Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Sleeping in TH parking lots

Alot of times I'll drive up to Horseshoe Meadows park the car and sleep in the dirt next to my car. Or in an adjacent parking spot (if it's not crowded). As far as I know, this is illegal correct? I've never had any ranger hassle me about this, I've even pitched tents in the dirt loop at Onion Valley before. Are my free night camping days numbered?

I guess I should ask, does anyone else besides me do this?

DC,

I have slept in the back of my pick-up or in the recliner seats of a friends car at trailheads several times. Some trailheads have overnight camping spots that are seperate from the parking areas. Just be careful and don't get run over in your tent by someone trying to park their car late at night.

Dietcookie,

I've slept at the trail head in Kings Canyon, Whitney, Mineral King and Yosemite. Usually just for 3-4 hours while I wait for my brother to show up. I've never had a problem anywhere EXCEPT Yosemite. I've been hassled like a begger on the streets for taking a 15 minute nap in the car and last time I tried I was told to leave the park, start hiking or go rent a tent cabin for over 100 dollars. I was doing Half Dome with a friend's son, so I thought 0200 was too early to start. I paid over 100 bucks for 2 1/2 hours in a tent cabin. At Whitney I've slept in the back of my Suburban at the trail head many times with no hassles. My wife usually drives me to the big Kings Canyon hikes and waits in the park for me (usually sleeps in the Suburban after we start at midnight and then does small hikes/reads/shops/etc until we get back). No one has ever said anything. She won't do it at Mineral King however; she always leaves right away because the Marmots are pretty agressive. .............DUG

DUG, where was this in Yosemite? Really, at 2 AM? How long ago?

I've slept in the car in the trailhead parking area just east of Curry Village, but I didn't know they had midnight rangers prowling like that.

I have also bivouaced in the woods just off the Hwy 120 a few times, but there is no way a ranger would find us -- they would have to come looking with infrared sensors or something.

SteveC,

I used to park at the end of the road before it forces you to turn left, because I didn't know you could drive down until the handicap only roadblock and use the parking lot on the right. Twice I was just dozing in the car in the front seat waitng for my brother when I got the knock on the window. Last year we were in the parking lot crashed in the back of my Suburban and got woke up at 0100ish. If it weren't for 1/2 Dome, I would never even go to Yosemite. I love the fact that it draws people away from Kings Canyon though. .......................DUG

Sounds like we need to find a bivouac spot in the valley.

Of course there IS the hiker walk-in camping area. But I have heard conflicting stories: one is that you must have a wilderness permit for the next day in order to stay there, and the other is that you don't.

You don't need one

Figured I wasn't alone in just catching some Z's where It's convenient! Look for 4 dudes this Friday night at Horseshoe laying in the dirt somewhere..

From the Inyo National Forest Service web site

Dispersed Camping
Dispersed primitive camping is tent or self-contained RV camping in undeveloped areas. Visitors may access camping points along any public dirt road within BLM or Forest Service property. Campsites should be 2 miles outside of any established campground, recreation area, wilderness area, or town limits. Dispersed camping is not permitted along Whitney Portal or Onion Valley roads. A California Campfire Permit is required for the use of a cook stove. These permits are free and available at Visitor Centers. Please be extremely careful with stoves, fires, and cigarettes. Be aware that we do have black bears in the Lone Pine and Independence areas, and that proper food storage is necessary. Please take measures to minimize food smells and its visibility.

so.. It could be legal?? I think the NPS rules are more stringent.

Hi, Dietcookie:

Since there are inexpensive, walk-in campgrounds very near the Horseshoe Meadow and Cottonwood Lakes trailheads, why not use one of them? Sleeping in the dirt next to the car sounds a little dicey: You might get run over by someone parking badly next to you (i.e., too close, and SQUISH).

Hoppy