This is the only way to stay in the park. If you try one of the campground outside the park with hookups, you are looking at an hour drive each way. No fun. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a beautiful campground with many trees, some waterfront sites, and views of the giant granite cliffs that are Yosemite. There is much wildlife (including a bear in the campground both nights we were there). Free shuttle to other points in Yosemite is available at the campground entrance. From an RV point of view, you need to be aware that: there are no hook-ups, no dump station (though there is one in Yosemite at another campground) and the roads through this park are extremely tight. We had to maneuver through two trees that were barely far enough apart for the motorhome to fit. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Some of the sites I rate a 6 and some a 10, depends on which one you get. No matter which one you get though, staying in the park is a 10. With everything to see and do we weren't in our site much. At Upper Pines Campground (about 100 yards
away) there is potable (drinking) water to fill your tanks with and a dump station. You can rent a raft $13.50/person, or bring your own and pay $2/person to take the shuttle back. Bring bikes, the park shuttle buses are too crowded. I definitely recommend staying in the park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
An amazing place!!! The drive, in a 32ft RV,was fine and absolutely stunning. We had never been here before but always wanted to return to Yosemite and visit Toulumne Meadows. It did not disappoint and was even more refreshing after the noisewe encountered at Upper Pines. Tioga Road had only opened 3 weeks prior to our trip and this campground had only opened 2 days before we stayed here. It was beautiful, the stream running along it is stunning and the campground was very peaceful. Toulumne Meadows itself is beautiful and much quieter than the village area of Yosemite, definitely worth a visit. Each evening the Park ranger gives talks at the local campfire and there are even ones for the children. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Amazing location in the high country, with flush toilets! Interior roads are very narrow and bumpy -- most sites are not suitable for big rigs. It was tight for our little 14 foot trailer. No water at the campsites -- you have to carry it to your rig. Fairly good privacy between campsites. Not very level, so bring your jacks and blocks. It gets cold at night in the Fall, but that's a good thing. Staff is generally friendly but not too knowledgeable about which sites are best suited for trailers and RVs. Lots of space available midweek off-season, but the rest of the season they are booked up. Online reservations are a must. The campground generally closes in late September. We will be back, if at all possible. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We were really lucky with this site as we had tried to book online but all the sites were booked. We read in the Lonely Planet Guide that you could turn up at the reservations desk at Curry Village and put your name on a list. At 3pm you return to see if there are any available sites where people have left early at which point they will sell them on a first come first serve basis. We put our name on the list at 9.30am and managed to get a site in Upper Pines. The day we got our site there were 24 sites available but the previous day there were only 7 so its very hit and miss but worth a go. We had always said we would return to Yosemite in an RV after staying at Camp 4 in a tiny 2 man tent so were very excited when we got our pitch. Unfortunately our excitement was shortlived as we had 2 rude families staying either side of us. They would walk right through our site, stand on either side of our picnic bench and throw the ball to each other or just talk to each other but shouting over our heads. These were the only rude Americans we met on our whole trip!! Anyway back to our site.. It was a really pretty area to be in and close to all the amenities. There are no hook ups but you are allowed your generator on for a short time, they regulate this to keep the noise down but unfortunately due to the amount of noisy people on this site it wouldn't matter. People were still being noisy at midnight and we had one ignorant guy who thought his guitar playing was worth listening to at 1am!! Basically this site is really nice but due to it being a busy place there is a lot of noise. Definitely stay if you want to visit Yosemite Village and hopefully you will have more considerate neighbors. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is Yosemite's largest campground. If you have a choice, get a site on an outside loop--some of the ones in the 200s loop border a creek. It's shaded with big glacial boulders all around and pine needles on the ground. We had 3 different sites -- we made reservations in January for May and couldn't get 4 nights all in the same spot. Spot 85 in the lower loop had the advantage of being a short walk from shuttle stop 19 and was next to the bathrooms (cold water only, 2 stalls). Spot 201 was less shaded and farther from the campground entrance, although you could cut through the woods and pick up the shuttle at stop 16. The spots to park the rig on are mostly very small and narrow, but there is a lot of room around them to put your stuff. Spot 215 was too close to the bathroom and had a dumpster next to it, so people were always banging around the place. You can get wi-fi at Yosemite Lodge for $5.95 for 5 days; sit in the lobby. The breakfast buffet at Curry Village is a good deal, $9.50 including drinks, and had some very good food. Overall, the campground could be a little cleaner, and there could be more policing of other campers, but it was pretty quiet most of the time. Beware of careless children riding their bikes around, especially when you're trying to park. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Good campground - feels spacious even when full, which it will almost always be. The best sites are the ones near the edge, overlooking the creek. We camped here in a Motorhome.
You can't beat staying in the park! As long as you are able to camp self contained, this is the way to go. The sites are all nicely wooded. The campground tends to be crowded during the weekend, but it's worth it. Make sure you check the length of the campsite driveway when you make reservations. Some tend to be short. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
No hookups, leveled and big site (we had the number 34). There is a general dump station. Friendly volunteer staff. $10 with the National Parks Annual pass. You must keep the food in cabinets and freezer. The Bear-Lockers are not necessary with RV. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Probably one of the best campgrounds in the state. Stayed in site 99, which was easy to back my 28' TT into. Not as loud as some of the previous reviewers have noted, but not silent either. There was an enormous area around the site where the kids could run around and hang with the other camper kids. They keep restrooms and showers clean and well stocked. We'll certainly stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
First time camping here in our 35' Class A. If you have anything larger, forget it. We made it ok, but all of the trees along the access roads bear the battle scars of those less fortunate. Make sure that you read the site descriptions carefully. Camping in the shadow of Glacier Point and North Dome it doesn't get any better. The only reason for the point deduction is because of the bathrooms. They were convienient to use (to keep from filling our holding tanks) but if you've ever smelled a NPS restroom, you know why I deducted a point. This campground is convenient to Vernal Falls trails. The bus line makes 2 stops around this CG. Didn't bring our car this trip and didn't miss a thing. Bus line is very good. This has to be on the Top 10 list of camping experiences in America. We camped here in a Motorhome.
