Upper Pines Campground, near Yosemite National Park, is a fantastic base for those looking to immerse themselves in the stunning natural beauty of the area. With its breathtaking views of iconic landmarks like Half Dome and easy access to hiking trails, it’s a prime location for outdoor adventures.

The campground offers a range of accommodations, including tent sites and RV spots, though keep in mind there are no electric hookups. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, including restrooms and a sanitary dump station, making it convenient for all campers. As one happy camper noted, “Great place, amazing position with astonishing views.”

For those who enjoy winter camping, Upper Pines is open from February to December, and many have found it to be a peaceful retreat during the off-peak season. Reviewers have highlighted the campground's proximity to trailheads, making it easy to hit the trails right from your site. Plus, the chance to capture the famous firefall is a unique experience that some have successfully enjoyed during their stay.

While the campground has a no-alcohol policy, it allows pets, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure. With its friendly atmosphere and stunning scenery, Upper Pines Campground is a great choice for anyone looking to explore the wonders of Yosemite.

## Overview

 Upper Pines campsites are available to reserve up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.m. PST. For example, on January 15, arrival dates for the period May 15 to June 14 become available to reserve, and therefore, the full arrival date window would be from January 15 to June 14. Reservation Tips! Campsites in Yosemite are extremely popular and typically sell out in minutes. Login to your account or create a new account before the 7:00 a.m. (PST) release time. You may only add reservations to your cart and proceed with your reservation if you are logged into your account. The recreation.gov call center does NOT have access to additional sites or additional information beyond what is published on recreation.gov. Upper Pines Campground is located in breathtaking Yosemite National Park in Central California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range at an elevation of 4,000 feet. The site is situated in the heart of Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite National Park is known. Within Yosemite, visitors can gaze upon waterfalls, sheer granite cliffs, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, vast wilderness areas and much more. [Yosemite National Park Campground Reservation Dates][1] For additional park information, call (209)372-0200 or visit [www.nps.gov/yose][2] 
## 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, cross-country skiing and photography are all very popular activities within the park. Hiking trails range from the easy paved, two-mile roundtrip walk to Mirror Lake/Meadow, to the grueling but rewarding 14- to 16-mile trek to Half Dome (permit required). Both of these trails begin near the Pines Campgrounds, and there are many additional trailheads within Yosemite 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.
## Natural Features

 Yosemite Valley is forested with a diverse mix of California black oak, Ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, White fir, and Whiteleaf Manzanita, which offers a pleasant combination of sun and shade. Through the trees, Yosemite's telltale granite cliffs peek through, and the gentle, refreshing Merced River flows nearby. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Glacier Point offers sweeping views of Yosemite Valley, Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Clouds Rest, among other notable landmarks. The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes and granite domes. Beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is home to spectacular scenery and numerous wilderness trailheads.
## Charges & Cancellations

 Cancellations more than 48 hours in advance of arrival date only incur a $10 transaction fee. Within 48 hours, $10 and the first night's fee are charged (Exception: 1 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. 

[1]: https://recreationonestopprod.servicenowservices.com/external?id=kb_article&sys_id=72fff607dbe8a30022f970c08c961990&table=
[2]: http://www.nps.gov/yose

Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

Looking for the best campgrounds near Yosemite Valley, CA? Yosemite Valley is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.

Yosemite Valley

The Best Camping Near Yosemite Valley, California

Yosemite is the golden gem of the National Parks system. It's one of a kind landscape and unmatched beauty is something that has to be experienced, not just seen. 

Getting there: The drive down into the Yosemite is grueling... you WILL be stuck behind someone who goes 10 mph under the speed limit, its taking picture on their phone while they are driving, and has a turn signal on the entire time. These people are the unavoidable demon of a place so famous and beautiful that every gaper out there wants to come and see it for themselves. 

