Campsites In Colorado And Elsewhere In The Country Are Filling Up For The Summer Right Now

(CBS4) - If you're looking to use a reserved camping spot sometime this summer, experts are saying you should book one soon.

"Consider that in 2019 we were averaging about 4 million reservations per year," Janelle Smith, spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service and Recreation.gov said. "...and that has increased dramatically. So by the end of 2021 it jumped up to 9 million reservations."

That statistic is for the entirety of the U.S., and includes reservations for anything on Recreation.gov, so not just camping sites. Still, Smith says 6 months advance time is generally needed to in order to book your spot.

While some popular spots in Colorado may already be full up for every weekend this summer, Smith suggests branching out to additional spots around the Centennial State.

"So they may be just a little bit further, they may be new to you, so this might be a good time to discover some new places," Smith advised.

Her advice to folks who are desperate to still get into a reserved site even now that they are full up? Keep checking back.

"When people make reservations 6 months in advance, life happens, and sometimes you have to cancel out of them. So be looking on those sites that you really want to go to and just check for those cancellations that might occur."