Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board After Whitney: Yosemite NP Campground Locations??

After successfully dayhiking Mt. Whitney recently (August 17) via the Mountaineers Route, my friend and I are looking to tackle Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. This is going to be probably couple weeks from now in September; however, as far as campgrounds go, does anyone have recommendations for the closest camping spots to Yosemite National Park that do NOT need reservations AND are almost a sure thing to get??? Never mind camping in Yosemite NP itself - that will be an impossibility.

Thanks,
Amin F.

What route are you traveling into the park?

im not sure if you are stuck on camping near your vehicle....but if not there is a great little camp site at clouds rest junction....you can relax and eat and hit the cables when your ready...

tuolumne meadows backpackers camp seems to always have room for one more tent...

There are many campgrounds in Yosemite that have first come first serve sites. Check out Camping with out reservations There are also many sites just outside the park that have first come first serve camping. Check out the Sierra Natioanl forest for the west side and the Lee Vinning area campgrounds on the Inyo National Forest page for the east side

You might ask your question on the Yosemite Message Board

The Backpacker camp...near/behind the stables is always open without a reservation. YNP does not advertise this site much.
One Caveat though, you must have a wilderness permit to stay over there (rangers do come around and check), but it is safe place to leave gear...Curry Pizza break... and only $5 pp/night. Get your permit first thing...in Village near Ansel Adams gallery.
You can only stay there one night (well, one before, one after) but, most civilized site in the Valley...no cars.
When you get off the free shuttle bus (just leave car in Curry lot), get off at at Stables stop, walk into campground on left (Pines something), straight past kiosk, bearing right at 2 forks in the road (maybe 1/8 mile total) and at site ~#330 cross little bridge on right and you are there. You are about 1 1/8 miles from Happy Isles.

Unfortunately that was not my experience last week. I've never seen it so packed. I grabbed the last of the numbered, designated sites when I arrived at about 4PM and paid my fee. But campers continued to pour in until well after dark. People were setting up tents everywhere. Never saw a ranger.

Ditto for the Valley backpacker's camp the night before. One group came in and took over a site that was already occupied by people who went out to eat!! Fortunately everyone was civil. Again no rangers in sight.

My feeling is that lots of those folks were not really backpackers, judging by their gear. It seems the rangers are turning a blind eye to the situation.

Anyway to answer the original question, Camp 4 in the valley does not require reservations and if you're lucky and you get there early (as in morning) you may find a spot. Especially on a weekday late in the season.

You can get a campsite at camp 4 in the valley floor with no problems if you get thier early enough, that is the key. I just arrived there last thursday at 7:00 am, got a spot at camp 4 with no problems, plenty of spots available. From camp it was about a 2 mile bike ride to Happy Isles. After Labor Day, the crowds really deminish. Try for the valley floor if you can get thier early enough!!!!!

So we've managed to figure out more of the specifics. And we plan on leaving for Yosemite the day after Labor Day. So Sept. 8 be there and leave Yosemite probably 4 or 5 days later.

Do the prospects look good for being able to get a walk-in campground INSIDE Yosemite after Labor Day?

Actually not. It's more like a possibility.

Just checked recreation.gov and there are campsites available to reserve in Yosemite that week. Even in the Valley. Probably cancellations. Act quickly and you may land a site at least for most of your time there. Fri-Sat nights are still tough.

Depending upon if you want the east or west side, here goes:

East: Aspen Grove near Lee Vining (too far from HD, but a great drive!)

West: Summerdale (north of Fish Camp), Bass Lake (near Oakhurst).

Shoot me an EM. I live in Coarsegold which is 30 miles south of Yosemite on HW 41. Maybe we can accommodate if your HD hike is not on or around Labor Day.

Have fun.

Camp 4 is OK., But keep an eye on your stuff. Trail camp is OK as well, but the rangers do check that you have a wilderness permit... and you better have it... Little Yosemite, same thing, have your permit available,,,,

If you don't have anything else, camp up in Toulumne, off any of the trails, a mile or two off road, with a wilderness permit, and drive down to HD early in the AM. I know, that's a pain,... but at least you will be legal...

please abide by the rules.. if you dont, why would anyone else bother to..

Mark.

I like the fact that you encourage folks to abide by the rules but your suggestion violates one. Quote from the Yosemite/NPS website:

"* You must camp at least four trail miles from Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, Hetch Hetchy, and Wawona, and at least one air mile from any road. Camping is prohibited in the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River."

My bad. I've been spending so much time in the E.Sierra the last few years I didn't realize the change in rules. I think it was previously either 1 or 2 trail miles (can't) remember which. Definately don't remember any verbage about "air miles". Or maybe I was always mistaken, anyway, thanks for the correction!

Quick update: Thanks all for your inputs. On recreation.gov, I've managed to find a camping spot in the Yosemite Valley (Upper Pines) near the HD trailhead for 3 nights (9/7-9/9). Somebody must have cancelled because it wasn't available yesterday.

On 9/9 I will probably move over to Toulumne Meadows so I can hike Koip Peak (12,962'). I am looking for a "tent only" reservation to open up.