Campsites: Upper Pines sits along the Merced River and just on the North edge of the campgrounds for the valley. It location is great for access to the trailheads for Half Dome, Mirror Lake and Nevada Falls. The whole campsite has a great view looking up at Half Dome. The river is a perfect spot to wash off or cool down after a hike. WARNING: Because Upper Pines sits along and is so exposed to the forest there is HEAVY BEAR ACTIVITY. Keep your campsite clean, keep all food/toothpaste/sunscreen/anything that smells (even canned beer or alcohol) in the Bear Bin. I have stayed at Upper Pines about a dozen times and about half of those trips there will be a bear incident someplace in the campsite. If you're not prepared to chase a bear away from your tent, your car, or your family... stay someplace else. 

The Park: Yosemite is awesome.

What to do: I'm sure this will be covered more in-depth in a different review. 

Yosemite National Park - Upper Pines Campground

Upper Pines is not a place you go to for relaxation and solitude - but then neither is Yosemite Valley. Upper Pines is a great home base for seeing all of the sights of Yosemite Valley. The valley shuttle runs from right outside the campground. If you manage to get a spot a bit further back in the loops, these seemed quieter. But it's a nice, reasonably priced location for what it is. The amenities weren't great, though - there are no dishwashing stations, so if you're tent camping, you best bring a bin or something to do your dishes back at your site.

Great home base for seeing Yosemite Valley

site:  small with little or no privacy. some tree cover and a stream near.
amenities:  not very clean facilities- a lot of people are using them!
attractions:  in the middle of everything Yosemite has to offer. close to shuttle stops.
I would choose to camp at another campground in the park (just drove through checking out the campground).


right in the middle of it all

We visited here  again last year. Our campsites were in different loop every night but worth the move! No hookups but you get a bear box and fire ring here. There are bathrooms and some even have an outlet to charge phone or dry your hair! I don't even care that there aren't showers. Bathe in river or go to housekeeping for a pay shower. Located on Merced River so plenty of activities. Bike, swim, hike...everything for outdoor adventure junky!! Located close to all the action. YOu can take buses around park or bike to curry village.

LOVE THIS PLACE!

I guess that's the trade in when you go somewhere so established as one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.  They have everything you need, firepit, table, food storage bit we were basically camping with two other families because they were so close. The hiking I'm the park is incredible bit do your research as we didn't know that some of the trails require permits. We did the Upper Yosemite Falls trail it was very difficult but extremely rewarding.

One of the largest camps but still busy

This is my third time here and wont be my last. This campground is one of the popular one and I recommend making reservations for you or your group weeks ahead. the site here is 26 dollars a night which is on the more expensive side but is totally worth it. The sites here are back to back so you are very close to your neighbors. Each site comes with a fire ring table and a bear box. At night it is a must you put your scented items in there. Most people don't know but toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant and water bottles can attract bears so you should put it in there. The restroom is fairly clean but some times it runs out of toilet paper like I experienced my first time here. Some people stay here for weeks at a time so they can explore the entire Park. This site is a must come if you have never been to Yosemite before.

upper pines

Upper Pines is very relaxing and has a great family vibe to it. I would recommend this to any camper, whether an avid camper or a first timer. I love how the campground is so close to all of the major trails in the valley. 

Upper Pines Campground

Upper Pines Campground in the Yosemite Valley is my home away from home for one week every year. 

Pros: 
Nice shady campgrounds
Proximity to Curry Village 
Close to tons of great hikes
Flushable toilets that are pretty clean 
Overall beautiful campground

Cons:
Extremely difficult to get a reservation even if you go on the day it opens
Has become more and more crowded every year

Regardless Upper Pines will always be a favorite campground in one of the kost beautiful places in CA. 

Annual tradition

If you are lucky enough to snag a reservation ahead of time, then this campground is a great way to enjoy Yosemite. Walking/biking distance to Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village). Easy access to bathrooms, dumpster, recycling from all campsites. The downsides of this campground is its popularity, but that's the same for any of the camping in Yosemite. The individual sites are all pretty close to each other. Once it hits 7-8 am, your many neighbors will make it hard to sleep any later. You do need to take the animal-protective food regulations seriously, throughout Yosemite. Upper Pines food storage boxes are plenty late, so use them! Both times I've stayed here there were bears that wandered through on one of the nights

Beauty and convenience in the valley 

Yosemite Falls access and rafting on the Merced are the two big draws to this campground. This is one of the most popular parks in the world, so expect lots of people. It's hard to make a reservation; so you'll have to work pretty hard to get a spot. Go to www.recreation.gov and search for Upper Pines for more info. The campground is well-equipped and close to lots of great Yosemite attractions, and there is bus service throughout the park so you can visit the museum and the largest tree, etc.

Upper Pines Campground for the best of Yosemite

With Yosemite being one of the BUSIEST campgrounds in California it took over a year and a half to reserve a campground where we could reserve 4 consecutive sites for 4 RVs to camp together. 
It was absolutely wonderful and worth it. This is a great location if you are interested in the river as well as the numerous hiking trails within the park.  Though anywhere you camp if you have your vehicle with you, you can always drive and find parking within the park itself to camp in. 
It is VERY EXPENSIVE to camp here as well. You have a fee just to get in as the park as well as fees for the campsite and additional vehicles as well. After being fee-ed to death we had a wonderful camping experience! You really have hundreds of options for things to do, places to hike, things to see and experience or you can just chill at your campsite and enjoy what you can with nature.  I personally prefer less crowds however I do recommend people camp in any of the Yosemite campgrounds at least once in their lifetime. 
The stores can get kinda pricy and it takes a bit to truck things in I get that. I loved the end of summer camping however some of the smaller rivers and streams are snowmelt fed so they can get pretty dry. It gets pretty cold... no matter the time of year so please plan accordingly. 

Work Hard, Reap the Benefits

probably the most crowded campgrounds i've ever been to. felt more like an refugee camp as i could literally hear full on conversations from my neighbors. only upside is you are in yosemite valley. bring a bike, you can thank me later.

Upper Pines - Yosemite

We brought our little Cricket trailer here in August, and I'd say that you stay here just for the location. So centrally located, you can get to basically everything quickly. But it is SO crowded, the bathrooms are sorta meh, and the squirrels are INSANE. Seriously, they're like aggressive ninjas. They WILL steal your stuff.

You go here to enjoy the stuff in Yosemite, you don't go here for the ambiance.

Just for the location

Tent camping in Yosemite Valley in winter is not for the faint of heart! We were actually one of just a handful of people in the whole campground crazy enough to be in a tent.

The result of the cold was that most people were in RVs. RVs unfortunately means lights and generators and the Rangers did not enforce the generator quiet hours at all.

The nice thing about visiting Yosemite Valley in the winter is that it’s relatively less crowded. It’s still Yosemite and there will be lines for parking and at the more popular places to visit and eat, but nothing like the summer. Roads, pathways, and trails can get very icy, so come prepared.

Considering it’s Yosemite Valley, the sites were actually reasonably far apart. Not so much side to side, but front to back there was a decent amount of space. Behind us was a pretty big open area between our loop and the next.

Upper Pines is close enough to the road and nearby trails that you can easily access the Valley Loop Trail, JMT/Mist Trail, and Mirror Lake Loop trail from the campground.

Yosemite Valley is one of the most spectacular places I have had the pleasure of seeing on this planet and thankfully that’s the case because otherwise the throngs of people would not be worth the trip. Everyone should visit Yosemite Valley at least once in their lifetimes and camping at Upper Pines is a good way to enjoy the valley.

A Great Option for a Very Busy Valley

We stayed here for a night after hiking Half Dome (stayed the previous 3 nights at Lower Pines and were lucky enough to get a spot here for a 4th night after our hike). Busy campground - don't expect privacy and solitude. Stay here for the location and use it as a base camp to explore the Valley; it doesn't get any easier to get around and still have a camping experience!

No showers, showers are available at nearby Half Dome Village. Convenient access to water. Bathrooms were clean. Sites were decent size and had fire pits and bear boxes for food (be sure to use them!). Open sites, little to no privacy, you will see and hear your neighbors. Expect and embrace that.

Easy access to trailheads for hiking and exploring. Rent or bring your bike if you are able - that is by far the best way to get around Yosemite Valley. I would stay here again, simply for the convenience of not having to drive/shuttle in to the Valley to hike, etc.

