National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Yosemite National ParkSnowy Half Dome
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
Yosemite National Park
Camping Without a Reservation

Camping without a Reservation

If you plan to camp in Yosemite during summer without a reservation, you are limited to the following campgrounds.

View a list of all campgrounds with this year's estimated opening and closing dates and other information.

October through April (approximately)
From fall through early spring, you may be able to find a campsite at one of the reservation campgrounds or at Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds, which operate on a first-come, first-served basis from October through April. You can also double-check the reservations website to check for any last-minute availability.

May through September (approximately)
Note that very few first-come, first-served campsites are available in May and June (until additional first-come, first-served campgrounds open).

In order to have a reasonable chance of finding a campsite from spring through fall, you should arrive by noon on weekdays and midmorning on weekends. (Camp 4 usually fills by 9 am; Tuolumne Meadows Campground may fill by 8:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays.)

Once you get a campsite, you can register for more than one night. In May and June, you're very unlikely to find a first-come, first-served campsite (until later in June, when additional campgrounds open).

If all else fails, try to find a campsite outside of Yosemite National Park.

Within Yosemite National Park, you may not sleep in your car or RV except in a campsite that you're registered to stay in (except at Camp 4, where sleeping in cars is not allowed because it's a walk-in campground).

Gaylor Lake  

Did You Know?
That 95% of Yosemite is designated Wilderness? In Wilderness, you can experience unparalleled opportunities for solitude while visiting some of the most beautiful places on Earth.
more...

Last Updated: July 15, 2008 at 21:42 EST