When we started thinking about camping in Yosemite National park, we felt overwhelmed. Where do we camp? What do we need? How do we get a reservation? What’s there to do?
We did our research, talked with friends, and after finishing our second trip there this summer, here’s a few things we learned.
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1. PLAN AHEAD
You have to reserve campsites five months in advance. So you need to think through when you want to go and mark your calendar, set your alarms, and gather your team to get your reservation. I wish I was kidding about the team part. We had four people on computers come 7am February 15th to get our spot – only one of us actually secured a reservation. The campsites book up in minutes.
That being said, be FLEXIBLE with what site you get. The first year we booked, we tried for a site in the Valley and didn’t get it. So we took what we got which was a site in Wawona Campground, south of the Valley, and we ended up LOVING it. Our site in Wawona that summer wasn’t even great, but it didn’t matter. ALL of Yosemite is so beautiful, you can’t go wrong. This summer, we knew we wanted to be on the Merced River, and Wawona has gorgeous sites running along the water so we went for one of those and got it! There are maps of all the campsites online, and once you’ve camped, you’ll have an even better idea of where you want to be for your return trip.
2. TAKE YOUR BIKES
It’s a hassle, but if you can make it happen, biking around The Valley is one of our favorite things. There are 12 miles of paved paths and other than the random European who almost runs into you head on, it’s very bike friendly. Biking gives you a pretty good understanding of the entire Valley and allows you to check out almost all the major highlights. We biked to Lower Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake, the Ahwahnee Hotel, the chapel, and so much more. This also made staying in Wawona more doable for us. We could cover a lot more ground biking than walking, and since we drove into the Valley, we parked our car for the day and then hopped on our bikes. If you can’t take your own bikes, there are a couple of bike rental locations in the valley.
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3. DON’T SKIP THE RIVER
While Yosemite is famous for its plethora of hikes, waterfall, and rock formations, the beauty of the Merced River winding its way through the park can not be missed. It’s our favorite part of camping in Yosemite. The river will be different every year depending on when you go and the rain and snowfall that season, but as long as it’s not dangerous, pack some inner tubes or an inflatable boat and enjoy the refreshing water. You can sign up for a rafting excursion in Half Dome Village, which for us is worth it because we couldn’t fit our own rafts in our car. If you have the space, I say bring your own. But if you want to make life a little easier and be outfitted with the raft and life vests for your crew, pay the $28.50 per person. It’s worth it. Just be sure to sign up first thing or even the day before because it typically fills up in the busy summer months!
4. CONSIDER STAYING OUTSIDE THE VALLEY
Most people want to be in The Valley. It’s the most stunning part of the park, has way more amenities including a shuttle system and restaurants, and means you don’t have drive to see most of the iconic Yosemite sights. However, MOST PEOPLE ARE IN THE VALLEY. We’re not big fans of crowds, and one of the things we love about camping is being out in nature away from people. We found that Wawona gives us the best of both worlds. We get a peaceful campground, the river all to ourselves, and we can drive to The Valley on the days we want to be there. That being said, I will continue to try and snag one of those coveted Valley river spots!
5. REMEMBER YOU’RE IN BEAR COUNTRY
Coming from Texas, this was a new camping phenomenon for me. Up until two years ago, we had only beach camped in California, so I hadn’t ever even contemplated a bear box. If you’re like me, this will be a HUGE inconvenience. You mean I have to pull the cooler out of a locked box every time I want a drink? YES. All your food goes in the box, as well as any scented toiletries. We basically only kept our clothes and books in our tents. Everything else stayed locked in the bear box. My real tip is to look at the bear box measurements for your specific site to ensure that your cooler and tubs of food will all fit in the box. Yosemite is updating many of the bear boxes, but the first year our site’s hadn’t been updated. This meant our box was significantly smaller than the newer boxes. It can affect how you pack your food for easier storage.
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6. PLAN FOR COOL NIGHTS AND WARM DAYS
Two years now I’ve severely underestimated the cool nights. We’ve gone both years towards the beginning of July, so I imagine it gets a little warmer later in the summer. But either way, you will want a sweatshirt for the evenings and mornings. We had a fire each morning and night and learned the hard way that cool temp sleeping bags were necessary. There’s nothing worse than not being able to sleep because you’re shivering!
For whatever reason, Yosemite National Park had never been on my radar until moving to California and meeting friends that got married there. It truly is one of those places not to be missed. So whether you tent camp or rent an RV, go enjoy the splendor of one of God’s most glorious creations.
