How to make a Church camp reservation with the Church’s new process

Youth leaders and families will have a new process to reserve spots at Church-owned campgrounds starting fall 2026.

A notice of the changes was sent to ward and stake leaders on Thursday, Aug. 27. The notice reads that the changes will simplify the process and provide better support for combined youth programs and offer greater flexibility for leaders.

The new reservation process includes a new order of priority for youth leaders and families wanting to take advantage of the Church’s many properties for youth conferences and annual camps.

The Church’s Recreation Properties website

Members of the Church and those with a Church account can see all of the Church’s recreation properties at camping.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. The website includes a View Camp Properties menu in the top right corner. It also includes links to the recreational camp manuals, including the Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Camp Guide and the Young Women’s Camp Guide.

Step-by-step guide to make reservations

To make a reservation:

1. Sign in to camping.ChurchofJesusChrist.org using Church account.
2. Select Units (Stakes & Wards) as the Reservation Type. If this option is not available, you may not have permission to make a reservation for ward or stake unit.
3. Change Group Type from Other to the desired type of reservation (such as Young Women, Aaronic Priesthood Quorum, Youth Combined).
4. Complete the remaining fields and select Find Camps.
5. Select a camp and review availability. Change Check In and Check Out dates to see what date ranges are available.
6. Click Reserve on the desired campsites to add them to the cart.
7. Go to the cart and follow the checkout process.
8. Contact the camp for questions regarding reservations.
9. Proceed to the Finish Reservation tab and review the separate Terms and Conditions links at the end of the checkout process.

If changes or updates are needed for a reservation, do so before March 1, according to a news release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Priority order

Previously, youth leaders were able to schedule reservations starting in September a year before summer camps. Under the new process, reservations will open in November, with priority given first to stake youth groups, ward youth groups, non-youth stake and ward groups, and last priority to all other Church members and families.

Ward and stake council members, plus counselors, secretaries and assistant clerks are able to use the Church’s reservation system to secure a reservation at one of the Church’s youth camp properties. Families can also use the Church’s system in the updated process in March, after ward and stake leaders have time to secure needed dates and locations.

Stake Youth Groups

• First Monday in November: May begin reserving their assigned camp location.
• Second Monday in November: May begin reserving any camp location.

Ward Youth Groups

• Third Monday in November: May begin reserving their assigned camp location.
• Fourth Monday in November: May begin reserving any camp location.

Non-Youth Stake and Ward Groups

• First Monday in December: May begin reserving their assigned camp location.
• Second Monday in December: May begin reserving any camp location.

All Church Members and Families

• First Monday in March: May reserve any camp location.

What leaders, parents should know

The notice to Church leaders suggests youth leaders begin planning at the stake and ward-level camps and youth conferences first, view information and reservation options at camping.ChurchofJesusChrist.org, coordinate early as ward leaders, stake leaders and camp councils to confirm reservation plans and be considerate of others when booking by only booking what is needed for each ward or stake.

The notice also lists several reasons for the changes in priority and the reservation process including, to simplify scheduling so leaders can more easily understand when and how to make a reservation, provide more time to secure youth reservations, and to allow for consistent reservation opening dates.

The purpose of camps

The Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Camp Guide lays out the clear purpose of camps: “Young men need places where they can gather away from worldly influences, build lasting gospel-centered relationships and strengthen their faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”

Similarly, the Young Women’s Camp Guide reads that “young women need a place where they can gather together, separate from worldly influences, feel the Spirit of the Lord, grow in unity and love and strengthen their faith and testimonies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.”

Each guide goes on to explain the importance of location for these youth camps “that facilitates building relationships and creates lifelong memories.”