
- Timber Creek
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Arapaho Bay Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Camp Dick Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Chambers Lake Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Cutthroat Bay Group Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Green Ridge Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Jacks Gulch Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Olive Ridge Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Pawnee Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Peaceful Valley Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Stillwater (Colorado) Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
- Willow Creek Group Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests
Sequoia National Park14 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Aspen Hollow Group Sequoia National Forest
- Big Meadow Campground Sequoia National Forest
- Cove Group Sequoia National Forest
- Eshom Campground Sequoia National Forest
- Fir Group Sequoia National Forest
- Hume Lake Sequoia National Forest
- Landslide Sequoia National Forest
- Logger Flat Group Sequoia National Forest
- Princess Sequoia National Forest
- Stony Creek Sequoia Sequoia National Forest
- Ten Mile Campground Sequoia National Forest
- Upper Stony Creek Campground Sequoia National Forest
Shenandoah National Park5 campgrounds
- Big Meadows
- Loft Mountain
- Mathews Arm
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Camp Roosevelt George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
- Little Fort George Washington & Jefferson National Forests
Tahoe National Forest4 campgrounds
- Boca Rest Campground
- Boca Spring Campground
- Prosser Family Campground
- Upper Little Truckee Campground
Theodore Roosevelt National Park2 campgrounds
- Cottonwood Campground
- Juniper Campground
Yellowstone National Park13 campgrounds
- Bridge Bay booked outside Recreation.gov
- Canyon booked outside Recreation.gov
- Indian Creek
- Lewis Lake
- Mammoth
- Slough Creek
- Tower Fall
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Atherton Creek Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest
- East Table Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest
- Fremont Lake Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest
- Granite Creek Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest
- Station Creek Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest group sites only
- Turpin Meadow Campground Bridger-Teton National Forest
Yosemite National Park15 campgrounds
- Lower Pines
- North Pines
- Tuolumne Meadows
- Upper Pines
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Cherry Valley Stanislaus National Forest
- Crags Campground Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Dimond O Stanislaus National Forest
- Dirt Flat Sierra National Forest
- Dry Gulch Sierra National Forest
- Green Creek Group Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Lower Twin Lakes at Bridgeport Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Paha Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
- Saddlebag Lake Trailhead Group Camp Inyo National Forest
- Silver Lake Campground (June Lake) Inyo National Forest
- Trumbull Lake Campground Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Zion National Park8 campgrounds
Nearby national forest campgrounds
- Cedar Canyon Dixie National Forest
- Deer Haven Dixie National Forest
- Duck Creek Dixie National Forest
- Navajo Lake Campground Dixie National Forest
- Spruces Campground (Dixie NF) Dixie National Forest
- Te-Ah Dixie National Forest
Common questions
CampBuddy said a site was open, but Recreation.gov shows it taken.
Someone likely booked it in between. Recreation.gov always has the final word; try other dates there, or ask CampBuddy again in a few minutes.
My park isn’t on the list.
CampBuddy can’t search it yet. If you’d like it added, let me know which park.
An answer stopped partway through.
Your connection likely dropped while the answer was loading. Check your signal and ask again.
Still need help?
Email campbuddysupport@kellylewisconsulting.com, or see the contact page for what to include.