Best Tent Camping near El Portal, CA

Recent Tent Reviews in El Portal

1382 Reviews of 74 El Portal Campgrounds

• 

  Caroline S.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 10, 2024

  Shooting Star Sanctuary and Retreat near Yosemite National Forest

  Perfectly Peaceful

  What a gem! We loved our two-night stay surrounded by the animals. While the dirt road/driveway is a bit bumpy, we had no problem with our 23' Airstream -- just go slowly and you'll be fine (there was a 40' Class A there, too, if that says anything). Great host who is truly kind. Quiet, peaceful, and fun...what more do you need?

• 

  Chris P.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 9, 2024

  Hardin Flat Road

  Dispersed Camping MINUTES from Yosemite NP

  Spent (2) nights here and loved it. Enough T-Mobile service for messaging and lite web browsing. Spacious pull-out with a small rock fire pit. I believe fires are allowed as long as you have a permit.

  ~8min drive to Big Oak Entrance and ~40min drive to Yosemite Valley Welcome Center. Why stay at Hodgdon when you can stay here!

• 

  Lauren Hannah G.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 7, 2024

  Glass Creek

  Lovely, pretty campground

  Lovely campground. Nice creek sounds and beautiful large trees. Couldn't get a hold of host and sites aren't very private. Otherwise really solid choice for location, amenities (bear lockers were great) and maintenance.

• M

  Matthew A.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Mill Creek National Forest

  Calming creek noise

  Pull into a spot and relax while you listen to the creek, close to the road easy access

• 

  Marian B.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 20, 2024

  Mono Vista RV Park

  Smal and nice campground with full hookups and dump station

  We arrived late in the night, there is a sign with available places on the office entrance. Good restrooms. Dump Station and Hot water shower is free if you pay for Camping. Laundry is available as well. Paid for 1 night with electric and water hookup 52 $. Only Cash.

• c

  cho7

  Scout

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Kamook Staging Camp

  Hidden space close to Yosemite NP

  I was expecting bad conditions because of the previous comments but it was actually a good surprise. It's very close to the entrance of Yosemite, in our case it was very quiet and well isolated. There is no view or wow effect but it's great location and isolated.

• V

  Veronica O.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Lundy Canyon Campground

  Hidden Paradise

  We spent 1 night and was hoping to spend another except for an unexpected rainstorm that brought of course rain and high winds. It is a windy area as it is in a canyon, but it had settled after the sun went down, and we were able to build a beautiful campfire. Our site was very large and it might have been a group site but there was only 1 post on the site. The vault toilet was just across from the campsite. The site was quite private and had a small walkway down to the stream where you could fit maybe 4 or 5 chairs and just enjoy the endless stream. I have T-Mobile and I had absolutely NO service.

• V

  Veronica O.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 16, 2024

  Big Springs Campground

  Closed but beautiful

  No camping happened. Campground closed when we checked on October 16th, 2034. Maybe next time.

• 

  amna S.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Camp 4 — Yosemite National Park

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• 

  amna S.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Camp 4 — Yosemite National Park

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• 

  Jacob T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2024

  Obsidian Meadows Dispersed

  Decent camp site

  Pulled in here since the sun was setting and we wouldn’t make it to lone pine. Nice off road trail with some scattered sites.

• 

  Tony G.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

  Easy access to anywhere in the park

  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.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  North Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

  All That...AND a View of Half Dome in Your Backyard!

  How do you snag a reservation in one of the most popular campgrounds in the entire NPS with just a few days notice?  Easy!  Set up a Dyrt Alert with your Dyrt PRO subscription. We did this and turned 1 night in the valley into 10.  Here's to shoulder season camping!  But come prepared as you might need your kayaking gear and your snowshoes on the same trip.

  This is a great campground in valley, with many sites right by the Merced River, a view of Half Dome in the background, and a little forestry action means that you even get some sunshine down through those big pines and can recharge with solar in a few key sites. We were also able to run our Starlink to get some work done. You can walk to many trails, bike to others, and even stroll over to Curry Village for a meal, shower, or an ice cream. 

