Yosemite Camping Options

Gonna fight the crowd this coming long weekend (May 27-30) in the Valley and I'm curious what people like to do for camping. I'm not really new to the Valley so I'm familiar with the following:

• Get there hella early and try and get a spot in camp 4
• Park at the lodge or curry village and stay in camp 4 without a permit (hope i don't get a parking ticket) and take down my tent in the morning.
• Stay in the national forest right before the entrance on 120 (sucks to pack up every morning and drive 30 min in and out)

Side note, does anyone have a camping site in the Valley they don't mind sharing this weekend? Just me and my climbing partner and we'll buy the beer or whatever.

the dirt lot on the 140 is closer to the valley and only adds 20 to the drive from the bay (where I'm assuming you are coming from).

What about the 2 'Pines' campgrounds?

2Pines???

Scott Weisgerber wrote:What about the 2 'Pines' campgrounds?

I think the vague reference to the "2 Pines" campgrounds may actually be about the three campgrounds of Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines. These campgrounds are near Curry Village, and can be reserved at Recreation.gov for twenty dollars per night. When there are openings!

Oh, if that's what they were referring to those are all booked solid. Thanks though.

HA, I thought it was a reference to bivy sites.....:-)

Hardin Flat is usually a good chioce, but even that will probably be packed for this weekend.

"Park at the lodge or curry village and stay in camp 4 without a permit (hope i don't get a parking ticket) and take down my tent in the morning."

I'm not in the Valley at the moment, but I've been hearing from folks there that the NPS is cracking down on the Lodge parking lot. I'd definitely recommend parking in the orchard near Curry village and not risking the $50 ticket.

Scott Bennett wrote: I'd definitely recommend parking in the orchard near Curry village and not risking the $50 ticket.

ok here is the secret and Im only going to tell my fellow climbers on here. you must be at the tiny ranger booth at the end of the camp curry parking lot early in the morning like at 8:00 i think. their will be a line a small one. the ranger will open the booth and inside the ranger has cancellations on a list from tulumne all the way to the valley most of the time you can stay this way. you will have to move everyday. sometimes you get a cancellation for a few days, and luck out. this is really one of the only ways other than camp 4 to stay at any of the pines campgrounds any more.

I can't tell you, there wont be any spots left for me. This is what I would do though. Leave Friday night right after work, and drive to Sawmill Mt road its the next left after Harden Flat road off 120. There's lots of fire roads and camping opportunities. Then wake up at 7 on Saturday drive directly to camp 4 and get in line by 8 and you should be able to get a spot for the rest of your stay. Good luck, and maybe I'll see ya there.

I have noticed people starting to form in the Camp 4 line at 6am on holiday weekends. I know the rangers don't open the booth til' 8am, but it will likely fill up early.

Thanks Rex, I didn't know about the Curry Village opportunity. I had a feeling they had spots that weren't online since I went in there in April to just change camp sites (on a sold out weekend) and they had all kinds of options for me?

Any way I got really lucky just hitting refresh online and was able to snag a spot in upper pines for Sat and Sun night. I think I'll have 2 cars there but if someone needs to roll a mat out PM me.

Ty Harlacker wrote:I have noticed people starting to form in the Camp 4 line at 6am on holiday weekends. I know the rangers don't open the booth til' 8am, but it will likely fill up early.

JLP wrote:Camp-f'n-4 - the nastiest, noisiest, dirtiest ghetto camping in climbing universe.