We're planning on backpacking Yosemite, arriving June 20 and leaving on the 23rd.

We're new on the backpacking scene and we're looking for a little advice.

We do not have reservations at a campground, but we're planning on obtaining back-country permits on a first-come, first-serve basis.

I'm trying to figure out how we can explore the park without having to carry our packs for the entire 4 days.

Does it make sense to park at a trailhead each day, find our place to camp, leave our stuff, then explore the areas? Or do we park, keep all our stuff with us, then find a place to camp before we are going to sleep?

Does it make sense to go back to our car everyday, or should we park the car once then take buses everywhere?

(Also, does anyone know if most camping areas are dense enough where we can take a nylon hammock instead of a tent?)

Any advice would be appreciated. You guys always have great things to say.

"Does it make sense to park at a trailhead each day, find our place to camp, leave our stuff, then explore the areas?"

Generally, that is what people do when backpacking. This works best if your hike in hasn't been TOO long of taxing--most of us don't really feel like exploring if we've already hiked 12 miles and thousands of feet up with a pack. So, you should probably pick a trail that you know has many campsites not too many miles in, and other trails that intersect with yours (or, a trail that goes on quite a bit further than your campsite).

"Or do we park, keep all our stuff with us, then find a place to camp before we are going to sleep?"

That's only going to work if somehow you know that you will find an available campsite not very far up the trail (you do know you have to find an established campsite, right?), and I can't imagine how you could count on that. If you leave later in the day, you are going to have the last pick of established sites.

If your goal is exploring the whole park, backpacking isn't the best way to do that. Day hiking, based in a hotel or car campground, is. Backpacking is best if you want to explore/experience one particular place and to get away from crowds.

I'm a bit confused about your plan. If you are backpacking, then you will be hiking with your gear to your campsite and then perhaps exploring from there and then hiking to your next campsite the next day or couple of days later. I don't see where the shuttle buses or the car come in. Shuttle buses run around the valley, which has sites for car or RV camping.

You should also note, a lot of the camp sites
in the high country are still snow-packed-
many won't open until July 1.
Also, have you read about which campsites are open to those without reservations on the Yosemite website?
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/nrcamping.htm

R5

I think you need to study (and quickly) the link razzledazzle posted. All of the high country sites are closed due to snow.

"Does it make sense to go back to our car everyday, or should we park the car once then take buses everywhere?"

I'm w/ november_moon -- this confuses me.

Also -- you do realize you cannot leave ANY food items (or even scented items like toothpaste, mouthwash, etc) in a car? Everything has to be in bear proof lockers.

Yosemite in June is not the place to try out back country backpacking for the first time.

Forget about the hammock. Plan on using your tent so you'll be ready for anything.

When you say backpacking, this can mean hiking with a small backpack(daypack) and this is typically called a "day hike". This allows you to return to your campsite, car, or hotel at the end of every hike. This is normally for hikes that take only 8-10 hours or less. Longer hikes or getting into the backcountry requires you to be much more prepared and you will pack everything on your back. This allows you to stay at a campsite that takes a longer time to reach and you can explore places that are further from a road. You are describing both situations, so that is what is a little confusing. If this is your first time to Yosemite, I would just camp at a regular campsite and do my hiking from there. Yosemite received a ton of snow this year, we were there a couple of weeks ago. The bonus, the waterfalls are really going good.

Yeah -- I was confused as well whether you were talking about 'backpacking' -- or just day hikes.

They talked about getting backcountry permits, which are only needed for backcountry camping, so I figured they did indeed mean backpacking, not day hiking.

If you are "backpacking" you must camp AT LEAST 4 trail miles in.

You cannot just camp 100 feet from the road - which is what it sounds like you are planning. Rangers can and do throw you out an invalidate your permits for violations. The idea is to protect the very fragile flora from trampling and sanitary issues with human waste.

You need to review the campgrounds and plan on day hiking, based out of the established campgrounds.

Hammocks are useless because of the mosquitoe and bear issues.

A wilderness permit does not allow you to camp anywhere.

Your hiking and camping options are going to be severely limited this year because of all the snow.

Have you actually read the wilderness regulations?

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildregs.htm

Sorry about the confusion. I do appreciate the responses.

