Yosemite camping
 

My husband and I just bought some camping gear and would like to go camping in Yosemite this summer. Now, after looking at the reservations website for the park, we came to the conclusion that the camping grounds are booked for the whole summer. However, there are some grounds that are 'first come first serve'. My question is, should we risk getting to Yosemite on a Friday night (2 nights camping), and hope we'll get a site? How do people usually go about camping when reservations can't be made, should we reserve at a hotel just in case or should we be ok??

Oh, forgot to mention, my first thought is to call all these campgrounds and find out what their availability looks like for the days we're going (probably July), but not sure if that's possible...Anyone know?

Celine,

I wouldn't count on finding a campsite at the first come first serve sites unless you get there first thing in the morning! They fill up early in the day!

I would keep checking back at the National Park reservation site for cancellations. (I asked them once and they said the internet site will get the cancellations the same time they do by the phone in reservations. Once it's on the computer it's available for anyone to see) My son got in on a cancellation in July a few years ago. That's when he proposed to his wife:)

If you are looking for a nice place to go camping you might try Big Tree State Park just north of Arnold, California and see if they have any openings. It's a beautiful park with a nice campground.

Utahtea

Celine
Don't know when you want to go, but I justed checked Currey Villiage for August 11-14th and they had two canvas tents available. This is a nice camp ground and the soft sided tents look very nice from the road. You might want to check: http://www.yosemitepark.com/
for your dates.

opps, JUST not justed

Hi!
You can ONLY get camping reservations by phone or on the internet. Although I use the website, it is protracted and not efficient. By calling, the reservationist can give you the run-down of ALL Valley campsites. On the web, you go to one, then you have to start all over if that's filled up to another. Upper Pines has the most sites, so I'd look there first if you are doing a web search. No, unfortunately, you can't just call the campsite.

Even if someone doesn't show up, if they haven't cancelled, you can't use the site, because it is "theirs" from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m. The sad part is, many don't cancel because the site costs $18.00 and you lose all but $4.00 if you cancel.

Right by Yosemite Falls is what they call the "walk in" campground, which is more primative than the other grounds.

Since it's easier to cancel a Valley hotel than it is a campground, I would strongly suggest you make hotel or lodge, or cabin or tent-cabin reservations. Then keep looking for a site. If you find one, you have to book it immediately, because there's a 100 people also trying to access the site both on the net and on the phone.

People do cancel camping reservations and if they have booked for more than one night then they save the camping fees for those nights. Believe me...people do cancel ahead of time!

Keep checking and the best time will be about 2 weeks to 10 days before you want to go.

I prefer to make my reservations online for a number of reasons. You can print out the map of the campground and then you can tell where the sites that are listed are located. We like a specific loop. We can also see what size the campsite online gives the campsite measurements and tells whether the site is shady or sunny. That's important to us because we have a motorhome.

Utahtea

Thanks for the info..guess I'll book a hotel outside of the park just in case.

I'll try calling every once in a while to see if there's a cancellation, but might take my chances on the first come first serve, and if it doesn't work out we'll stay at the hotel...

Celine
Not to beat a dead horse, but to stay on the Valley Floor ie: Curry village, would IMO be better than staying ourside the park. Those canvas tents are $59.00 per night and in beautiful surroundings.

Celine,
Check the hotel's cancellation policy when you book. Even if you are able to find a campsite upon arrival, most hotels will not let you cancel the same day.

Celine,


To book a hotel or not...

Part of the answer depends on where you're coming from. If you're reasonably close (say within 4-5 hours drive from the park) unless your heart is set on a particular weekend, then the answer is no. Just be prepared to have a long day of it.

These campgrounds are first come, first served:
IN Yosemite Valley
Camp 4 Walk-In Campground (shared sites)

IN The park but not in the valley:

Wawona Campground (October - April)
Bridalveil Creek Campground
Hodgdon Meadow Campground (October - April)
Tamarack Flat Campground
White Wolf Campground
Yosemite Creek Campground
Porcupine Flat Campground
Half of Tuolumne Meadows Campground (same-day reservation)

My plan of attack would be to get up at Oh Blackhundred and be prepared to wait in line in front of the Camp4 kiosk at 6 am. This is the vacancies line, and where you get the camp spots as people leave. These spots are PRO: in the valley CON: have no privacy whatsoever CON: sometimes noisy in the middle of the night as climbers who come to climb very long routes get up at 2:30 am.

If you can't get a spot in the valley, then I would head out of the valley and up Tioga Pass Road, where the majority of the rest of the campsites are. I've always gotten a spot at camp4, so unfortunately I cannot recommend any of the Tioga Pass Road campgrounds over any other.

Best of luck to ya!

Thanks again...not sure I want to get up at 3 am just to get a camp site, not my idea of a vacation.

I think I'll just continue looking for cancelled reservations...

I can't believe all these 'first come first serve' sites, and you have to show up at 6am to get them??!

Bayarea, I'm confused though, don't people have their site until 10am?? Wouldn't that mean that some sites aren't available until 10 am?? Who leaves at 6am?

Celine, definitely keep checking, and be fast with those fingers! 3 days ago, in the evening, there must have been some kind of cancellation because Upper Pines had a site available for three days. The next morning, 7 am sharp (there are specific booking hours) I checked, and it was still available. I put in all my info, credit card, etc, and hit submit. BAM! All of the sudden, it said "error". Somebody had beaten me to it, and it was no longer available. :(

However, I checked the lodging site, and there were quite a few canvas tents and housekeeping units availble. It's 59 a night compared to 18 per night, but I figured for only a couple of nights, it wouldn't break the bank.

Yosemitefun.com is a great website on yosemite, and does an interesting job describing campground 4 (made it seem like a gypsy zoo!) You can always try booking a canvas tent for a night, then go try to get a walk-in campsite early in the morning since you are in the valley already, if budget is an issue. (although for only two nights, it would be a pain to pack up everything and move).

I hope you get to visit Yosemite. This is my first time, and I'm excited!

Celine,

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you.

The deal with 6am is specific to Camp 4. That campground is only $5 per person, per night. MUCH Cheaper than any other campground in the valley. It's also the Climber's Campground. Climbers make the poor folks on the "how do you do it" thread look like a bunch of millionaires. The result is that climbers (& travelling Aussies & Euros) are willing to get up very early in order to line up for the vacancies at the camp4 kiosk, which opens at 8am.

You *probably* wouldn't have to do that for the Tioga Pass road campsites, but I'd hate to tell you that definitively, and then be wrong. The only thing that I can offer as a possible aide is this:

900-454-9673 (YOSE). Yeah, it's a 900 number, but it's the only way you can talk to a live operator regarding the park.

Actually, that and suggesting that you put your trip off to after Labor Day. The crowds slowly lessen, the heat lessens...

I think late September is a much nicer time to visit the park if you have that as an option.

I would wait til September, but I really want to see those waterfalls...might just be a trickle by then.

My problem is we can't go during the week, so I'm sure we'll have problems finding a free campsite. But I'll keep looking around, thanks again!

P.S: I'm considering going to King's Canyon/Sequoia Park instead (I've been to Yosemite before, but stayed in a cabin).

(part of me was secretly hoping that you'd call the 900# and then post what the scoop is).

For other national park campgrounds and lodges, I have found that they will show nothing available online but when you call there are availabilities.