One of the most beautiful places to camp! No hookups, so bring a charged battery and a full water tank. Make sure to have all your food in the cabinets. If you have a hard sided RV (no pop-ups) you'll be able to keep your food inside, rather than have to move everything into the bear safes. Reservations are necessary on weekends. There is a dump at this site. You can park your rig and use the park shuttle to get around. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Yosemite National Park is one the most scenic places on earth; and being able to use the Upper Pines campground as your home base is ideal. You're right next to the free shuttle that takes you to all the hot sports, and only a 10 minute walk to Curry Village. The campsite itself is pretty primitive and a bit crowded, but it does quiet down after dinner. Potable water is nearby, and you're allowed to use generators (sparingly). The restrooms were clean, but no hot water. There are showers and a pool in Curry Village, if you don't mind a 10 minute walk. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
The information below is TOP SECRET. If you breathe a word of it, Tony and his boys are going to pay you a visit, and they won't be bringing graham crackers and marshmallows for mores. Camping in Yosemite is definitely one of the things you have to do before you die. As previously mentioned, the back row of Upper Pines is the best, with no rigs behind you, only a small creek (and an occasional bear). The best part is that you are just a short walk away from the Happy Isles shuttle stop. (Not to worry, however, the busses are quiet, and they stop running to Happy Isles in the early evening.) The sheer beauty and majesty of Yosemite more than makes up for the lack of hookups, generator restrictions (only sparingly between 7 AM to 7 PM), campfire restrictions (5PM-10PM only), and the distance to the nearest showers (over a mile). You are literally in the shadow of Half Dome, steps away from miles of hiking and biking trails. You don't mind the restrictions, because the sound of the wind whispering through the pines and the creek gurgling by (and the Merced River roaring in the spring and early summer) is so peaceful and calming. Campfires all day would enshroud the valley in smoke, and generators would drown out the natural sound. Best way to get around is to take the shuttle, or even better, RIDE YOUR BIKES! If you didn't bring any, you can rent. Most places in the valley are easily accessible via bike and shuttle. In the summer, the pool is very refreshing (for a fee, of course). Bring your own food, because the food in the cafeteria is basically non-eatable. The pizza is OK, though. Oh, and don't even THINK of getting site 210. That's OURS. Actually, if you are in 210, 211, or 213, expect a bit of foot traffic past your site, since it is the most direct route to the shuttle stop. When we camp there, we just use it as an opportunity to say 'howdy'. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Site #94 worked out fine for us but it's not a great site. It is right next to the restrooms and the trash bins so there is a quite bit of noise and foot traffic nearby. The site was paved, fairly level, shaded with just enough room for our 30 ft class A and toad. Upper Pines sites 211-240 looked a lot better to us (depending on size), more private with no one camped behind and many of the sites in the Lower and North Pines CG's were even nicer. The dump station was easy to access with two ports and potable water for filling tanks. Even though the Glacier Point and Tioga Road were still closed there was lots to do in the valley. We drove to Hetch Hetchy one day and loved the hike to Wapama Falls. Nightly rate reflects the Interagency Senior Pass discount. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We always love this campground. The sites are close together and the place is crowded, but this park is the most beautiful place in the world. There is something for everybody here. You can ride the shuttle bus to go get an ice cream cone or go backpacking up into the back country. The choice is yours. I particularly like this campground, especially the last loop, because you will usually get a bear in your campsite every night! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
If you are looking for the "camping experience", look no further. No hookups, but water and dump station are available. Don't expect cell phones to work. But who cares. I almost don't want to tell you this for fear that you'll do it and take my spot away: Come in the early spring. The park is much less crowded. (Dang, there goes my secret) The rivers and waterfalls are full of snowmelt (Dang, again.). Just say Yo'... We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Some sites were really unlevel. A very undeveloped campground (Upper Pines was much better!!!). The staff was not very friendly. Of course there are no hookups and there is no general dump. There is near a river. By the way, if you want to visit the Sequoias go to Sequoia National Park directly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I stayed here for 3 nights, site #23 was right near the river. The sound of the water in the evening was very relaxing. I have 5 children, and they really enjoyed walking along the river's edge and exploring everything that they could get their hands on. The Wawona Hotel is nearby, with the Yosemite Pioneer center next door as well. The self guided tour is very interesting. I also went on a hike to Chuinuala Falls, which is a 2.5 mile hike, it was very beautiful. I would recommend staying here anytime. I often camp in upper pines campground in the valley but, there really is something special to experience from Wawona. Oh yeah don't forget to go look at the Mariposa Grove, the Grizzly Giant tree will blow you away. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We had site #53, a very long pull-off type site that gave us plenty of room for our 30 ft class A and toad. The site was wide enough that our roadside slide didn't feel too exposed and after our levelers jacked us up to get level we were able to get our dining slide open over the large boulders lining the river/meadow side of the site. If we were to do it again we'd probably take the time to turn around so that our awning side would be away from the road even though you'd have to do another 180 to depart in the correct direction on the one-way road. We really liked this site, the meadow area between us and the river was huge with some very nice trees for shade. We liked the Wawona Meadows hike across the street from the Wawona Hotel. One unfortunate drawback was the terrible condition of the road in the campground. It was ridiculously rutted and potholed. There are no hook-ups in this campground and the dump station is a ways down the road near the pioneer museum. Nightly rate reflects the Interagency Senior Pass discount. We camped here in a Motorhome.