Convenient Location In Yosemite Valley

Great campsite in the middle of the valley. Great location, close to the shuttle, walking distance to hikes. Short drive to the main stores/restaurants.

Perfect

Amazing place worth visiting and checking off the bucket list. Cant wait to go back.

Natural beauty of Yosemite

Easy parking &amp; plenty of space to spread out. Dog friendly! Bathrooms are clean. super close to the Half Dome and Vernal waterfall trailheads.

Perfect camp spot!

Standing at your campsite in Upper Pines at Yosemite, you can turn around and see probably 50 people, tents, cars and RVs around you at any given time. So while the sites are an okay size and there are trees everywhere, this is not a site to come for solitude or privacy. Rather, you come here for its amazing location in Yosemite Valley and to use it as a basecamp for hiking, biking, and generally exploring the area. If you want something outside of the valley with a bit more privacy, I highly recommend the Tuolumne Meadows campground instead (but again, you'll be missing out on the valley location).

Okay flush toilets and drinking water. Each site had a fire ring, bear box and picnic table and lots of s’mores going on each night. Generally a friendly vibe and decently quiet from around 11pm to 6am, which is about all you can hope for in a campground with over 200 sites. The lovely Merced river is a very short walk away and nice for a quick splash and there's a shuttle that runs frequently that stops at the camp (though walking is often quicker since the bus can fill up in the summer).

**Tip:** You can book Upper Pines about 5 months in advance (new blocks open up on the 15th of each month) and they often fill up within a minute or two. The official site says "within 20 minutes." So if you want to book a site for August you'll be calling first thing in the morning on March 15th.

Busy and Basic but an Amazing Location

This was our first time at this campsite....loved it! It was extremely difficult to get a spot for 4 days but well worth it. Great access to the Half Dome village. There is a free shuttle to get around the valley but I recommend bringing or renting a bike to get around. Beautiful scenery and great hikes to choose from. There was a lot of wildlife to see every where. If you want to try to get an extra day, you can get on a waitlist in the village the morning of the day you need. I suggest you get there super early because people have been known to sleep in line to get a spot. No showers at the campground. Our RV easily fit into our spot and there were a lot of RVs of all sizes. The spots are pretty close to each other and there are a lot if sites at this campground. There is drinking water available at each of the restrooms. You can buy firewood and ice at the campground.

Right in the middle of Yosemite Valley

Great location, close by many amazing hikes! Make sure to make a reservation in advance, we were lucky enough to get 2 nights but we took some of the last spots.

super big spots, with great coverage. Make sure to place everything in the bear box!

Great spot, high recommend. 

This is a very busy campground in the Yosemite valley. It’s very close to many of the major hikes and visitor center but it is a bit cramped. It’s still incredibly beautiful and we loved every minute of it

Busy 

Sites are moderate sized with bear locker, picnic table and fire pit. Campground has flushing toilets, sinks. Campground is close to curry village where showers, pool, market and pizza are available. Campground is near happy isles, where the trailheads for vernal falls, Nevada falls and half dome begin. Great camping spot to see Yosemite valley! Also is pet friendly.

Big campground close to curry village and popular hikes!

Book ahead for these sites, they fill up fast aspcecially during peak season. Expect to be in close quarters with others, but remember you’re in Yosemite.

Centralized but crowded

Holy cow! Yosemite Valley is CROWDED. Believe everything you hear. I still recommend staying somewhere in the Valley just for the experience of it all at least once, but if you are interested in using any of the facilities, be prepared for crowds.

RV or Tent camping is the main thing here, sites are organized and packed close with a bathroom facility at the top of the loop. No showers (located at Half Dome village for $5). Close walk to the Mist Trail, The John Muir Trail, and the valley public transit system.  I do not recommend driving in the Valley during the day unless you’re headed somewhere out of the valley. 

Be prepared for your neighbors to have a lot of gear, with a lot going on. The City In The Woods is an apt description of the Valley floor peak season. In the end, if you’re willing to travel even just a mile beyond where the pavement ends, relative solitude can still be yours.

