Wawona vs Valley Camping

[wicket86]

My girlfriend and I are planning our first Yosemite trip for late April. We are trying to decide what campground we should stay at. The idea of camping by the river appeals to me, so Wawona seems like a good option. But we plan on spending a lot of time hiking in the Valley so the Pines might be more convenient. Any thoughts? Is it that much of a hassle to drive or shuttle into the valley everyday. I also thought about splitting our 7 day trip between two campgrounds

[AlmostThere]

Wawona campground is small and always reminds me of a parking lot when it's full.

There are sites in North Pines that are pretty close to the Merced River, if that's your thing. Personally, I find I have to pee less when I'm not parked so close to running water. The Pines campgrounds also have more trees and depending on where you are, a little more space and some privacy.

[dan]

Wawona is a little far from the Valley--about an hour. It's also close to the road and you get some road noise. It's more peaceful than any Yosemite Valley Campground and it's closer to the Giant Sequoias at Wawona Grove.

That said, there's nothing in the world compared to waking up in Yosemite Valley and seeing the deep granite walls, domes, and waterfalls all around you. Also the competition isn't as fierce in April as it is in Summer. Reserve the first day you can. Use the volunteer-run website http://www.yosemitesites.com/ to find when campsites are available. I have Yosemite Campground maps here:
http://www.yosemite.ca.us/maps/campground_maps.html

[Marmot]

if you camp in yosemite valley you will be closer to a lot of attractions in yosemite valley, but will be camping with a high volume of people. if you camp in wawona you'll be around less people but you'll be about 1 hour away from the valley. but if you camp in wawona you'll still be close to the mariposa grove; wawona is a nice town and has some fun hikes to do there as well. it just depends on what you want to do. if you don't go to yosemite very often then the valley is your best bet because you can get a fantastic feel for the park in experiencing a lot of what yosemite has to offer.

i like bridalveil campground a lot, it is on glacier point road between badger pass and glacier point. a good one to consider as well. it won't be very crowded and you'll be 10 minutes from glacier point and about 40 minutes from yosemite valley.