Yosemite national park has popular campgrounds, of which up to seven are on a reservation system. Dotted with waterfalls, canyons, streams, and, of course, towering redwood trees, yosemite national park is one of those places that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lives. There are numerous camping opportunities both within and surrounding yosemite national park. Nearby ski resorts include badger pass located within the park, mammoth mountain, and sierra summit. Yosemite glamping unique accommodations in unique places. There are campgrounds in yosemite national park each with its own unique personality, and all with stunning views. Find yosemite camping options that work for all budgets. If you want to camp between july 15 and august 14, count back five months from the beginning of that period not from the date you want to camp. If your group is larger, you can stil enter six or leave this blank, but you will need more than one campsite. While the park is open 24 hours a day all year round, what time of year you visit yosemite completely depends on your expectations and in which activities you plan on partaking. The tranquil forest setting with stunning sunset views allows for peace and relaxation yearround. Yosemite, ca 95389 aramark is an authorized concessioner of the national park service and is the primary concessioner in yosemite national park. Established in 1864, yosemite national park is one of the most popular and visited parks in the country, and for good reason.
How to get from san francisco to yosemite national park. For those of us who like to live life on the edge, it is possible to find epic, legal camping in yosemite national park without booking a. This brandnew architectural masterpiece is situated in the middle of yosemite national park. Heres our noreservations guide to camping in yosemite national park. Campgrounds include traditional tent campsites, rv sites, and wilderness camping, and are all managed by the national park service. The complete guide puts the best of yosemite national park at your fingertips. You can simply use your smart phones gps to find camping near you or even use our trip planner to plan your route from coast to coast our community provides the best free camping information available. Most people book their yosemite campsite reservations months in. Smaller and slightly more isolated than neighboring campgrounds, north pines offers a true forest camping experience that makes it the most enjoyable of yosemite valleys car campgrounds. It feels like oldschool nationalpark camping there.
When camping in this area, proper food storage bearproof canisters or lockers is required for the sake of the black bears in the parks, as well. Take the scenic route from san francisco to yosemite national park with a rental car. Find camping in yosemite without reservations escape. If you choose to visit a national park, please ensure that you follow cdc and state and local guidelines to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and practice. There are total camp campgrounds in yosemite national park, 4 of them are open all year while all others are open seasonally. Yosemite national park, with endless hiking, backpacking, climbing and swimming, is about 1 hour away by car. Guide to camping in yosemite national park outdoor project. Discover things to do in yosemite, places to stay in yosemite and some of the best places to eat in yosemite mariposa county. From april through september, reservations are essential and even the firstcome, firstserved campgrounds usually fill by noon often earlier from april through september campground reservations. So yes you can sleep in your car at all national parks at most parks you need to be in an actual campground or have a backcountry permit. Ask at the entrance gate to yosemite and bring documentation of the.
Make sure to visit the parks lottery system to reserve ahead of time. There are many yosemite campgrounds to choose from. Camping in yosemite national park everything you need to. Taking a rented vehicle means you can break up the drive however you like. Yosemite garden camp tent site 1, yosemite garden camp, ca. Camping in yosemite is a magical experience that will enhance your vacation to this stunning california valley. North pines campground is located in breathtaking yosemite national park in central californias rugged sierra nevada mountain range at an elevation of 4000 feet. But if you are looking for additional amenities and dining options, take a look at the many rv parks and forest service campgrounds located in the gateway towns that surround the park. All areas of the park are usually accessible by car by late may or early june. Both easily accessible from the car, tunnel view offers a near unbeatable vantage. Towering granite rock walls, switch backing trails beneath the spray of a waterfall, an overnight in a backcountry walled tent, a week of camping with the family, a stroll beneath ancient sequoia trees. But as the pilot to your own car, you can visit all the attractions in yosemite national park on your own timetable.
Ideally, youll book your campsites months in advance at. Hodgdon meadow campground is a little less than an hours drive west of the heart of yosemite valley, off highway 120, but still within the park. There are campgrounds inside the park with varying availability. How to car camp in yosemite national park backcountry emily. Campground reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am pacific time. Before visiting, please check with individual parks regarding changes to park. Reservations are required all year for yosemite valleys car campgrounds and. Yosemite is about 170 miles away from san francisco and about a 4 hour drive.
Whether you just need to know where to camp nearby or you want to plan a free camping road trip, weve got you covered. Reservations are required all year for yosemite valleys car campgrounds and summer. A wilderness permit is required to stay at these campgrounds. It is located in a forest of mixed conifers about 1. It is legal to car camp within any national forest land within the united states. Autocamp yosemite national park offers a unique outdoor experience with incredible luxury camping amenities, a heated pool, modern canvas tents, and more. Entrance fees and where to get your park pass for yosemite. The main attraction of this campground is its convenience and yearround accessibility. There is a 30day camping limit within yosemite national park in any calendar year however, from 01 may to 15 sep inclusive, the camping limit outside the valley is limited to a total of not more than 14 days, except for wawona, which is limited to 7 days. Sleeping in your car along the side of the road is also not allowed. Brief descriptions of individual campgrounds follow.
