Campgrounds

Camping in Yosemite

• Making a Reservation
• Campground Reservation FAQ
• Camping Without a Reservation
• Campgrounds
• Camping Regulations

Reservations are required for all campgrounds from approximately April through October. Reservations are extremely difficult to get: you should make a reservation as early as possible. Read answers to frequently asked questions and tips for making reservations.

There are three first-come, first-served campgrounds available in in late fall, winter, and early spring. These often fill, especially on weekends and holidays. First-come, first-served camping is not available from late May through October. However, some campgrounds listed below have reservations available two weeks in advance from around July to mid-October.

Campfires and Wood Smoke 

Campfires are allowed (in a fire ring and when attended), except they are only allowed from 5 pm to 10 pm in Yosemite Valley campgrounds and Hodgdon Meadow Campground. However, consider minimizing fire usage or not having a fire! Emissions from campfires can degrade air quality in and near campgrounds. This is especially true at night and in early morning, when inversions trap and concentrate fine particles from those campfires near the ground, creating local conditions that are potentially unhealthy for sensitive individuals.

 

RV and Trailer Camping

Yosemite has 10 campgrounds that can accommodate RVs and trailers (including fifth wheels) of varying lengths. If you plan to spend the night in your RV, you must be in a designated standard or RV campsite—you can't park in a parking lot, along the side of the road, or in a tent-only campsite.

• Reservations: campgrounds requiring reservations are usually full from around April through September. You should make a reservation as early as possible. If you don't have reservations, find out more about camping without reservations.
• Electrical, water, and sewer hookups are not available in Yosemite, although dump stations (with fresh water) are available at Upper Pines Campground (all year), near Wawona Campground (summer only), and near Tuolumne Meadows Campground (closed until 2024, then summer only). Generator use is allowed, but only between 7 am and 9 am, noon and 2 pm, and 5 pm to 7 pm. Generator use is not allowed at other times.

• Maximum RV/trailer lengths: In Yosemite Valley, the maximum RV length is 40 feet and maximum trailer length is 35 feet, however, only a total of 8 sites of this size are available (six sites in Lower Pines and two in North Pines, which are open spring through fall). Many more sites exist in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere in Yosemite that can take RVs up to 35 feet or trailers up to 24 feet.

• RV length and trailer length are not the same! Please note that many campsites have different maximum lengths for RVs and trailers. This is because many of the campsites are back-in sites with limited turning radius. We do not enforce the length limits as long as the RV or trailer can fit on the parking pad in the site. However, if you reserve a site for equipment other than what you bring, and the site can't accommodate your RV or trailer, we will not be able to find a different campsite for you.

• Food storage: You may store food in hard-sided RVs and trailers, as long the food is out of sight, and windows, doors, and vents are closed when you're not in your campsite. Food may not be stored in pop-up or tent trailers, or other soft-sided campers.

Group Camping

Group campsites are normally available all year at Wawona Campground, and during summer at Hodgdon Meadow, Bridalveil Creek, and Tuolumne Meadows (not in 2023) Campgrounds. Reservations are required.

Horse Camping

Horse campsites are available during summer at Wawona, Bridalveil Creek, and Tuolumne Meadows (not in 2023) Campgrounds. Reservations are required.

 

Campground Details

• Campground opening and closing dates in the "Open approx." column are tentative and can vary from year to year. View historical campground opening and closing dates.
• Tap water and creek water: Campgrounds listed as having creek water have vault toilets (not regular restrooms). Campgrounds listed as having tap water have regular restrooms.
• Showers are available at the Curry Village pool showerhouse for a fee. Showers are not available elsewhere in the park.
• Dump stations are available at Upper Pines Campground (all year), near Wawona Campground (summer only), and near Tuolumne Meadows Campground (summer only). No campsites in Yosemite have hook-ups of any kind.
• Read Yosemite's campground regulations.

Opening, Closing, and Reservation Updates

 

Factors affecting opening of seasonal campgrounds

Once Tioga Road opens, crews begin working in campgrounds and other facilities to prepare them for opening. Before campgrounds can open, crews assess the condition of the campgrounds, remove trees that may fall or have fallen, make emergency road repairs, de-winterize restrooms, pump vault toilets, and turn on and test water systems. Additionally, sewer and utility systems often need repair each spring.

All this work also has to happen at visitor centers, offices, residences, and other facilities, as well. Opening offices and residences for staff are a high priority because campgrounds and other facilities need staff in order to operate.

As a result, campgrounds usually don't begin opening until at least four weeks after the Tioga Road opens. The table below reflects the best available estimate for when campgrounds will open and is revised as soon as we have updates.

 

• All reservations for North Pines Campground will be available via the early access lottery, which will be open for applications November 25 through December 14, 2024. Results will be sent out on December 22. Any reservations still available after the early access period will be available on the regular on-sale dates five months in advance on the 15th of each month starting in February..
• Tuolumne Meadows Campground's major rehabilitation project is nearly complete; the campground is planned to reopen in 2025.

Campground	Open tentatively in 2025	Elevation	Maximum RV Length/ Trailer Length	Reserve?	Daily Fee	Sites	Accessible Sites for people with disabilities	Water	Notes
Yosemite Valley
Upper Pines	All year	4000 ft/1200 m	35 ft/24 ft	5 months ahead on 15th	$36	238	10	Tap
Lower Pines	Apr 22–Oct 5	4000 ft/1200 m	40 ft/35 ft	5 months ahead on 15th	$36	60	5	Tap
North Pines	Apr 22–Oct 5	4000 ft/1200 m	40 ft/35 ft	Lottery or 5 months ahead on 15th	$36	81	5	Tap
Camp 4	All year	4000 ft/1200 m	Walk-in/tents only (no RVs/ trailers)	1 week ahead for Apr 29–Sep/Oct?	$10/ pers.	61	2	Tap	Pets not allowed
South of Yosemite Valley
Wawona	All year	4000 ft/1200 m	35 ft/35 ft	5 months ahead on 15th for Apr 15–Oct 5	$36	93	2	Tap
Bridalveil Creek	Jul ??–Sep	7200 ft/2200 m	35 ft/24 ft	2 weeks ahead	$36	110	0	Tap
North of Yosemite Valley
Hodgdon Meadow	All year	4900 ft/1500 m	35 ft/30 ft	5 months ahead on 15th for Apr 15–Oct 5	$36	105	0	Tap
Crane Flat	Jul ??–Oct	6200 ft/1900 m	35 ft/35 ft	2 weeks ahead	$36	151	8	Tap
Tamarack Flat	Jul 15??–Sep	6300 ft/1900 m	No RVs/trailers	2 weeks ahead	$24	52	5	Creek (boil)
White Wolf	Jul 15??–Sep	8000 ft/2400 m	27 ft/24 ft	2 weeks ahead	$36	74	0	Tap
Yosemite Creek	Jul 15??–Sep	7700 ft/2300 m	RVs/trailers not recommended	2 weeks ahead	$24	75	2	Creek (boil)
Porcupine Flat	Jul 15??–Oct 15	8100 ft/2500 m	24 ft RV (only 4 sites)	2 weeks ahead	$24	52	4	Creek (boil)
Tuolumne Meadows	Jul 15??	8600 ft/2600 m	35 ft/35 ft	5 months ahead on 15th	$36	304	7	Tap

(Closing dates refer to the day the campground closes; the night before that is the last night to camp.)

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. A wilderness permit is required to stay at these campgrounds.

High Sierra Camps themselves and Housekeeping Camp are lodging facilities managed by Yosemite Hospitality.