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CAMP IN YOSEMITE PARK REGION
Ah, nature. Nothing feels better than pitching a tent, stringing a hammock between two pine trees, and kicking off your shoes at your very own campsite in Yosemite National Park. Energetic kids who have been cooped up in the car too long will love the chance to run around, while you just lie back, enjoy the view, and breathe deeply, leaving all that city stress behind.
Yosemite National Park has over a dozen developed campgrounds, ranging from woodsy sites on the valley floor to high-elevation spots beside alpine meadows, which bloom with summer wildflowers. Farther south, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offers many more developed campgrounds. Nearby national forest lands have some rustic places to camp, although the lack of facilities is made up for by the smaller crowds than in Yosemite Valley.
The following are some of our favorite places to camp in the Yosemite region:
National Park Campgrounds
The Yosemite Valley is the most popular place for campers in the national park, especially first-timer visitors and families. Its four developed campgrounds can get very crowded during summer. Summer is also the perfect time to drive up Tioga Road to higher-altitude campgrounds in the Tuolumne Meadows area. Or, stay closer to the valley at campgrounds off Glacier Point Road, at Wawona or at Hodgdon Meadow.
About a half-day's drive south of Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offer a variety of developed campgrounds with over 800 campsites. You can pitch your tent among giant sequoia trees or drive all the way down into the Kings Canyon or up into the Sierra Nevada at Mineral King, an old mining settlement with awesome views.
National Forest Campgrounds
When all national parks campgrounds are full, which usually happens on the biggest summer holiday weekends -- Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day -- you might find a free campsite in national forest lands surrounding the parks. Generally less developed than in national parks, national forest campgrounds often offer more of a chance to get back to nature.
Conveniently, several national forest campgrounds are found just outside national park boundaries. Around Yosemite National Park, there are national forest campgrounds outside all four park entrances. Between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the Sequoia National Forest is loaded with camping possibilities, especially at Big Meadow off the Generals Highway and at pretty Hume Lake.
Camping Permits, Fees, and Reservations
Overnight camping fees in the national parks typically range from $10 to $20. Reservations are recommended for the busiest campgrounds between May and September. For campsite reservations, visit www.recreation.gov or call (877) 444-6777 or (518) 885-3639. At first-come, first-served campgrounds, plan to arrive by 10 a.m. during summer to catch other campers vacating campsites. Remember that only a few campgrounds stay open year-round.
Backcountry camping in the national parks requires a wilderness permit. Although a few permits are first-come, first-served and available to walk-up visitors, you can also reserve wilderness permits in advance, which is a smart idea during summer. For more information about camping and wilderness travel, check out the Yosemite National Park and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks websites.
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