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Established Camping

Porcupine Flat Campground

Porcupine Flat Campground is located near Mariposa in Yosemite National Park. The area features rugged terrain with granite formations and dense forests. Temperatures can range from lows of 30°F in the winter to highs of 80°F in the summer. Nearby attractions include the iconic Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, offering opportunities for hiking and sightseeing.

Description

National Park Service

Yosemite National Park

Overview

Porcupine Flat Campground will be available by reservation only in 2024. No first come, first serve sites are available. The campground typically opens in late-June and closes mid-October. The opening date varies depending on the opening of the Tioga Road and related seasonal facility and road work. Porcupine Flat Campground is located off the Tioga Road about 30 minutes west of Tuolumne Meadows and over an hour from Yosemite Valley. RVs and Trailers are not recommended for the narrow roads in this more primitive campground. At an elevation of 8,100 feet (2,500 m) elevation, the campground is near Porcupine Creek, which is the only water source (must be filtered, treated, or boiled). The Porcupine Creek Trailhead is nearby. There are no visitor services close to the campground. For additional park information, call (209)372-0200 or visit www.nps.gov/yose

Recreation

Yosemite's trails, cliffs, roads and rivers provide endless recreational activities for any kind of visitor. Hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, rafting, auto touring, and photography are all very popular activities within the park. The White Wolf area has hiking and backpacking opportunities that begin near the campground, such as Lukens Lake, Harden Lake and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The Crane Flat area, 23 miles west, offers many other hiking opportunities such as Tuolumne and Merced Groves of Giant Sequoias, both of which require a 2.5 to 3-mile roundtrip hike to view. Tuolumne Meadows and all it's High Sierra wonder lie 25 miles to the east, where many beautiful day and overnight excursions await. The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes, and granite domes. The roads elevation ranges from 6,200 feet to just under 10,000 feet. Tuolumne Meadows embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada and is a good starting point for countless hikes. There is little to no cell service along the road.

Natural Features

Yosemite National Park covers nearly 1,200 square miles (3,100 square km) in the Sierra Nevada, with elevations ranging from about 2,000 feet (600 m) to 13,000 ft (4,000 m). Yosemite receives 95% of its precipitation between October and May (and over 75% between November and March). Most of Yosemite is blanketed in snow from about November through May. (The Valley can be rainy or snowy in any given winter storm.) Porcupine Flat is situated along a seasonal creek which is it's only source of water. Creek water must be treated and/or boiled before consuming.

Nearby Attractions

Just 25 miles away is Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite National Park is known. Hiking trails and bike paths are abundant in the valley. Rafting the Merced River is a fun way to cool down on a summer day when water levels are sufficient. Yosemite Valley also offers numerous guided bus tours, educational programs, museums, ranger-led activities, and an art center with workshops. The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes and granite domes. Tuolumne Meadows embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada, with its broad sub-alpine meadows and granite peaks. Several trailheads line the road offering hikes to beautiful, secluded areas that can only be accessed and enjoyed by foot. Beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, just 23 miles from Crane Flat, is home to spectacular scenery and numerous wilderness trailheads.

Charges & Cancellations

Cancellations more than 48 hours in advance of arrival date will generate a refund, less a $10 transaction fee. Within 48 hours, $10 and the first night's fee are charged. One night reservations do not incur an additional $10 fee, but do not receive a refund. No-shows will be assessed a $20 service fee along with the loss of the first night's fee.

Fee Info

Porcupine Flat Campground Fee - All Sites $24.00 Porcupine Flat Campground Fee - Standard Sites (RV or Tent) and Tent Only Sites

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Location

Porcupine Flat Campground is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

The Porcupine Flat Campground is located off the Tioga Road 24 miles west from Tioga Pass, the parks east entrance (35 minutes). From Yosemite Valley, take the Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Road 38 miles (approximately 70 minutes). From Hwy. 120 west/Big Oak Flat Road, take the Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Road 31 miles (45 minutes). Youll find the campground north of the Tioga Road.

Coordinates

37.80900048 N
119.5660004 W

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Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites

Features

For Campers

  • Picnic Table
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

Reviews

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1.5

out of 5

3 Reviews

Reviewed Apr. 1, 2020

Overcrowded

This camp is one I had to take a hard pass on.  I do not like to leave bad reviews, I would much rather give the benefit of the doubt of a good versus bad day and give constructive criticism, but I fear this campground was beyond that due to my experience.

 Like the other reviewers who mentioned that the location was over crowded I had similar experience.  I arrived early in the morning to find a campsite and noticed some people were leaving, I thought I had found a perfect spot, one of the few which felt like it had a little privacy.   Before the campers could pull out someone had tossed a portable tent on the site from the camp beside it to claim it for a friend who was not even present.   This really did not sit well with me and at that point I knew it was simply not for me.

The camp itself was not worth the hassle as it appeared over run and the lack of respect for others was prevalent.   This was quite surprising in comparison to other camps I had experienced in the area and I was astonished to see that on this, the far side of the park this was the case.   I expected it more so on the side with more of the city traffic.

The highlight of this camp was leaving and driving toward Mono Lake area.  At this point I found an amazing lookout and the home of what was a then closed lake campground.   The lake campground being closed could have attributed to the overcrowding of this campground as it was one of the first camps coming from the East.   I am not sure why it was closed however when I visited.

  • Review photo of Porcupine Flat Campground by Crystal C., April 1, 2020
  • Review photo of Porcupine Flat Campground by Crystal C., April 1, 2020
  • Review photo of Porcupine Flat Campground by Crystal C., April 1, 2020
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Reviewed Sep. 29, 2016

At least it's in the park...

First-come, first-served campground. My friend and I stayed outside the park on a Friday night, then got up early Saturday morning to come stalk these campsites at 6am. We circled around for a bit, accidentally drove over a large rock, sat there looking defeated, then some nice woman came up to our car and told us they were leaving soon. We were so thrilled to get a site! Set up our stuff, then went to hike Cloud's rest.

The evening however was pretty annoying. Like the reviewer before me, we were next to some large family get-together, around 15 people, playing music and making a racket. there is definitely NO ONE enforcing quiet hours. I always being ear plus so I was able to fall asleep...but it was definitely the opposite of a peaceful night in nature.

So...just bring ear plugs. And watch the rocks if you're driving a low-clearance vehicle.

Reviewed Sep. 12, 2016

Poor experience

Found one last spot that seemed like a great site. Ended up being next to a group that cramped 20+ people on one site, drinking and yelling until two with a huge lantern that lit up everything around it. It was like I was camping in the middle of the day at a frat house. No sign of any ranger to enforce the so called "quiet hours" of 11PM. Packed up at 5AM and went to Yosemite Creek instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the max vehicle length at Porcupine Flat Campground?

    Porcupine Flat Campground allows vehicles up to 25 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Porcupine Flat Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Porcupine Flat Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Porcupine Flat Campground?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is available, and T-Mobile is unknown.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Porcupine Flat Campground?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Porcupine Flat Campground. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Porcupine Flat Campground, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Porcupine Flat Campground?

    There are 56 campsites at Porcupine Flat Campground and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts