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Kemics
Trad climber
Bristol
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 11, 2016 - 01:23pm PT
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We're out in yosemite for May on a climbing trip. So it seems all the reservation camp sites fill up immediately. Which I think leaves the 6 first come first serve places? But according to google only camp4 is open during May? Is it always possible to find somewhere to sleep? My climbing partner thinks we should get a camper van as our hire vehicle. That way we can just drive outside the park limits and sleep. Is this feasible? Or is it not that much drama and getting a car and driving to somewhere like Tuolumne meadows is a good option too. What do most people do for their climbing trips?
Thanks!
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 01:30pm PT
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Bandit camping is pretty cracked down on in and around Yosemite.
The Meadows are around 1:30-2:00 from the Valley, assuming Highway 120's even open. Which is likely a 50/50 possibility: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm
There's decent camper/tent camping in Groveland, about an hour away, but it's been 5 or 6 years since I stayed there, so I don't remember much about it, except 2 Guys Pizza was good.
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Byran
climber
San Jose, CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 01:59pm PT
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Driving out of the park takes almost an hour, possibly much longer if there is traffic and/or a line at the entrance station. You can spend 7 nights in camp 4, and then have to drive in-out each day or camp illegally. If you have a van or camper shell with blacked out windows I would just descretelly sleep in that at one of the parking lots in the valley. You have to be sort of ninja about it though. The ticket if you get caught is around $90 I believe. Make sure you store any food in a public bear locker at one of the trailheads.
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John M
climber
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:08pm PT
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Tuolumne Meadows campground is NOT open in May.. Highway 120 over Tioga pass and through Tuolumne Meadows is usually not open in May. Winter closure.
I just looked on the reservations website and weekends are your problem. There are sites available midweek in Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow campground midweek.
If you can figure out weekends, then I would book Wawona midweek. It is 30 minutes to the valley.
I do not know what to advise you about weekends. You could book Wawona for midweek and try getting in line early Thursday or Friday morning for camp 4. Outside the park at the south entrance summerdale campground is also full weekends, and opens may 13th I believe.
You do not say what your specific dates are. But many campgrounds in and around the park are closed in May.
Opening dates for the park..
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
Or.. as advised above.. just stay in camp 4. It is first come first served and has no guarantee. I would not advise arriving on a saturday morning.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:11pm PT
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I wish you luck....horrible camping in the Valley. Go to the Black Canyon....wonderful mult pitch AND camping.
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brotherbbock
climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:12pm PT
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If you are camping and climbing in the valley remember one thing...
YER
GONNA
DIE!!!!
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TLP
climber
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:22pm PT
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John M nails it: stay at a campground outside the valley floor during the week (Wawona, Hodgdon, Crane Flat), get up at 3 AM (alpine start!) and drive in and get in the Camp 4 line for your weekend days, then either stay there for a whole week, or back to a more remote campground for the next M-F period. Donini is also right: great climbing and easier camping at Black Canyon in Colorado. You probably know other climbers on your rock who've done El Cap, be the first to have cruised the Scenic!
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John M
climber
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Mar 11, 2016 - 02:32pm PT
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When I first posted I didn't realize you meant the whole month of May. You are also up against a time limit on how many nights that you can camp in the park..
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campregs.htm
There is a 30-night camping limit within Yosemite National Park in a calendar year; however, May 1 - September 15, the camping limit in Yosemite is 14 nights, and only seven of those nights can be in Yosemite Valley or Wawona.
the whole month of May would be difficult.
It sucks. I know..
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shylock
Social climber
mb
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Mar 11, 2016 - 04:54pm PT
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driving out of the park doesn't take an hour.. many people do this. many people also figure out how to make it work for a month or more. you will too :)
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frog (the real frog)
Gym climber
San Diego
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Mar 11, 2016 - 06:20pm PT
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Is the "Snow Play Area" just outside the south entrance still available? I've spent nights there in the past ... no facilities, but free ...