  What you have in these campsites is very similar throughout this park, paved spot with not a lot of room for big rigs, small area for tents, a spot for your car, picnic table, fire ring, and a food/ cooler/ cooking equipment storage locker.  Seriously y’all, they will ticket your butt for not storing food properly– they do not mess around here in this park with feeding wildlife, either on accident or on purpose. And you will quickly learn why because the ground squirrels do not give a#$%^ about you except that you are a quick source of Cheetos-- and they’ll even climb up your leg to get some.  Don’t even get me started about the Ravens, they are smart and they have a taste for potato chips! Bears make regular visits to these campgrounds, too.  

  The “Comfort Stations” as the NPS calls them means a couple of toilets that flush, a sink with cold running water, and a hand dryer. Bring your own soap.  They can stay on top of cleaning them, but do your part too.  Showers can be purchased at the Yosemite Curry Village area and they are just fine, but there is a high demand for them so plan ahead. 

  Unlike most parks, Yosemite has its own grocery store, gas station, bike rentals, restaurants, visitor’s center, park film theater, gift shop– and if you come at the right time of year, you can see “Shakespeare in the Park’s” live theater. 

  You can bike, hike, paddle, float, climb, sightsee, stargaze, climber stalk, waterfall gawk and walk. But parking is a bitch. So just leave everything at the campsite and hop on the bus to get around the park and the different hiking areas. The buses also have bike racks so you can bike as much as you want, then hop on the bus if you’re not feeling it anymore. 

  There are so many beautiful hikes, but please don’t go to the popular ones in the middle of the day, or maybe do, that way I can enjoy the less popular ones on my own time at my leisure. Understand that the valley is one of the most “touristed” destinations outside of Disney World, and get your head around it, settle in and make nice-nice with all the other folks who have been dying to come. But please don’t feed those squirrels, ravens, or bears! 

  Depending on which way you come into the park, the closest town with reasonable grocery store prices can be up to an hour away. So, it’s worth the price of admission to stock up on your way into the park.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 8, 2024

  Crags Campground

  Hard to Get To...Even Harder to Leave!

  If you ever want to get away from it all, here is where it might be found. This gorgeous and sprawling campground close to the tiny resort hamlet of Twin Lakes is worth the drive.  We came for a night or two and stayed nearly a week.

  With many FCFS campsites along the loop above the river and among Jeffery’s Pine trees and Sierra sagebrush, you can find a quiet space to set up a beautiful camp. The sites are huge and lots of space in between them.  They are designed for any rig size that is set up for off-grid camping, with double sites for small groups.  Almost all of the sites have a wide open sky and lots of sun for good solar gain and strong Starlink, so no need for a generator.

  The river is only a short walk away from any of the campsites, so fishing and cooling off are always an option, and you can start a handful of hikes right from the campground.  The lower lake of the twins is walkable as well, at about 1.25 miles away. 

  The vault toilets were sparkling clean and well-maintained by the camp hosts. Showers were available for purchase at the nearby RV park. The town of Twin Lakes has a small grocery store at the marina with a few things -- a bit better than a convenience store, but not by much.  At the top of the upper lake, there is a small restaurant located at the other RV park.

  There’s lots of water activity opportunities to do in this part of the world, but check the boat regulations as there are speed limitations.  Fishing, paddling, and SUP’s are all great here, but it can get REALLY windy so plan accordingly.

  Hiking is amazing on the many trails which take you to the higher elevations. Wilderness backcountry travel looks delightful, but we only went on day-hikes. Multi-day backpackers can park in the upper lake marina lot for a fee.  With so many trails and OHV trails nearby, this is also a great campground to bring your mountain bike or other toys.

• A

  Annette E.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 6, 2024

  Highway 120 Roadside Dispersed Campsite

  Great spot for a nice overnight

  We were exploring Yosemite high country and wanted a place to park and sleep. I passed the place I found on here and before I could turn around, I saw this big area. It is sandy, so be cautious of that when you park. I have a Subaru so it’s not an issue.

• G

  GRANT G.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 28, 2024

  Owens Road Fire Road Dispersed Campsite

  Perfect and quiet

  Easy access. Quiet and close to the Owens River. We slept well and didn’t hear another person all night. Beautiful night sky.

