This Beautiful Beachside Campground Is The Hardest To Book In America

There's nothing like packing the family up and going on a camping trip over the weekend. Unfortunately, impromptu tent adventures are looking to soon be a thing of the past. More and more, parks are requiring reservations before you head to the campground, which can be made up to six months in advance.

Even with this reservation system, it's not easy to get a spot. According to The Dyrt, over 45 percent of campers last year struggled to reserve a site at the location they wanted to visit. While it's most common in national parks, some other popular locations are starting to do the same. Thanks to the large number of campers in recent years, over 80 million people in 2023, reservations help to ensure a site instead of hopeful campers traveling miles only to find them fully booked. Though frustrating, it is a necessary system as there are some popular places that are always full. 

Every year, The Dyrt makes a list of the most difficult campgrounds to get into in the United States. These are the sites booked for the majority of the year. For the 2024 season, Nevada Beach Campground took the lead for the hardest-to-book. This is pretty impressive, considering it wasn't even in the Top 10 in 2023, and has now surpassed them all to make it to number one on the list, meaning you have to be vigilant or lucky to get a spot here. 

According to The Dyrt, Nevada Beach Campground is booked for 99.4 percent of the year. Booking for sites opens six months in advance and the spots are often swept up in minutes. The park is only open from May to October, which further increases the demand for the campsite and therefore makes it harder to book. 

This campground is located on Lake Tahoe, on the beautiful shore with Caribbean vibes known as Zephyr Cove. It accepts both small RVs and tents, offering a total of 54 sites. It is no doubt a stunning location, as it sits right on the water. The spots are fairly spacious and offer plenty of pleasant scenery. Another benefit is that there is a dog-friendly beach. Not only can you take your precious pooch camping with you, but they can go and play on the water.

At the campground, visitors have a half-mile of pleasant sandy beaches, where people can play, swim, and take in the view. There are also places to rent kayaks and even a spot to grab a quick bite without having to leave the beach. While the area feels isolated, it's not that far from civilization if you forgot something, only about a half-mile west of the Roundhill Shopping Center. There, you can find restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and more.

Thanks to its beauty and location on Lake Tahoe, Nevada Beach Campground is nearly impossible to score a spot in unless you are lucky enough to log in to the reservation site or use a cancellation checker to help you book spots in busy campgrounds. However, that doesn't mean you're completely without options. There are plenty of places around Lake Tahoe offering camping and worth checking out. 

Sand Harbor is equally pretty, though as of summer 2024, they have also started to require booking in advance as well, at least during the prime camping season from April 15 to October 15. However, since this is a new system, and they are still allowing first-come, first-served after 10:30 in the morning, it's not quite as daunting a possibility as Nevada Beach Campground. Some other options for camping around Lake Tahoe include Fallen Leaf Campground, Sugar Pine Point Campground,  and Zephyr Cove Resort. They all are close enough to the lake you can still access the water every day, and may be less crowded than Nevada Beach Campground. Some even offer walk-in sites if you aren't one to make a reservation before camping.

Or, you could try somewhere completely different. For example, Georgia's Cloudland Canyon is ideal for those who want solitude while camping. Who knows? You may find your new favorite vacation spot if you try somewhere new instead of waiting for a chance to explore Nevada Beach Campground.