North Pines Campground is one of the 3 campgrounds that occupy prime locations in the Yosemite Valley in the Yosemite National Park. Located close to the confluence of the Merced River and Tenaya Creek, North Pines Campground has some riverfront campsites on the Merced Riverside. The campground is situated at an elevation of 4000 feet in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The North Pines campground Yosemite have some of the most serene and beautiful campsites. They occupy a prized location in the national park that abounds in natural beauty. You wake up here to deep valleys, dense forest, granite cliffs, meadows, sequoias, waterfalls, wilderness, and beautiful birds. Occasionally, you will have black bears as uninvited guests.
The 3 campgrounds in the Yosemite National Park (Upper Pines Campground, Lower Pines Campground, and North Pines Campgrounds) are some of the busiest campsites in North America. You may not find a site if you have not booked one in advance. In that case, you can scout for camping sites nearby. There are quite a few of them including Tuolumne Meadows, Hodgdon Meadow, Wawona Crane Flat, and a number of first come first served campgrounds along the Tioga Road.
All of the Yosemite camping sites are nestled in Conifers-ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, black oak, white fir trees, and white leaf Manzanita. Your days here are filled with sun and shade. Nights under the clear sky and twinkling stars next to the Merced are pleasant and memorable.
ATTENTION: In line with the COVID-19 restrictions, the Yosemite National Park is currently open only between 8 am and 4 pm. No camping sites, toilets, showers, etc. are open inside the park.
General Information: North Pines Campground
North Pines Campground in the Yosemite Valley has 81 campsites with some of them being riverfront sites. The Yosemite National Park is open year round and campsites are busy between April and October.
It is important to note that all the campgrounds at the Yosemite Valley are extremely busy with visitors during the peak season that lasts from May to October. So, camping at Yosemite Valley does not necessarily mean living in the quiet.
North Pines Campground like other Yosemite Valley campgrounds has decent amenities for comfortable outdoor living. To be precise, you can expect paved roads, flush toilets, drinking water, and parking. The campsites feature food storage, a fire ring, and a picnic table.
The campsites are offered to single families with a maximum of 6 persons including kids per campsite.
Of the 81 campsites, 13 are specifically designed for RVs and trailers with a maximum 35-ft length. The remaining 68 sites can be taken up by RVs, trailers, and tents.
The number of visitors to the 3 campgrounds including North Pines Campground rose to more than a thousand in peak season. As a result, the nearby localities assume the character of a tourist hotspot.
Restaurants, bars, general stores, WiFI points, activity organizers, shower stalls, and more tourist-friendly infrastructures have come up in the neighboring villages. One of such villages is Half Dome Village where many of these facilities are available.
This village was earlier named Curry Village and is located within a walking distance from the entrance of the campground. If you want to enjoy wildlife tours or skiing, you can find an activity organizer who can organize such an outing for you.
Checkin/Checkout Time
Check-in and Check-out time is noon but you can arrive at any time of the day and go to your site and start camping. But you must complete your check-in formalities before 10 am the day after your scheduled first night.
If for any reason, your arrival is going to be delayed, you must inform the campground office. No-show for 24 hours from your scheduled arrival can lead to cancellation of your North Pines Campground Reservations.
Utilities
Yosemite National Park campgrounds are nonelectric. There are no hookups for electricity and water in the campgrounds. Connecting to any such outlet in the campground that may be there for official use is prohibited.
Wastewater Disposal
Each campground is provided with utility drains to dispose of camp wastewater. In the same vein, there is a designated sewage dump. You must use these facilities and dispose of waste responsibly.
Hammocks, Clotheslines, Slacklines …
You can install any tensioned wire attachments including clotheslines, hammocks, and slacklines. But you must ensure their ropes are padded so they don’t hurt the trees. Attaching tensioned wire attachments to any oak tree is prohibited. Finally, your attachments should not create any hazardous situation on your site or in the campground.
Generator and Quiet Hours
From 10 pm to 6 am, the campground observes quiet hours. Those staying at the North Pines Campground sites can use their generators for 2 hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The generator timings are from 7 am to 9 am, 12 pm to 2 pm, and 5 pm to 7 pm.