My experience at Zion was a little different. We had a campsite in the main park area, then spent a night in the backcountry and in the Narrows, then went back to our main campsite within the park. (we kept our car at the main campsite)

In Yosemite, we are NOT reserving a "regular" campsite. We were only planning on getting backcountry permits. This is what I have never done, so I wasn't sure what we do with our car. I was assuming we just keep our car at the trailhead parking lot.

My question then is: If we commit to backcountry camping in say, one of the Hetch Hetchy trailheads (Rancheria), will we have to stay in that area only? How do we get over to Toulummne one of the days? hiking? (then do we keep our car at Hetchy?) Can we stay in Hetch Hetchy one night, then somewhere in Glacier Point then next?

Does that make more sense? I appreciate all your posts!

(I agree, we should have done a little more planning.)

Yes, when people backpack, they leave their car at a trailhead. Don't leave anything valuable in it. I don't believe you are supposed to leave food in your car at Yosemite, either--check park regs.

You get backcountry permits are for a specific area--did you read the regulations? So no, you can't get a backcountry permit for Hetch Hetchy then drive to Glacier Point to camp (is that what you are asking?). You can use your permit in once place one night, then go to the ranger station to get another permit for another place another night (or, read the regs to see if you can get permits for different areas at one time). Once you have your campsite, there's no limit to where you can go via your legs--you're free to hike as far and wide as you are able from your base.

Again, if you want to see the whole park, which it sounds like you do, it doesn't really seem like backpacking is the way to do this.

There are bearboxes at the trailheads to leave your food items that you are not taking with you.

You are required to carry bear-proof containers, and may have to show them to be given the wilderness permit. You can rent them in the park.

Yes, christy1 has a good point. Your permit is SPECIFIC to one trail. You may not use it in other areas.

The snow is so heavy on trails in the Tuolumne Meadows are that the park service may not be issuing wilderness permits for that area by the time you visit.

I see. What if we got a regular car campsite (first come, first serve) for the entire stay, then took one of the nights to take a backcountry trip?

Does that seem feasible, or are we better off playing it safe and sticking with the car campsite?

No hammocks huh? I've heard of a few people who have gone out there with only hammocks and they said it worked out well. christy?

This year, with all the water, the mosquito problem is going to be particularly bad.

I wouldn't camp in the high country using hammocks because of the mosquitoes (especially when you are there), bears, and the fact that the air gets pretty darn cold at night and some insulation below your body is important. In Yosemite Valley, Hetch Hetchy, or Lake Eleanor it's a different story. I've used them in Hawaii and Central America but never in the High Sierra.

We've had a very late Spring and conditions are changing all the time in Yosemite. Each day brings a new announcement about when places are opening. For example, today they announced that the High Sierra camps will be opening later than previously announced. This may mean that the trails and back country campsites may open later too. Even the store and Grill wont be opening until at least June 18th. See:
http://www.yosemitepark.com/accomoda...erracamps.aspx

So, backpacking in Tuolumne Meadows may not be the best option but there are many other trails at lower elevations. And there are plenty of trails outside of Yosemite too.

If you want to do a backpack trip and can get a permit, you can camp in backpacker's campgrounds near the trailheads without reservations. This might be what you are looking for:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bpcamp.htm

There is also Camp 4 on the Valley Floor. Used by backpackers and climbers, you can line up early in the morning on the day of your visit to get a site. And the fees are quite reasonable:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/camp4.htm

Here's another information page for you to check out:
http://www.yosemitefun.com/backpacking.htm

If you have other questions or are still confused, you should probably call or email the Park directly and talk to a ranger. The address and phone number are on their website.

OK -- It doesn't seem you are noting the very important detail that several of us have mentioned. The back country is pretty much still snowed in. Tioga Pass road only opened last weekend and you cannot camp near the road - you have to hike miles in - through snow.

Hammocks instead of a tent? I really think you need to get a bit more experience under your belt before hitting high country Yosemite.

If someone you know used a hammock, it may have been in a regular campsite on the Yosemite Valley floor where it is quite a bit warmer - maybe in late July or August. A tent is advisable in case of a sudden rainstorm and, as noted, mosquitoes. And there will be bears around. Count on it. Much better to be prepared for all conditions. Even a tube tent is better than no tent. Just a little friendly advice here.

...and then there's the issue of all the SNOW still
on the ground in all the areas you want to go on June 20 -
June 23. Just a little more friendly advice.


R5