If you want to stay in a yurt, cabin, or other enclosed structure, look at one of the other campsites in the valley.

Once In A Lifetime...but maybe only Once.

Very busy campground in the heart of the valley.  I came here after a long backpacking trip to do some light dayhiking.  I was blown back by how many people were here.

Other than that it is a decent campground.  It has nice bathrooms and a sink to do dishes (that was full of food and made me worried about bears).  Bus stops are close by and so are several hiking trails.

Busy Campground

This campground is great if you would like crowds and lots of bear activity. The views are gorgeous, the campgrounds are fairly clean and have access to many amenities such as small stores restaurants and call the touristy stuff that Yosemite Valley has to offer. This would be a great place to take your family if you are not big on roughing it. It is good for younger children and a good first exposure to the outdoors. Also, if you eat at the Hotel restaurant the squirrels get inside and run around :-).

Crowded and lots of Bear activity

Ggreat site tucked away on Northside. Can get busy.

Its Yosemite!

Close to Happy Isles and Mirror Lake/Meadow, this campground is convenient for day hikers. it's one of the better spots in Yosemite Valley, somewhat off the beaten path, so to speak. Access to the Merced river is also close-by, so you can cool off after a long day of hiking. It's no secret that this is a high-use high-traffic area, but braving the crowds is worth it to spend a few days and nights under the Yosemite sky.

Classic Yosemite Camping

It's almost impossible to get a spot at the campsites in Yosemite Valley these days, but if you do you are lucky.  There are a ton of campsites here so it always seems overcrowded, but it does give off a good community vibes with lots of groups and families around.  If you bring a bike you can easily get to anywhere in the Yosemite Valley in minutes without having to worry about walking a couple miles or parking your car.  Several of the top hikes are within walking distance of the campsite

12/10 if you can get a campsite

Even tho you are practically on top of each other at this campground it’s totally worth it in my opinion just to sleep in Yosemite valley. I could have and wish we had spent a whole week here. 

FYI, they are not joking about wildlife here, bear lockers are there for a reason and the animals are so comfortable and used to people they get close to camp. We were sitting at our picnic table around 9pm while there were plenty of other sites with people awake and outside and a coyote was right behind me, a few feet, searching for food. He was not threatening but it’s still worth noting their confidence. 

Another note, when we road tripped thru California in October there were fire bans at every campground so bring your stoves!

Crowded but worth it.

Just a small walk to Happy Isles, which is the start to many good hiking trails. The campground is huge and not a lot of privacy at each site. Bathrooms nearby and picnic tables at each site. Came here for a Geomorphology College Class Trip and collected research for a project about rockfall safety in the valley. From camp one can hear the sound of occasional rocks cascading down from the mountain face behind camp.  Very crowded during spring and summer, book early! Such an incredible place that deserves to be kept pristine, do not forget to clean up after yourself so we may continue to share this experience with others after us.

Magical grove provides peaceful shaded campground

This campground is one of my absolute favorites in the valley! It's centrally located near the Merced river, Mist Trail trailhead, and a short walk from Curry village if you need supplies and a fresh shower. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Book early :)

Camping under Half Dome

It’s a good place to stay when you are in Yosemite because it’s central and close to popular hikes. But spots are small and sanitary are old and not very clean. Hosts are kind and helpful. It’s full all days and it’s a huge campground so there is a lot of people but still quite. Good enough but not the best campground!

Not the best

Being able to sleep under the stars in Yosemite Valley is a dream come true. The campground is crowded but the scenery makes up for it. Everywhere you look is an Ansel Adams portrait. Lots of trails leave from the surrounding area. Bathrooms are clean but its a trek to the showers. Have fun.

  

Cell Coverage: Verizon (Low)

Pinch Yourself

I’m so grateful that Yosemite has a portion of Upper Pines open for camping!! It felt appropriately socially-distant even though there was no gap sites between bookable sites. Thank goodness for escapes into nature during times like these...

