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.