Seems everyone and thier cousins is going to Yosemite this summer. I wanted to know if anyone had a secret spot to camp that they wouldnt mind sharing. I would like to be in the park but near it would work well. I checked some recreation.gov site but they are all booked for July.....All i want to do is sleep and climb.

Spiro--

All you have to do is get up at 5am and go wait at the kiosk at Camp 4 for a few hours and hope that they still have an opening in the campground when you get to the front of the line. It's much better to spend your mornings waiting and hoping for a campsite than climbing; those cool temps just suck for climbing.

But seriously, I'll send you a PM with the limited beta I've got on the subject.

--Marc

If you can get local beta about bandit camping I congratulate you. Most guard it from even their closest friends. I second the "just show up super early and wait in line at Camp 4". As far as "bandit camping" you'll probably get busted and ticketed. The Rangers have heat sensors to pick up people camping in the woods and cars and are not very nice about finding you, or so I've been repeatedly told ;)

If you have a car, Crane Flats, which is ironically named, often has open spots when every other campground is full. It's about a 45 minute drive from the valley if I recall, but nice and cool since it is much higher in elevation. It's still in Yosemite and has all the regular camping stuff.

Be prepared for the chaos that is the valley scene in the summer. It's great fun.

-jordan

It would take some effort. There is no rule about bivying on the wall. If you have a portaledge climb a pitch on El Cap and set up. You can legally park your car off the road at the Meadows, and it is a quick flat hike from El Cap to the meadows. Other than that good luck.

It may be different now, but back when I was at Yosemite the trick was not necessarily any particular "secret spot" but the fact that you have to get up early (even before sunrise) and leave. I don't know how many times I saw folks getting busted after sleeping in.

Ranger troll.

Again, can't say either.

So now I know how the rangers found my sons and I at 0100. The get in late leave early scheme no longer works. Stedve

I was there early to mid June of last year and had no problem getting a camp 4 site. July will be even easier since that time of year in the valley is way too hot for most climbers. However, showing up during the week will ensure your chances even more. I would 2nd the crane flats camp site idea since it is closer to the higher peaks and domes yet close enough to the valley if it cools down. However, it is more expensive then camp 4.