Up until recently, campers without a reservation had to either book well in advance or roll the dice by driving out and hoping for a no-show. That’s changing dramatically. As of March 24, 2025, Washington State Parks expanded same-day reservation options to every state park campground in the system. Campers can now go online or call as late as 2 p.m. on the day of arrival to reserve any available campsite for that night. This convenience was first tested in a 2023 pilot program at Deception Pass, Cape Disappointment, and Millersylvania state parks. After the pilot’s success – over 7,000 campsites booked day-of that would have otherwise sat empty – the program expanded in 2024 to 26 parks, and now it’s a permanent, system-wide feature in 2025.
Park officials are enthusiastic about the results. “This system-wide improvement will provide more opportunities for more campers to experience a night in a state park, and it will improve the experience for day-of planners. Additionally, this change will help the agency fill sites with last-minute cancellations,” the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission noted in a news release. In other words, when someone cancels a reservation short-notice, that site can quickly be booked by another camper instead of remaining vacant. Same-day booking does not apply to cabins, yurts or other roofed accommodations – those still must be reserved at least a day in advance – but it’s a game-changer for standard campsites.
How to Snag a Campsite Last-Minute
If you wake up and decide today’s the day for camping, here’s how to secure a spot: search the Washington State Parks online reservation portal (washington.goingtocamp.com) or call the Parks reservation hotline by 2 p.m. to see what’s available. The online system now even has a “flexible dates” search feature – instead of trying specific dates one by one, you can check a range of dates at your chosen park to quickly spot openings. This helps campers with flexible schedules find last-minute openings or cancellations at busy parks. Once you’ve booked a same-day site, you’re all set to arrive and check in as usual (campground check-in is 2:30 p.m. at most parks).
Importantly, if you don’t reserve by 2 p.m., you still have options. After 2:30 p.m., any unreserved campsites become first-come, first-served for walk-ins. That means if a reservable site wasn’t booked (or a camper never showed up), you can claim it by arriving at the park and registering on the spot. In effect, Washington State Parks now offer a blended approach: you can reserve a site day-of, but they also preserve the traditional last-minute walk-in opportunity for those who prefer spontaneity or miss the 2 p.m. cutoff. It’s the best of both worlds for spur-of-the-moment adventurers.
More First-Come-First-Served Opportunities (Especially Off-Season)
While the new reservation options make it easier to secure a site last-minute, Washington State Parks hasn’t done away with first-come-first-served camping. In fact, outside of the peak summer reservation season, most state park campgrounds revert entirely to first-come availability. During the off-season (winter/early-spring) – generally until May 14 each year – all campsites at state parks are first-come, first-served. If you get the urge to camp in April or early May, you can simply show up at an open campground and claim an empty site without any prior booking. Many parks also keep some portion of their campsites non-reservable year-round to accommodate walk-ins. For example, Blake Island Marine State Park (accessible only by boat) has some campsites that remain first-come, first-served even in summer (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks), and at Curlew Lake State Park, a number of sites are always held for walk-up campers (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks). Even in large, popular campgrounds, any designated “primitive” or overflow areas (such as Steamboat Rock’s additional primitive campsites) are often FCFS only (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks).
The new same-day reservation system complements these offerings by freeing up canceled reservations for others. If a campsite isn’t reserved by late afternoon, it effectively turns into a first-come site for someone arriving without a reservation. The bottom line: spontaneous campers have far more options now. You can drive to a state park in the late afternoon or evening and still have a good chance of finding a spot, especially on weekdays or at less crowded parks. Just be prepared with a backup plan in peak season weekends, as popular campgrounds can still fill up fast.
Flexible Policies and Tech Tools Boost Last-Minute Availability
Washington State Parks has also adjusted policies and tech to maximize the chances of snagging a spot last-minute. The cancellation policy now allows campers to cancel or shorten their reservation as late as 8 p.m. on the day of arrival (previously, you forfeited your first night if you didn’t cancel before the day of arrival). This means if your plans fall through on the day of your trip, you can cancel in the online system or call the park by evening. Park staff can then free that site for someone else to use that night. (Standard cancellation fees apply – $8 online – but these fees are modest, and they decrease the shorter the time you’ve held the reservation, only 5% of the booking cost if you cancel after holding a site for less than one month.) These flexible rules incentivize campers to release bookings they won’t use, which in turn opens up more sites for last-minute campers.
