Best Places to RV Camp in Yosemite

In these COVID-complicated times, many people are looking for alternative destinations where they can take a break from urban life. If you are searching for the same thing, then we have the perfect option for you! RV camping is the new way to have a safe, self-contained, and economical vacation!

Yosemite Madera County provides prospective RV campers with guides to make their future RV camping enjoyable. Anyone who can afford the RV camping in Yosemite costs can choose three location categories for parking their RV in Yosemite. These categories include the Yosemite Campgrounds, RV Resorts, and Sierra National Forest Campgrounds.

RVs allow users to cook meals, have picnics, transport at great lengths, and bring the whole family or crew wherever they go. Yosemite’s National Park is one of the best places all over the world to go RV camping. You will never want to miss out on the incredible natural views and breathtaking scenery that awaits you.

Yosemite Campgrounds

Yosemite National Park takes pride in its most beautiful attraction, which is the Yosemite Valley. A section is open for the whole year. Many visitors gather in Yosemite Valley to see the Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, and the Half Dome. 

You will have less driving time if you reserve a spot right in the heart of the campgrounds around Yosemite Valley. The three campgrounds further down the valley are the North Pines, Upper Pines, and Lower Pines.

These principal campgrounds are gathered close together. RV camping in Yosemite reservations will be challenging if you’re planning to go to all three. They are located near Yosemite Village and Curry Village, previously called “Half Dome Village.” 

It takes a one-hour drive from the west of Yosemite Village to reach Hodgdon Meadow Campground and Wawona Campground.

In the summertime, Tioga Road and other sites offer first-come, first-served campgrounds. Tuolumne Meadows Campground is found east of Tioga Road. We love to tell you more about the best Yosemite campgrounds.

1. The North Pines Campground

Granite walls that look like cliffs, tall pines, and a roaring river surround the North Pines Campground. It has a calming setting with a breathtaking location and a forest feel. The North Pines Campground is situated at Yosemite Valley’s end, near the Curry Village.

Visitors could walk through the hiking trails from this campground. There are only eighty-one sites with wide spaces. It offers a private and quiet environment for campers with scenic views around it. RVs and trailers with a maximum length of forty feet and thirty-five feet, respectively, and tents can be allowed.

The North Pines Campground is open during April and closed as November starts. Visitors can reserve as early as five months before their visit. The block is released at the 15th of each month.

2. Upper Pines Campground

Upper Pines Campground sports the biggest campgrounds out of the three. Large pines and cedar trees surround the area so that you will enjoy a combination of the sun and some shade.

It offers more than 200 campsites with single loops. Visitors can navigate easily inside the campground. 

Enjoy the stunning views of the valley’s surrounding walls. Most of the sites are designed to be open, and you’ll find trailheads around the area. Compared to North Pines Campground’s sites, the locations of this campground are smaller. RVs are limited to thirty-five feet while trailers should be at around twenty-four fee max.

It is open throughout the year and can be reserved as early as five months before visiting. The block release is the same as the North Pines Campground’s schedule.

3. Lower Pines Campground

Lower Pines boasts a small but equally beautiful campground. Deciduous and pines surround the campground. Visitors can choose sites found at the center for a more open environment. If they prefer more privacy, they can opt for the areas at the periphery that are shaded by the trees.

It’s found just near the river so it can flood during springtime and be closed for this reason. Expect possible cancellation of reservations as the river tends to rise at around May or June. 

The Lower Pines Campground has sixty sites accessible from the last week of March till the beginning of November. The RVs and trailers are permitted at a max of forty feet and thirty-five feet in length, respectively. You’ll have to make advanced RV Camping in Yosemite reservations five whole months, and block released that of the others.

4. Camp 4

Camp 4 is popular when it comes to rock climbers. It’s really close to Yosemite Falls, with a unique environment for its visitors. Giant pine trees encircle thirty-five walk-ins. 

This campground is found at the center of the Yosemite Valley. Six people can be designated per campsite.

The campsites are picked randomly through a lottery system a day before the night you pick, starting from mid-May to mid-September. The camp requires a $10 registration fee per person. Starting mid-September to mid-May, they observe a first-come, first-served policy.

Expect that you need to be present as early as 8:30 am to register along with a ranger during spring and fall. Self-registration is observed during winter. Be prepared to be split up if you’re visiting as a group.