Camping during COVID

Clean restrooms and beautiful view

I love Yosemite! While the campsites are very crowded, I don’t care. The natural beauty of this place forgives every shortfall. I will return again and again.

Love it

These camping spots fill up pretty quick in advance. But we checked for cancellations and got lucky because the storm was coming through in a bunch of people canceled. So we slid right in not minding the weather at all, it made for a great photographs. The campsites are very close together, but it’s a small price to pay to sleep on the valley floor. It allows you to wake up super early and beat the huge crowds to have Yosemite to yourself. 

We got lucky 

Upside:
• You’re right next to half dome! A short walk away towards the center of the Valley and you’ve got a great sunset view of the dome.
• Also located right next to the the trailheads for Mirror Lake and the Mist Trail to Vernal Falls (most popular trail). You can also start the Valley Loop Trail from here. 
• You’re in the valley!  This saves you hours of driving in and back out and parking; plus, you get experience Yosemite in the morning and evening with a much smaller crowd. 
• Wildlife - Coyotes wandered through a couple times.  Beautiful! Unfortunately, no bear encounters for me. Follow the food storage rules though. Don’t ever leave food out. Food in the lockers, NOT in your car. Especially not visible. I saw both ravens and the coyotes go nuts on one picnic. 
• Plenty of mostly clean restrooms. Not a bad idea to bring your own toilet paper.  

Downside:
• Campsites are right next to each other with no privacy *e.g. no tree barrier - between sites. Some sites are better than others. Not that you have much choice when booking but check out the site photo on Recreation.gov to manage your expectations. 
• Generators – three 2 hour time slots throughout the day where visitors can run their generators and it gets loud. 
• Between 11AM and 2PM, there’s a lot of foot traffic of people cutting through the sites to get the those popular trailheads after the parking lots fill up. 


Other notes:
• Cellular service with Sprint/T-Mobile was spotty, coming in and out. Usually out. Perfect signal 5 minutes down the road towards the Yosemite Village. 

In the Valley

First time at this campground and I will most definitely come back.
If you can get past the fact that it is a bit crowded, mix between tents and RVs, you will feel and appreciate the awesome location that it is. You are in the middle of these grand rocks, you can hear waterfalls in the background, and you can walk to some fantastic trails. You do not come here because you want privacy and seclusion. You come here because you are in one of the most awesome places on Earth.

Heavenly sleep between rocks

This site is RV compatible up to 35ft. It is also ADA. Has partial shade in the morning and late afternoon but midday the sun beats straight down on the site. 

Bathrooms nearby with paved access (ADA). 

Site 43 - RV 35ft - ADA

You’re in Yosemite. The park alone is worth 5 stars for sure! 

The campground was more than half closed due to Covid restrictions in April 2021, and even with less than half capacity it was still crowded. 

Close to the Valley Loop Trail and Yosemite Village, which has a general store and snacks. 

Stunning park, okay campground

Great base camp for exploring the Valley. Sites are very close together with vague boundaries. This is not great camping, but you can't beat the location.

Location! Crowded and loud.

Upper pines campground 

The campground is nice.  Great place to start hikes. Easy to get around the valley with bus system. 
Reservations are hard in general. We were lucky to get hold of a last day cancelation.  There were a lot of tent campers, regardless of the snow and cold. 

Nice campground in the Yosemite Valley

Great campground close to trails and Curry Village. A creek and forest run behind our sites; and a couple hundred feet was the river. The kids had a great time exploring. Close by is a restroom (no showers). The restrooms were cleaned everyday! 

So worth it!

Wonderful place to camp if you will be hiking Yosemite.  Walking distance to trails. 
Trees surrounding campsites, not to close together, but not spaced a lot either. 
I've been in December and in summer, much less crowd in the snow and its beautiful. 
There are restrooms and a store a medium walk down the road. 

Great location next to trail heads

Friendly Camp Hosts (volunteers at gate or rangers).   Three two hour times to run generators (7-9AM, Noon-2PM, 5-7PM).   Small brook runs a few feet at the back of the site.  Lots of shade with two pockets of sun around site for solar panels/chargers.  Bathroom nearby (no showers).  Hot showers a short drive to Housekeeping Camp (so nice…clean towels available at no cost.  Great laundromat so pack less and wash, bring lots of quarters.  $3.50 for the 30 minute wash (small drum) and $0.50 for a 10 minute dry (large drum). Took only 20 mins to dry two full wash loads in one dryer).    