Camping Limit
Visitors to Yosemite Valley campgrounds can stay for a maximum of 30 nights. But during the peak season that lasts from May 1 to September 15, visitors are allowed to stay in the Yosemite National Park for a maximum of 14 nights. Out of these, visitors are allowed to stay in the Yosemite Valley campgrounds for only 7 nights.
Firewood Collection
You are free to collect firewood from the campground. You can bring your firewood but they should not be thicker than 6 inches in diameter. However, you aren’t allowed to collect firewood from the Yosemite National Park.
Visitors are not allowed to bring firewood from a distance of over 50 miles to prevent the spread of forest-killing pests. You can purchase charcoal and firewood from the nearby stores. Collecting cones, sequoia wood, or pine needles is prohibited.
Amenities
North Pines campgrounds have the following amenities at its campgrounds:
- Shuttle Bus Service
- Campground Host
- Drinking-Water
- Flush Toilets
- Firewood Available
- Fire Rings
- Campfire Rings
- Amphitheater
- Dump Station
- Equestrian trail
Activities
Yosemite National Park offers the following activities at its campgrounds:
- Nature Programs
- Archeological Sites
- Wilderness Visit
- Visitor Center
- Backpacking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Non-motorized Boating
- Cross Country Skiing
- Canoeing
- Biking
- Climbing
- Horseback riding
- Historic Sites
- Bird Watching
- Creek
- Picnicking
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Snowshoeing
- Kayaking
- Stargazing
- Photography
- River
- Mountain Biking
- Rafting
- Nature Trails
- Walking Trails
- Rock Climbing
- Tubing
Regulations: North Pines Campground
Visitors per site: A maximum of 6 persons are allowed to stay per campsite. These include kids
Fires: You can make a campfire every day from 5 pm to 10 pm from May to September. You are free to make charcoal fires at any time. Wood fires are also permitted at any time during October and April.
Pets: You are permitted to bring your pets but you must keep them on a leash at all times.
Food storage: You should store all food items in the food locker provided at the campsite.
How to Make Reservations: North Pines Campground
North Pines Campground sites can be reserved up to 5 months ahead. Beginning at 7 am (Pacific Time) on the 15th of every month, the campsites are open for block reservation. But you should be ready with details filled in the required online form on your computer before the reservation starts. These sites get booked within seconds and minutes of becoming available.
You can book your reservation in one of the following ways:
Visit the campground website
Call the campground office at (877) 444-6777
You can make two bookings on a single visit to the website or by making a single phone call. You can revisit and call up again to make more bookings. Some campsites are kept outside the purview of bookings for giving them to visitors on a first-come-first-served basis.
Cancellations: North Pines Campground
You can cancel your reservation or even ask to reschedule it. Cancelations more than 48 hours before your scheduled arrival, you will be charged $10 as a transaction fee. If you cancel within 48 hours of your scheduled arrival, you will be charged $10 and the price of the first night. If you fail to show up, you are charged $20 as transaction charges and the price of the first night.
Are the Campgrounds Maintained Well?
Yosemite Valley campgrounds have high-quality amenities including flush toilets, showers, and bathrooms. These are well-maintained, clean, and well-stocked. But during the busy season, the maintenance and replenishments get delayed. It is recommended that you keep your toilet paper and soap with you when you visit the toilet. Shower and toilet facilities are also available 24/7 in nearby villages where a shower-use can cost $5.
Are the Campground Staff Helpful?
The campground staff is full of courtesy. But they don’t allow leniency when it comes to following the campground rules. Their approach is friendly and professional.
Are the Facilities Clean?
The toilets, showers, and bathrooms are clean most of the time. But peak tourist season brings too much pressure on the facilities. This can sometimes result in delayed cleaning.
Useful Tips
Great outdoor living for families, first-timers
Keep your surroundings clean
Use campground’s food storage
There are black bears on the prowl for your food
Bring Earplugs
If you are looking to have some quiet moments in your tent or outside, don’t forget to bring an earplug. Sometimes, it gets too noisy in the campground.
Summary
North Pine Campground in the Yosemite Valley is a breathtakingly beautiful camping site. To ensure your stay here, you should have confirmed the booking of North Pines Campground Reservations. The campground has the necessary amenities to ensure a comfortable stay for you. So don’t wait anymore. Rush to book a site for your next trip to North Pines Campground.
