Camp 4 — Yosemite National Park

We recently visited Yosemite and camped one night at Camp 4 , September 19-20th, 2023. We, however, missed the memo that the sites are shared if you do not have 6 people in your party. The site will be filled with as many parties as it takes to reach 6 individuals at each site (during busy season). This may or may not result in an unpleasant experience for you but the people we joined were less than impressed we were joining the site and didn’t make room for us. Awkward! No photos of the site due to the tense situation. 

**The rangers are very serious about bear/ wildlife safety in Yosemite. All scented items must be placed inside of the bear lockers at your site when not in use or there will be unwanted visitors.** 

As a semi mobile individual, I found that walk-in site 1 was close to the parking lot and near the restrooms. There is a wheelbarrow available to move your belongings from the car to your campsite, located at the check-in kiosk. The restrooms did have running water, flushing toilets, a potable water/ dish washing station. Note there is no soap in the restrooms (at least not during our visit there weren't even dispensers), so bring your own soap, sanitizer, or wipes. 

This site/campground is close to multiple hiking trails including a couple that were under 2 miles with minimal elevation gain, numerous rock-climbing sites and a bus stop to the rest of the park, which you can find by walking from the check-in kiosk, around the edge of the parking lot, out to the bench just off the road. 

Don’t miss sunrise from Tunnel View! It is a phenomenal view and experience. 

As of May 21, 2023. through Sept ember 30, 2023, campsites will be available only by reservation via Recreation.gov one week in advance of your arrival date. October 2023 through May 2024 sites are first come first served, unless posted otherwise.

Traveling to Yosemite there are many options for camping. Even with in the park itself you will find numerous options. However one camping area is vastly more coveted than others. If you are a person who enjoys climbing camp 4 is your camp. 

I explored the camp to find out what all the hype was about. I noticed quickly that there is a sense of camaraderie that comes with a stay at this location. All of your items must be brought to your campsite from the parking lot therefore there are no RVs. The vast majority of those staying at camp for are those who are hoping to scale the Rocky crags of El Capitan and other large faces. 

The camp itself is not so different than other camps. In this area there a bear warnings posted everywhere, bear boxes available, standard restrooms, picnic tables and fire rings. 

But something you will only find at camp for our campers with a single voice. Your next-door neighbor maybe your climbing mate. You may end up sharing a meal with someone you have only met at the camp. Typically there is a waiting list to camp here during peak season so I don’t recommend coming on weekends or during the summer months expecting to find a walk in site here. 

From the camp access to the park is limitless. The trolley system will take you around the park to various locations of interest. You can access visitor centers museums and theaters within only a few moments. Special programs are featured in this area within walking distance. And for those staying for an extended amount of time laundry services are featured on premises within only a short trolley ride. 

Waking up in this camp is waking up to the heart of Yosemite. You’ll find the Fog of morning rising to meet the horizon, the shadows of the mountains casting down late in the afternoon and the whispering winds which once inspired John Muir himself. 

With all the pros of comradely there also come a lot of cons due to the overcrowding of this area. Many times in this area people seem in such a hurry to get out and about for the day that they often, despite animal warnings being posted, leave food within the camp. It is not uncommon for camps to be over run with smaller animals or even bears catching a scent. 

In addition, sometimes because of this same crowding the site lines can become a bit blurred. This is by no means a private site. If you are wanting something more remote, private or isolated there are many more options throughout the park which can accommodate those needs. 

This location is more about the access than the spacing itself.

Come early! There were a dozen people already in line when we arrived at 4:30a. These are shared sites meaning there are 6 people assigned per site to share a fire ring and it was $8 per person per night. Fires are regulated and strictly enforced- no fires 10p to 5a. The rangers will site you if you leave trash or food out unattended. There are reasons for the bear proof boxes provided and they take their bear safety seriously, which is appreciated. The ground squirrels were begging by day and racoons by night so it is keep loose items stored. There are no showers onsite but you can find some at neighboring campgrounds. We recommend the Green Dragon trolly tour. We got to hit all of the POI's while learning some history in 2.5 hrs or so. We saw plenty of deer along the way and slowed for all the best photos. Rangers offered coffee in the mornings by the Raffi Memorial Boulder across from the bathroom. We had a great site with access to an open area for some frisbee or just taking in the view. This is a park then walk-in campground so be prepared to walk a few hundred feet to your tent site…well worth it for the view up El Capitan from our site and Yosemite falls view from parking area.

So I want on a week long backpacking trip in June of 2017, right in the height of the heat wave in California. I spent a couple days in San Francisco before my trip, and unfortunately was naive in thinking my naturally tan self did not need sunscreen (I am from Indiana, and the sun is not nearly as close.) Anyways, I ended up with a second degree sunburn and severe heat exhaustion/stoke/whatever. I was so nauseous I was struggling to eat enough to sustain myself. After two nights in the backcountry and one night in the backpackers' camp, I had to accept I could not continue to solo backpack in my condition.

Camp 4 is first come, first serve. And I did not wake up early to get a campsite, completely unaware that the line gets incredibly long in the middle of the night. I was so very fortunate that I was the only solo camper, and received literally the last spot in the campground. So although I had no troubles getting a spot, I surpassed over 20+ people that morning who had been in line all night. My recommendations would be to get there very very early and plan to camp out in the line, especially if you have a larger group. Also, I would recommend going in the middle of the week, since more people are apt to be there on the weekends.

The campground itself was basic and sufficient. Each site holds 6 (or maybe it's 8 people, I forget) regardless of whether you know them or not. This was actually a benefit to my solo self, because I had people to talk to and I made some cool friendships. I had absolutely no issues with people messing with my stuff, even when I would leave it as I went on day hikes, of course never leave your valuables unattended just as a rule of thumb. The bathrooms were as you would suspect in a campground, not always the cleanest but definitely better than an outhouse! I did see housekeeping every day too. The water available was cold and refreshing and the shuttle stop was literally right across the street. The showers were a decent drive across the park, but again even without a car, the shuttle system is so easy to get everywhere and anywhere around the Valley.

This campground was definitely more than sufficient than my unexpected need. Although I would recommend trying to get a reservation at another campground if you are planning far enough ahead of time, that is purely because of the difficulty to get a site. It was a pleasant experience, and helped me recover and relax from my illness. The only thing I wish is that I had felt good enough to try bouldering on the boulders literally right beside the bathrooms, like much of the other climbers staying within the campground.