Best Places to RV camp in Yosemite

Yosemite offers a self-contained alternative for vacations! Aside from being economical. RV camping is a great way to bond with your family and friends without risking your health and safety. Here are the best places to RV camp in Yosemite:

1. Bass Lake at Yosemite an RV Resort

This resort is situated at the stunning Bass Lake encircled by mountains. Visitors can go fishing and boating. There are many pulls thru sites available. 

The cabins are distributed in over thirty campsites that come with full hookups. Most sites provide cable TV Free, Wi-Fi, laundry, and stores where visitors can purchase products.

Amenities:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Kitchen – Full
  • Laundry Facilities
  • Restaurant Onsite
  • Swimming Pool (outdoor)

2. High Sierra RV Park and Campground

This site is just a few minutes away from the beautiful Yosemite. The RV Park & Campground rests on Fresno River’s banks of the seasonal Oakhurst. Enjoy a breathtaking mountain view with two waterfalls and a swimming hole.

Amenities:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Laundry Facilities
  • Meeting Facilities
  • Pet Friendly

3. The Lakes RV & Golf Resort

Chowchilla’s Lakes RV & Golf Resort is a one-of-a-kind golf course & RV Resort that is open throughout the year. It offers many amenities for its visitors. Its excellent location at the center of California off Highway 99 makes it one of the best places to RV camp.

Amenities:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Pet Friendly
  • Reservations Suggested
  • Spa Tub – Outdoor
  • Swimming Pool (outdoor)

4. Yosemite RV Resort

If you search for a quick getaway from city life, the Yosemite RV Resort is perfect for you! This resort is located near Yosemite National Park. Enjoy hiking Yosemite’s waterfalls and pushing the Half Dome’s big rock.

This campground consists of more than thirty-five acres of Manzanita and Oak trees. There is also a large pool, a kids’ playground, and many horseshoe pits. Enjoy RV camping in the hills and calming environment. Watch the stars with your family at 

Amenities:

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Kitchen – Full
  • Laundry Facilities
  • Meeting Facilities
  • Microwave / Refrigerator Available
  • Pet Friendly
  • Swimming Pool (outdoor)

Things to Know About Yosemite’s RV Camps

Yosemite has ten campgrounds that accommodate RVs and trailers of different lengths. Prospective RV campers who will spend the night in their RVs are required to have a designated campsite. You cannot park in parking lots and on roadsides if you are spending a night in your RV.

Reservations

If you plan to visit campgrounds that require reservations, then do it early since most will be fully booked from April to September. In case you missed setting a reservation, you can look for an option regarding camping without reservations.

Resources in RV Camps

There are currently no available water, electrical, and sewer hookups in Yosemite. Campers can use the dump stations that offer fresh water at Upper Pines Campground that is open throughout the year. 

Other dump station locations are in Wawona Campground and Tuolumne Meadows Campground that are open during summertime. There is a limit to generators’ use. 

The use is allowed only from 7 am to 9 am 12 noon to 2 pm, and 5 pm to 7 pm. The use of a generator other than the time stated previously is strictly prohibited. 

Maximum RV/trailer lengths

The maximum RV length in Yosemite Valley should only be forty feet and thirty-five feet for full trailer length. These sizes apply to 8 sites, six of which are found in the Lower Pines while the other two are in the North Pines. 

These sites can accommodate RVs from spring through fall. Other places in Yosemite Valley can only accommodate RVs with a maximum length of thirty-five feet and trailers up to twenty-four feet.

RV and Trailer Measurements 

The lengths of an RV and a trailer are not synonymous. Many campsites have imposed various maximum sizes for RVs and campers, respectively, since they have a limited turning radius. 

Yosemite National Park’s Campgrounds do not have length limits. The campground implements that your RV or trailer should fit on the site’s parking pad.

Food storage

It is recommendable to store your food in hard-sided RVs and trailers. Ensure that the food is appropriately stowed away with the doors, windows, and vents sealed when you are away from the campsite. It is prohibited to store food in soft-sided campers such as pop-ups or tent trailers.

Final Thoughts

During this pandemic, more people would opt for vacation plans that secure the safety and well-being of the whole family. Rv camping In Yosemite is a great way to spend your vacation away from the hustle and bustle of city life. 

Choose from Yosemite Campgrounds, RV Resorts, and Sierra National Forest Campgrounds, which allow RV parking in Yosemite. Enjoy cooking meals, having picnics, and traveling with your whole family by camping with an RV!

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