Why The Nevada Beach Campground Is One Of The Hardest To Book In The U.S.

We're blessed with a wide variety of camping locations across the country. The U.S. Forest Service has more than 4,000 designated camping areas, while the National Park Service maintains around 1,500 more with over 16,000 sites. The popularity of these campgrounds varies, but seasoned campers know that in order to secure a spot in the most desired areas requires advanced planning and booking. For most national forest and national park campsites, online booking is open up to six months in advance.

Even with the months-long booking window, if you are hoping to secure a spot, you need to be ready to pull the trigger as soon as you know your dates. This is because many of these campgrounds are in national forests or national parks that are bucket list destinations and among the most gorgeous places to overnight in. That is certainly true if you are hoping to visit Nevada Beach Campground.

According to The Dyrt, Nevada Beach Campground was the hardest to book campground in 2024. Although it wasn't completely full throughout its open season as the 2023 top ranked spot, Slough Creek Campground in Yellowstone National Park, it was close. Given that it was 99.4 percent full in 2024, let's discuss why it's so tricky to reserve a spot at the Nevada Beach Campground.

There is really no mystery to why Nevada Beach Campground is so hard to book. For starters, it is located within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area along the shores of Lake Tahoe. This area has been dubbed as the Jewel of the Sierra, as it is roundly considered one of the most scenic areas in the country. To add to that, this campground is located within scenic Zephyr Cove on the southeast side of the lake, a portion of the lake considered to be exceptionally scenic and its apparent location alone puts it in high demand. 

The fact visitors can enjoy so many outdoor activities only adds to its popularity. Because of this seemingly limitless offering, several different user groups vie to book trips to Nevada Beach Campground. In addition to camping, those who spend time in Nevada Beach Campground are able to enjoy hiking along the trails that weave along the lakes shoreline, picnic or sunbath on the beach, or swim in the lake. They can also fish for rainbow and brown trout and enjoy paddlesports, like kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding, along with windsurfing. Wildlife also abounds in the park, drawing nature watchers and birders – although given Lake Tahoe has a dense population of black bears, it is a good idea to carry bear spray when adventuring around the area.

Finally, it's difficult to book a spot at Nevada Beach Campground because it is not very large and has a short season. The campground, which is only open from May through October, has a total of 54 campsites which can be used for either tent or RV camping. The combination of high demand and low availability makes it very difficult to secure a spot. However, if at first you don't succeed, you can try using sites like CampFlare, which will notify you if a cancellation occurs.

If you are able to camp near Lake Tahoe but are unable to secure a spot in Nevada Beach Campground, there are other breathtaking places to camp that may be slightly easier to reserve. In fact, within Zephyr Cove is the full-service Zephyr Cove Resort, a privately-managed facility permitted by the U.S. Forest Service to operate within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area. In addition to a campground, the resort offers lakeside cabins, as well as water craft rentals. Unlike Nevada Beach Campground, Zephyr Cove Resort is open year-round.

Just to the west, in the California portion of the management area, is Fallen Leaf Campground. Situated on the south end of the lake, this seasonal facility is open from Memorial Day through October. Hiking, backpacking, swimming, and fishing are among the most popular activities. A bit further up the western shore, but still within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area, are a trio of camping spots — Meeks Bay, Kaspian, and William Kent campgrounds. Meeks Bay and Kaspian are tent-only sites, while William Kent Campground offers tent and RV sites.

Those and other options, including some that are just a short distance away from the lake, are available within the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Area. There are also a number of privately-run campgrounds, as well as camping areas managed by local and state authorities. But, do be advised some of the most popular recreation areas, such as Sand Harbor State Park, do not allow overnight camping.