itOpened Guides · Eldorado National Forest
How to actually get a site at Yellowjacket — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch YellowjacketFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Yellowjacket Campground provides plenty of opportunities for outdoor fun on Union Valley Reservoir. The water plays host to an array of activities like water skiing and fishing. The surrounding cedar and ponderosa pine forest is a lovely setting for hiking and biking. Recreation The Union Valley Bike Trail spans 4. 8 miles with an easy climb of 300 feet. The trail connects campgrounds on the east side of the lake, from Jones Fork Campground to Wench Creek, and is open to hikers and bikers.
| Total sites | 58 |
|---|---|
| Site types | RV, Standard, Walk-to / hike-to |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 34 · RV 1 · Walk-to / hike-to 1 |
| Area | Eldorado National Forest |
| Managed by | USDA Forest Service |
| Activities | Biking, Birding, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Hunting, Swimming Site, Water Skiing, Water Sports, Wildlife Viewing |
| Directory phone | 530-293-0827 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Yellowjacket is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Yellowjacket around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Sunset-Union Valley | 178 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| Wench Creek | 102 sites · same area |
| Ice House | 90 sites · same area |
| Loon Lake | 82 sites · same area |
| Wrights Lake | 77 sites · same area |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Yellowjacket campground page · Eldorado National Forest park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch YellowjacketFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.