From a technology standpoint, it’s easier than ever to find available campsites on short notice. The Washington State Parks reservation website is mobile-friendly, so you can search and book from your phone on the go. The new “Flexible Dates” search option helps you scan a range of dates for openings at your favorite park, which is great for discovering a mid-week vacancy or a cancellation that you might otherwise miss. Park officials encourage visitors to take advantage of these tools rather than showing up blindly, since a quick online check can confirm if sites are free.
Additionally, savvy campers are turning to third-party apps to aid in the hunt for last-minute sites. One such tool is Campnab, a service that monitors sold-out campgrounds for cancellations. You tell Campnab which park and dates you’re interested in, and if someone cancels their reservation, you’ll get a notification (text or email) so you can jump in and reserve that newly freed spot. It’s not an official parks system, but it plugs into the same reservation inventory to give spontaneous campers an edge. Other apps and websites like Campspot aggregate campground availability across various public and private campgrounds – while Washington’s state park system isn’t directly on Campspot, you can sometimes find last-minute openings at private campgrounds near state parks (or lesser-known county parks) using these platforms. For the truly last-minute camper, services like these, along with the state’s improved reservation system, mean there are multiple avenues to score a campsite with little lead time.
Featured Parks for Last-Minute Camping Adventures
Many Washington state parks are embracing these changes. Below is a selection of parks – spanning coastal, inland, and island destinations – that now offer improved last-minute camping options. We highlight what types of sites you’ll find at each and the new perks for spontaneous campers:
- Deception Pass State Park (Whidbey & Fidalgo Islands) – New same-day reservations: Yes (pilot program launch site). Last-minute perks: Can book online until 2 p.m. day-of; any no-show or unreserved sites available to walk-ins after 2:30 p.m.. Campsite types: ~170 standard campsites (for tents/RVs) across three campgrounds, plus utility sites with hookups, hiker/biker sites, and a few cabins (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks). Why go: Stunning beaches, old-growth forests, and the iconic bridge – it’s one of the state’s most popular parks, now easier to enjoy spontaneously.
- Cape Disappointment State Park (SW Washington Coast) – New same-day reservations: Yes (pilot program launch site). Last-minute perks: Same-day booking until 2 p.m.; first-come-first-served after 2:30 for any open sites. Park officials chose this as a test site due to frequent cancellations from unpredictable coastal weather. Campsite types: Standard campsites (tent & RV) including beachfront sites, full hookup RV sites, plus yurts, cabins, and even historic vacation houses for rent (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks). Why go: Dramatic ocean views, two lighthouses, and year-round camping – perfect for a spontaneous coastal escape.
- Birch Bay State Park (Whatcom County) – New same-day reservations: Yes (added to program in 2024). Last-minute perks: Can reserve day-of until late afternoon; unfilled sites go to walk-ins by evening. Campsite types: 150+ campsites (mostly standard tent/RV sites, some with partial hookups) and a group camp. No cabins or yurts here – it’s classic camping by the beach (Reservation Parks | Washington State Parks). Why go: A sandy beach on Birch Bay with warm shallow waters, great for clamming and sunset views. Close to Bellingham and the Canadian border, making it an easy spontaneous getaway for Northwest residents.
- Larrabee State Park (Skagit County) – New same-day reservations: Yes (now available as of 2025). Last-minute perks: Off-season camping is entirely first-come-first-served until mid-May, and now you can grab cancelations in summer through the same-day system. Campsite types: 50+ wooded campsites for tents and small RVs, plus a few walk-in and boat-in sites along the shore. No hookups or cabins (rustic vibe). Why go: Larrabee is Washington’s very first state park, set along Samish Bay with tide pools and trails into the Chuckanut Mountains – an ideal spot for a spur-of-the-moment campout with both forest and marine environments.
- Lake Chelan State Park (Central Washington) – New same-day reservations: Yes (added in 2024 expansion). Last-minute perks: Benefit from the new flexible-date search to find openings at this popular summer spot, especially if cancellations pop up. Unreserved sites open to walk-ins late in the day. Campsite types: 100+ campsites (tent/RV) in a large orchard-like campground, many with partial hookups, plus a lakeside group camp. A marina with boat moorage is also available (moorage slips first-come-first-served). No cabins or yurts at this park. Why go: Hot summer weather, clear lake waters for swimming and boating – Lake Chelan is a classic Eastern Washington camping destination. The new reservation tweaks mean even if you didn’t book months ahead, you might score a lakeside spot at the last minute during the week.
