Yosemite Forum

Hi all. So, I'm a newbie here, never been to yosemite and had NO idea how difficult finding camping would be there! I'll be getting into yosemite area ~5pm on Monday June 14 and really want to camp for 2 nights. Of course I just now realized I needed reservations which are all full. Is there any chance I can some first come first serve site? Or do you think I Should try for a wilderness permit that would allow me to use the backpackers (even if I don't plan any distance hikes)? I really don't have much I'm bringing with me, a backpacking tent, sleeping bag an some food is about it ( oh, and the girlfriend). Kind of a last minute trip, just wanted to see the park. Any suggestions would be awesome. Thanks all!!

Camp 4 is FCFS and you can wait at the campground reservation office for the cancellations/no shows. There are always some no shows and cancellations its just getting in line early enough to get one of the sites. You can only stay one night in the backpackers camp at a time. Two nights per permit.

Camp 4 and Bridalveil campground are first come/first serve.

There is also a hostel called Yosemite Bug just outside the park. Might visit their website and try for a reservation, a bed in the hostel is around $25 per night.

There are also campgrounds south and west of the park, and more at Bass Lake near Oakhurst.

Yosemite Bug is yosemitebug.com
It's a great place to stay.
You will still need transportation to get to the park from there.

Is Wawona's campground still first-come first-serve? I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to Yosemite in '06 (after having lots of fun in Sequoia the previous couple of days), and found a spot in Wawona even though I got there at maybe 2:00PM on July 3rd of all days.

Never mind. I see Wawona requires reservations. I wonder if this is a recent development, or if I just got ridiculously lucky getting that campsite.

Wawona is FCFS from October to March.