• K

  Kim

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 28, 2024

  Junction Campground

  Last Campground bf Yosemite Gate Entrance

  No  reservation campground. I came on a Wednesday the last week of September and took the last site which happened to be the handicap site that become available at 3:00 because it was not yet taken. However, this situation only allows for a one night stay which was fine for me since I just needed a place to crash that night. Had I wanted to stay longer, I could have easily jumped over to other sites that became available in the morning. This campground cleared quickly in the morning and there did not appear to be many multi night guests but rather people needing a place before or after traveling the Tioga Pass.  Arrive early (before 9AM) and you will probably get a site. 

  Some road noise but beautiful big sky at night.

  Pit toilets

  No cellular service

• K

  Kim

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Trumbull Lake

  Near Virginia Lakes Trailhead

  Lovely and quiet. Plenty of open spots mid week September. The lake sites go fast but 35 and those on the eastern perimeter are very spacious with sunrise views over the cliff. Most of the campers seemed to be into fishing and frequented the lake with poles and even non motorized watercrafts. The trail head to Virginia Lakes is just off the west side of the camp with ample fishing as well. 

  Pit toilets

  Portable water

  No cellular service

• 

  Be L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  Diamond Gulch

  perfect

  Was a wonderful experience! The host was super helpful even at night when we didn’t find our designated spot (even though it had super obvious signs - our fault) Super lovely host and a beautiful ranch. A lot of fireplaces with wood. Can only recommend lighting up a little campfire and stargazing at night! Bring some marshmallows with you !

• 

  Miles L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Evergreen Rd Dispersed camping

  A few spots scattered along the road

  Nothing fancy or too expansive, but a handful of spots on either side of the road. Certainly easier to settle in before it’s dark.

• 

  Raymond V.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Outdoorsy Yosemite

  Good place to stay near Yosemite and Sierra National forest

  Nice clean park with clean toilets and showers. Great pool as well. We had a Great spot in september and its close to Yosemite.

• 

  Mouni

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Mono Lake South Dispersed

  Amazing Spot

  This was an amazing find, there’s only maybe 1 spot that wouldn’t require AWD it gets to be somewhat deep sandy/gravely roads after that. But otherwise, close to the lake, beautiful, and peaceful.

  I have ATT and had plenty of service here.

• 

  Mouni

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Kamook Staging Camp

  Not ideal

  This is more of an ATV spot, I arrived on a Sunday evening and the ATV people were set up and essentially taking up most of the spots meant for camping. They were using the many many trails meant for ATVs before I arrived and, when I parked a decent distance away from where they were set up, they opted to ride circles around my RV throwing dust everywhere and revving their engines (likely an attempt to run me off). The open space at the top of the hill where the restrooms are is meant for camping, I would NOT ADVISE taking any of the other roads as they are steep, uneven, and you will struggle to turn around.

  There’s one spot at the entrance good for camping (away from most of the ATV action) but it is taken up by a permanent boondocker.

• 

  Delilah W.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 23, 2024

  Fleming Meadows Don Pedro Recreation Area

  Lake is beautiful. Campground extremely noisy

  Our neighbors in A119 talked, played loud music, whooped and laughed loudly until at least 3 am. At about 11 pm, we requested that please keep the noise down and reminded them of the quiet after 10 pm park rule. They said that the rule only applied to loud music and proceeded to make rude comments and told us to call the ranger. No one answered the phone. We called the local police: no noise ordinance in the county. Our neighbors proceeded to increase the volume of their talking, laughing and started hooting (making animal noises) as well. My husband asked them again at about 12 am to please be quiet and they got even louder after that. We moved to a different site and were still able to hear them but the noise level dropped to a more moderate level. We reported them to the ranger the next day but did not get a satisfactory response. There were at least 20 people at that site. The ranger said that 8 people was the limit. Without enforcement, number limits or quiet time rules are meaningless.

• 

  amna S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 21, 2024

  Camp 4 — Yosemite National Park

  seo

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• 

  Miles L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Easy to access and good services

  Plenty of sites, we arrived after 8 pm and were able to find a spot and book it on Recreation.gov easily.

• 

  Tyler S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Wildcat Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

  Hike-in Costal Camping

  This is an awesome spot, the hike out was absolutely gorgeous. We accessed it from the Palomarin trailhead. Beware, the costal weather can be volatile and you could get flash rain. Also, I highly recommend planning your visit with the sunny weather because it’s easy to pick a day that has endless overcast here, and it’s just not quite as much fun.

  Also be careful what campsite you reserve. Some are absolute gems off on the ocean bluff. Others are more inland and packed in