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c wilmot
climber
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Mar 11, 2016 - 06:29pm PT
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one option is the backpackers camp in the valley. You can get a backpacking permit and spend a night or two at little Yosemite valley.
the backpackers camp from the NPS website:
"Backpackers' campgrounds are available for wilderness permit holders to spend one night before and one night after a wilderness trip. Camping is limited to one night at a time. Reservations are neither necessary nor required. However, a valid wilderness permit is required to stay at the campground. The fee is $6 per person"
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Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Redwood City
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Mar 11, 2016 - 06:49pm PT
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just chance it and sleep in your car somewhere , I prefer an employee parking area . leave your windows cracked so condensation doesn't build up , that's a tell to LEO's... but don't keep any food in the car , that might get you an additional hefty improper food storage ticket ...
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the Fet
climber
Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La
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Mar 17, 2016 - 08:37pm PT
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Where you fly into determines what park entrance and which out of the valley campground you use, San Francisco = North Entrance = Hogdon Meadow or Crane Flat, OR Fresno = South Entrance = Wawona.
Either reserve a campsite for one of these campgrounds the first night you get there. Shouldn't be a problem for a weekday. OR find a spot to camp on a side road outside of the national park, in national forest land, which is legal, you just don't want to leave your stuff there during the day unattended.
It's about 45-60 minutes to camp outside the park or in one of the campgrounds outside of the valley. If it's just one night camp outside the park. For more than one night get a campsite so you don't need to break down camp each day.
Then as mentioned get up at 3AM, drive to the valley, and get in line for Camp 4 by 4AM. Bring a sleeping bag and a pad. Should work. Worst days to try to get a site are often Friday and Saturday.
If that doesn't work you may need to drive outside the park again camp and try again the next day. But hey getting up early is ok since you'll have jet lag anyway.
Keep checking the reservation web site for cancellations you may get lucky. If you strike out at camp 4 you can go check the campground office in the curry village parking lot for cancellations which opens at 9AM I think. Less of chance than camp 4 but worth a try.
As mentioned you can do 1 night in the backpackers campground (5 minute hike in) in the valley, one or more nights with a wilderness permit hiking a few hours out of the valley and camping in the wilderness. And one night at the backpackers campground when you return.
Camping in a pain, but what do you expect in the most popular national park in the world?
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Highgloss
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 17, 2016 - 08:40pm PT
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So much hype and bs...... Hardin Flat and wait in line.
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enjoimx
Trad climber
Yosemite
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Mar 17, 2016 - 10:04pm PT
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Love gasoline nailed it.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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Mar 17, 2016 - 10:44pm PT
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just buy a green pickup and paint Werner Braun on the side of it,
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Mar 17, 2016 - 10:47pm PT
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Keep working the campground site. Also consider Housekeeping camp.
Don't count on out of bounds camping until you visit a few times and really get to know the place.
Best solution is have lots of cash and stay in the hotels.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 03:10am PT
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If you get to the Camp 4 kiosk really early (4 am is not too early) you can be the first one in line for an open camp site. Arrive after midnight and sleep at the kiosk. There might already be a line formed up at midnight, but probably not in May, which is somewhat off-season. Trying to sleep at the kiosk at, say, 10 pm can result in the rangers telling you to leave the valley for the night. By midnight, they are largely inactive.
There used to be a similar walk-in campground between the Ahwanhee Hotel and Upper/Lower Pines campgrounds. There was a footbridge across the river there. The Yosemite website doesn't mention it. Did it wash away in 1997, or whenever it was, when that big flood took out the gas station at Camp 4?
Another idea:
Do Big Wall climbs, and do your sleeping up there.
Remember, even the Royal Arches is a Big Wall as far as the rangers are concerned.
Condensation on the inside of a van's blacked-out windows can give you away. If you must sleep in your vehicle, avoid being in there before 11 pm and get out at the crack of dawn.
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MissMoonChild
Trad climber
CA
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Oct 20, 2018 - 05:42pm PT
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This is an old post but I thought I should respond anyway..
Not a good idea to camp in employee lots like someone above had mentioned. Employees have been getting sick of it and rangers have been called on people sleeping in those spots. A lot of their lots also are not public like others in the valley, many of them are for residents only, and a fine is pretty large.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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Oct 20, 2018 - 09:15pm PT
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BITD squatting in Housekeeping Camp parking was good, but it is a bust now for sure.
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