When do camping reservations open for the next season at Big Meadow Campground?

Big Meadow Campground, in the Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest, is open seasonally rather than year-round. For the most recent posted season, the US Forest Service listed the season of use as "June 6 - Sept 21" with the "Booking Window opens March 22, 2025" (Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sequoia/recreation/big-meadow-campground).

That means the campground typically opens to campers in early June and closes in late September, with reservations becoming available online roughly two and a half months before the season begins. Recreation.gov's own overview of the forest confirms this general pattern, noting that for Sequoia National Forest "campground reservations typically open several months in advance" (Source: https://www.recreation.gov/gateways/1072).

As of this writing, the Forest Service page has not yet posted a specific booking-window date for the next season, so campers should not assume the next opening date will fall on the same calendar date as last year. The booking window and exact season dates are set annually and posted on the campground's official Forest Service page and on its Recreation.gov listing, so checking those pages directly in late winter or early spring is the reliable way to catch the exact release date.

All reservations for the campground's 43 single sites and one double-family site are made through Recreation.gov or by phone at 877-444-6777, not through a lottery (Source: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/256932, Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sequoia/recreation/big-meadow-campground). The campground has no potable water, sits at 7,500 feet elevation, and campers passing through the Kings Canyon National Park entrance on Highway 180 are required to purchase a forest or park entrance permit on the way in (Source: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/256932).

Because exact booking-window dates change from year to year and the current official page still reflects last season's figures, campers wanting the precise release date for the upcoming season should watch the Forest Service page and the Recreation.gov listing directly rather than relying on the prior year's date.