Fully updated to include current travel info including the new rules for hiking half dome, the second edition offers expanded chapters on geology, ecology, wildlife, and history. Staying at ahwahnee beginning of may and need to rent a car to get back to sfo airport. Camping yosemite glamping in airstreams and canvas tents. Yosemite valley lodge in yosemite national park ca. Rough it camping in the park which includes bringing your own tent, food and supplies is the cheapest way to experience yosemite. Yosemite national park lodging, camping, attractions. Experts offer howto tips on visiting yosemite national park. Yosemite national park in mariposa county is home to majestic attractions and premier lodging. We have details about the thirteen campgrounds in yosemite, information about rv camping, and campground regulations. Best camping in yosemite national park on tripadvisor. Firstcome, firstserved campgrounds are available all year, especially july through september but its very hard to find a firstcome, firstserved campsite in april, may, and june.
This guide is all about the frontcountry camping possibilities within the national park. Visit our blog on when to book national park campsites for the summer for. Within yosemite national park, you may not sleep in your car or rv except in a campsite that youre registered to stay in except at camp 4, where sleeping in cars is not allowed because its a walkin campground. In 2015, just over 4 million visitors explored some portion of yosemites 800 miles of trails or stayed in one of the campgrounds within the park. Just be sure to book a spot early, especially if you want to. Find camping in yosemite without reservations escape campervans.
Money from the entrance fees goes toward parkspecific projects, including road repairs, monitoring and mitigation of park resources. Yosemite national park is a sight not to be missed if youre spending time in california. Imagine yourself camping in yosemite national park all of those things can be yours. Car rental near yosemite yosemite national park forum. The best yosemite national park camping 2020 tripadvisor. Best camping in and near yosemite national park hipcamp. Camping without a reservation yosemite national park u. The car campgrounds like upper pines require a reservation yearround they sell out months. The campgrounds cover a good chunk of the 700,000 acres of yosemite national park, and that means that campgrounds are seriously spread out. Find deals on cheap hertz yosemite national park rental cars with. Crane flat is a popular campground northwest of yosemite valley.
Backcountry campgrounds at little yosemite valley and near the high sierra camps glen aulin, may lake, sunrise, merced lake, and vogelsang are not part of the campground reservation system. If youre camping in the winter, its best to not venture too far off the main trails. Filled with vivid color photography and informed writing, yosemite. During national parks week in april, entry fees are waived in more than 100 parks nationwide, including yosemite national park. How to make a reservation yosemite national park u. The yosemite national park entry fee is charged per vehicle and is good for seven days. You can reserve parts of upper pines specifically, sites 194 during the off season up to 6 months in advance, while campground sites 95124. A noreservations guide to camping in yosemite national. If your vacation plans include more than two national parks in a year, ask for an annual pass.
There are campgrounds in yosemite national parkeach with its own unique personality, and all with stunning views. Specified areas are laid out for families, groups and even those on horseback riding excursions within the park. Wave farewell to memorizing the bus route and hello to a vacation on your own terms. If you enter a group size of more than six, the search results will only include double and group campsites. You can also enjoy the scenic drive to yosemite from the comfort and privacy of a rental car. Book a discount hertz rent a car in yosemite national park, california today. Yosemite camping reservations for the rest of the national park are released one month at a time, five months in advance, on the 15th of each month. The ultimate guide to yosemite national park ordinary. Yosemite by car yosemite national park forum tripadvisor.
There are a number of campgrounds located within yosemite national park, offering an unbeatable location to rest your head in the park. Campground reservations reservations are required all year for yosemite valleys car campgrounds and summer through fall for hodgdon meadow, crane flat, wawona, and half of tuolumne meadows. Can anyone advise closest car rental location to yosemite and the driving distance, we will have a. Heres a pdf of estimated driving times around the park from yosemite valley. Yosemite camping grounds can accommodate over 9,300 people. Over 1500 square miles of finely cut granite cliffs, beautiful blue lakes, and a valley covered in forest make up the landscape of one of the most popular us national parks. Yosemite national park the best camping in yosemite national park north pines campground in yosemite valley. Traditional rooms provide the comfort of a city hotel in the heart of the beautiful national park.
Please dont leave any food or items like toothpaste in your car or tent. Wake up to the sunlight filtering through the branches, and stop by the amphitheater right across from this huge campground, which might have some events going on. Most of the property has sweeping views across the central valley to the coast ranges to the west. Camping reservations camping yosemite national park. When it comes to camping in and around the yosemite valley you have a few different. Winter weather in yosemite national park can change quickly. Yes, its actually possible to successfully nab a campspot on an impromptu roadtrip to yosemite. Yosemite national park is located in east central california, 5 miles southeast of sacramento. The best camping in yosemite national park frommers. Most yosemite campsites have a size limit of six people. That means that youre vying for camping spots with a lot of other people. Yosemite national park vacations vacation packages.