- Moran State Park (Orcas Island, San Juan Islands) – New same-day reservations: Yes (added in 2024 expansion). Last-minute perks: This island park now allows day-of bookings, which is a boon for ferry-walk-on campers or those extending a trip spontaneously. Many campsites are also available first-come in spring and fall shoulder seasons. Campsite types: Standard campsites spread across five camp areas by lakes and mountain slopes (no RV hookups here), plus a few primitive hike-in/bike-in sites on Mount Constitution. No cabins or yurts, but there are reservable platform tents (“glamping”) nearby via a concession. Why go: Moran is a gem – 5,000+ acres of forest, lakes, and the highest point in the San Juans. For a spontaneous adventure, you could snag a campsite and enjoy sunrise on Mount Constitution or a paddle on Cascade Lake without much advance planning.
- Millersylvania State Park (Thurston County) – New same-day reservations: Yes (pilot program launch site). Last-minute perks: Being near Olympia and I-5, Millersylvania often sees last-minute campers; now you can book a day-of campsite en route. First-come sites still open up after 2:30 p.m. if any remain. Campsite types: 120 standard campsites in a classic old-growth forest campground (tents and RVs up to 60′, some sites with partial hookups), plus group camps and a historic retreat center lodge. One lakeside vacation house is also available (requires advance reservation). Why go: It’s a convenient, woodsy getaway just 30 minutes from Olympia. With the new reservation system, you might nab a spot at the last minute for a quick weekend escape to fish, swim or kayak on Deep Lake.
(Many other Washington state parks statewide offer similar last-minute friendliness now – from Twanoh State Park on Hood Canal (known for walk-in oyster beach camping) to Pearrygin Lake State Park in the Methow Valley (where cancellations can be pounced on via same-day booking). The list above is just a sampling of popular choices making spontaneous camping more accessible.)
Pro Tips for Spontaneous Campers
- Check online first: Even if you plan to try for a first-come site, it doesn’t hurt to hop on the reservation website the morning of your trip. You might discover an available site you can reserve instantly (no need to risk a long drive for nothing). If everything’s booked, you can then decide whether to try another park or arrive later for potential no-show spots.
- Use the flexible-date search: When your favorite park shows no availability for today, use the “flexible dates” feature to scan the next few days or weeks. Maybe tomorrow or next Tuesday has an opening you can jump on, or even tonight at a different campground nearby.
- Leverage cancellation alerts: Consider signing up for Campnab or similar services to get alerts for cancellations at fully booked parks. A site at a top park (like Deception Pass or Fort Worden) might free up last-minute – and you’ll only know if you’re watching. These tools can give you a heads-up within minutes of a cancellation.
- Have a Plan B: Even with all these improvements, summer weekends at the most popular parks (think Deception Pass, Lake Wenatchee, Cape Disappointment) can still fill up. If you can’t snag a reservation or find an open site, identify a nearby alternative. Perhaps a lesser-known state park or a Department of Natural Resources campground down the road still has space. With over 140 state parks in Washington, there’s usually somewhere else to camp if your first choice is full.
- Keep gear ready: The key to spontaneous camping is being able to go when opportunity knocks. With more parks allowing day-of bookings, you might find out at noon that a campsite is free – but you’ll need to hop in the car and get there by evening. Keeping your camping kit organized means you can take off on short notice and enjoy that impromptu night under the stars.
Embracing a New Era of Last-Minute Camping
Washington’s state parks are embracing flexibility in response to the post-pandemic camping boom and the needs of modern campers who don’t always plan months in advance. By expanding same-day reservations and blending them with traditional first-come-first-served access, parks are welcoming spontaneous visitors like never before. Whether you decide on a Thursday that you’d like to camp for the weekend, or you’re on a road trip and feel like stopping over in a state park tonight, chances are much better now that you’ll find a spot. “Campers will have more same-day reservation opportunities at all parks with campgrounds,” as one parks announcement put it (State parks in Washington to allow same-day camping reservations | News | nbcrightnow.com) – meaning your next last-minute adventure could be just a few clicks (or a quick call) away.
So go ahead and feed that urge to sleep under the Douglas firs or by the ocean. Washington State Parks have your back, even at the last minute. With a bit of new technology, more flexible policies, and the evergreen option to roam in and take an open site, the door is open for more impromptu nights under the stars in the gorgeous parks of the Evergreen State.
