Has anyone stayed at the housekeeping camp in yosemite? I was thinking of staying there in mid June but wasnt sure how the place was. I would also like to find out about getting one of the overnight passes and pitching a tent "at least 1 mile off the road" Sounds a bit scary. Is it? Thanks for the help.

Around 5 years ago, a few female family members and I rented one of the tents up at White Wolf and really enjoyed ourselves. While you get the experience of camping in a tent, you don't have to hassle with setting it up - and I loved my cot and down comforter for those chilly nights.

Housekeeping Camp tends to attract the loudest, rowdiest types.....plenty of ranger and camp security activity for drunkeness, noise, etc... If you're a young party-type, you'll fit right in. If you prefer a little more peace and quiet, try to book a room/cabin in the Yosemite Lodge or Camp Curry area.

Growing up, for 7 years my family took an annual 1 week family vacation at the Housekeeping camps (this was 15 years ago or more). Although I was young, I would have to in hindsight agree with the previous poster's comment about rowdiness.

My dad organized other families to go up with us for an annual chili cook-off and kids' pancake eating breakfast. The initial 3 families grew to be 15 families by the end, and we were one loud group of people! My dad is a well respected lawyer, but had this one client who owned a liquor store, was always having legal troubles and never paid my dad's bill. So once a year, right before we headed up to Yosemite, my dad would show up and collect. Our family brought cases and cases of booze (and softdrinks for the kids).

We had lots of great family activities by day, including bike rides, picnic lunches, hikes, visiting the nature center, and intertube rafting.

I don't know if one day when I do go back to Yosemite with my husband whether I would like housekeeping, because it really is set up well for large groups, so I bet a lot go there. But then again, the cabins are so nice the way they are part tent and part cement, with built-in, fold-out cots along the walls. MUCH much roomier than a real tent, and you have a little attached fenced-in patio adjacent to the "cabin" room where you can set up a little kitchen and eat meals. It is really set up nicely. And showers and bathroom are nearby.


I would definitely look carefully at a campsite map. I would pick a cabin/tent in a far corner of the site. HINT: If there are 5-8 cabin/tents clustered around a central firepit and near a bathroom, that is going to be big group central (and thus rowdy). I would instead pick a site further from bathrooms and off by itself if possible (not sharing a central fire pit). Then it should be OK, I would guess.

Good luck! I have many great childhood memorie of Husekeeping. I hope you enjoy it.

Agree with the "rowdy" assessment of Housekeeping Camp, and there's a reason for it. Most hotel rooms and cabins within the valley are outrageously priced, and the standard camp sites require either an RV or lots of expensive camping equipment. You can show up at Housekeeping Camp with a cooler full of beer and be all set...and that's the type that tends to occupy the place, those who arrive in the park with beer and loud friends.

Hi,

I have to agree with the first response. I stayed at White Wolf, and loved it! We tent camped, but they did have little half cabin/half tent things. The campgrounds were beautiful, and there were some fun hikes around there as well.

The previous posters portray the housekeeping units accurately. I have camped (with tent not RV) many times and have never had a problem but the noise level does go up in the summer months. Yosemite Valley is a small city with its own court, jail and domestic violence safe house. If you are looking for a more natural experience, you might consider the other 95% of the park. There are many backpacking trails but there are also planned areas such as White Wolf, Touolomne Meadows, Wawona, Crane Flat and several others. If you want to stay in the Valley and don't want to camp or use the housekeeping units, you might look into the cabins at Yosemite Lodge or Curry Village.