Easy bike ride to Curry Village (aka Half Dome Village).  $25 pizzas are worth it.  Guest house Wi-Fi is intermittent, but the only way to get a signal on Verizon for checking permits in Daily Lotteries, email, etc.   T-mobile did have intermittent coverage at site 214.  AT&amp;T same as Verizon.    Firewood, camping supplies, limited groceries/food and lots of souvenirs.   Bar area has cafeteria style restaurant with some lunch/dinner options.  

Great bike trails around the valley.

Bring your Kayak or rent a tube.  (GoPaddling app shows drop and extraction points…Stoneman Bridge to Sentinel Beach. (Or if the camp host is willing, North Pines to Sentinel Beach).    Mid June water level was low in some points with round rocks.  No issue, but in July/Aug, might require navigating  around shallow areas)

Great site to walk (or bike) to trailhead for John Muir to Mist to Half Dome.  19 miles from Site 214 to Mist to HD Summit and back down flatter JMT (vs. Mist) to Site 214.  14 hours at a very slow pace.  Probably more like 12 hours for most people.  

Hammocks require cardboard.  Oaks are protected and not allowed to be used for hammocks. 

We parked an Integra RV, 25 foot and t-bone parked a Highlander SUV (very tight to get all wheels on the pad).  Tree small branches overhang at about 11’. 

Great location in the Valley.  Highly recommend. 

Upper Pines Site 214 Great Location

Would give this a 4.8 if we could - pretty private sites for a NP campground! And right in the valley!!! Level spots and access to showers! Bathrooms decent - quiet. Nice neighbors.  We lucked out and checked at Rec.gov at 6:30 pm for any cancellations and scored a 2-night spot!

Great campground in Yosemite Valley

First site we reserved was too exposed, site 3, talked with camp host and was able to get a more into the trees campsite 29. Clean campsite with plenty of room and bathrooms nearby along with an amazing view of half dome which I got to paint at sunset walking distance to campsite.

Winter Yosemite Campground 

Campground was nice and clean on arrival with small snow piles around. Temps were touching freezing at night and close to 60 during the day. 

Spring painting and camping

Campsite 058. Had service basically the whole time on Verizon with two bars. Campsite didnt flood like the others when the rain started and not too much snow in the campsite unlike February times.

March Yosemite Camping

We stayed in spot 91 with our 32’ Imagine travel trailer. Our Ram 2500 did not fit in the site with us, so a few of us booked an extra spot to park our vehicles. We went mid-march and the park was empty and peaceful. There are zero hookups and you can use a generator 3 times per day. You have beautiful views and we could see half dome directly from our picnic tables. 

Epic views!

We camped here late February to capture the firefall.  We got a decent photo the first day we arrived so mission accomplished.  I was very happy to be able to book spots within 2 weeks of the date.  
EV drivers get the bonus of free charging at the main lodge. 

Great in the winter - close to bathrooms 

Great place, amazing position  with astonishing views, but almost impossible to book. At last moment I get a reservation 

Upper pines campground yosemite 

Had a great weekend going to Yosemite national park, either way if the temperature was low 

Diesel heater for cold nights 

After numerous previous backpacking trips throughout Yosemite's high country, this was my first stay in the valley itself. The site was clean, spacious enough, flat enough, and very convenient to access to everywhere in the valley. We ended up driving up to Tuolumne Meadows in the high country so being able to leave the trailer and all our camping stuff in a safe, relatively crowded and lively campground was was really nice. The site easily accommodated my trailer and Jeep. There were plenty of clean bathrooms, fresh water, fire pits, and spacious site located bear boxes throughout. One thing to note, although it is in one of, if not the most beautiful national parks, I wouldn't call it rugged or even having the illusion of privacy.

Photos of Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

Real photos from real campers