Best Glamping near Hensley Lake in California

Recent Glamping Reviews near Hensley Lake

393 Reviews of 37 Hensley Lake Campgrounds

• 

  Delia M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 11, 2018

  Curry Village — Yosemite National Park

  Excellent location, close to shuttle to all the main trails

  The location is perfect for all the Valley trails. There is a shuttle right outside. There are several campgrounds here. There is a space for tents and also a village of canvas tents for those who prefer glamping. For food there is a convenience store nearby, a restaurant and a pizza place.

  TIPS:

  Tent cabins are close together, you will hear your neighbors, bring ear plugs

  Leave early, the trails get crowded very quickly

  Lots of tourists so parking will be tight

  Driving into Yosemite is horrible lately, especially into the Valley, CARPOOL!

• 

  Kuo G.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2017

  Housekeeping Camp — Yosemite National Park

  Comfy makeshift hotel in a campground

  this is the ultimate glamping. Bunk beds, electrical outlets, private patio with awning and round picnic table, even curtains for your shared sleeping quarters. Near by clean restrooms running hot water. Id recommend wearing sandals for showering. Nice open space between campsites. We had the campsites reserved months in advance next to the river. It was pretty dry the this time. Enough water to capture some great photos. In the campgrounds there were large bear lockers, and well distributed benches and fire rings. Quiet time is 10pm and they are strict about it. Cant reallly complain about yosemite though. Its just pure beauty.

• 

  Meredith P.

  Guide

  

  May. 3, 2019

  Curry Village — Yosemite National Park

  “Glamping” in a magical place

  Yosemite Valley is pure magic and Half Dome Village is no exception. It’s definitely more “glamping” than camping and the tents feel like cabins and are very close together. Bathrooms are nice and there’s a store, bar, cafeteria, coffee shop and pizza place to take care of your needs. It does have a bit of a party atmosphere at night as folks from other campgrounds gather at the bar/pizza spot but the tent area was pretty quiet (save for me hearing someone peeing outside my tent one night...). Dark at night, bring a headlamp or flashlight.

  Biggest complaint is the price. Location can’t be beat but it’s so expensive for canvas tents that aren’t super clean and are smushed together. I love Half Dome Village but next time will probably camp elsewhere and shuttle in for pizza and beer.

• 

  Ryan T.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 3, 2023

  Wishon Village RV Resort

  For the glamper

  If you have an RV or prefer car camping/glamp set up this is a very nice spot. Lots of RV spots, but I chose to tent camp. Two types of tent sites, platform and ground neither of which has AC/Water. I had a platform site that was next to a little stream. There is a village store on site, showers, toilets, and water. Close to Wishon Reservoir which is great for trout fishing. Courtright is a little farther but wasn't accessible at the time I went due to fallen trees blocking the road. Attended a village church service on Sunday which was the topping on the cake for me. Lots of people around the campsites but partying is prohibited. That being said if you want a little more serene camping experience there is plenty of dispersed camping in this part of the woods.

• 

  Emily Grace M.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 13, 2018

  Yosemite Lakes Park Campground

  Great place right outside the park

  Hot showers, no burn-ban, and they have yurts! Cell connection is not a thing there.

• 

  Sherrie R.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Yosemite RV Resort

  Great staff and location. Many rental options.

  Many options to stay! Rv, bring your own tent, yurts, safari tents,, cabins. RV spaces have many different location styles, secluded, views, groups etc.

  Large clean pool with a shallow lounging section. Playground. Bathrooms/showers were freshly renovated and clean. Laundry on site. Clubhouse and small provisions.

  Easy access to Bass Lake and Yosemite entrance as well as local Town food and markets.

• m

  michelle H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 10, 2018

  Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes

  Hillside yurt #6

  Fairly clean, a few of the dishes needed rewashed, but it‘s required that the previous occupants wash and put away their dishes. Quiet, the neighbors were all pretty quiet, occasioanlly a car would drive past the road that backs up to the yurts. Comfortable bed, gas stove heater and AC worked well. I didn’t use the propane grill that was on the balcony, it was very dirty, and one of the grates were broken. Nothing spectacular about my 2 night stay. About an hour drive all the way to Yosemite Village.

• B

  Breeze Y.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 3, 2021

  Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes

  "Child/Pet Friendly!

  This Campground is 5 miles from West gate entrance to "Yosemite National Park". Only 35 miles west of " Lake Don Pedro, take out your boat, go jet skiing or fishing. Don't forget to go to " Moaning Cavern!" Tuolumne River runs through campground. There are 254 Full Hookups, 130 Tent sites, Hostel, Cabin & Yurts. They have WiFi, Satellite TV,Clubhouse, Billiard's, Game room, Shuffleboard, Store, Hiking Trails,Nature, Playground, Mini Golf, Tennis, Picnic/BBQ,Volleyball, Basketball & in the Summer-Bus runs to Yosemite, for an additional fee. Summer Swimming,Seasonal Fishing,Wheelchair Accessible, Restroom/Shower Facilities & Laundry. Yosemite Lakes Resort 31191 Hardin Flat Rd. Groveland,CA 95321 Reservations Member- 1-800-368-7788 Non-Member 1-888-481-6348 Welcome Center (209)962-0103 Rental Check In- 4PM Rental Check Out - 11AM Front Desk- Sun-Sat 8AM-8PM

• 

  Boondocks H.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 2, 2018

  Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes

  So you got skunked in the park campgrounds

  You may as well stay close, right? Well... Whip out your wallet and empty on it on the check-in desk of this thousand trails (or whatever) park. For the price of the presidential penthouse suite at the top of the Reno Nugget, I was granted access to a dusty, undefined pad of petrified dirt on the outskirts of this RV and yurt focused campground on which to erect my elaborate two-pole tent. It was a little noisy and occupied by an effervescent mixture of post-millenial biker kids and scowling unibrow backpack bros in Arctic-ready shelters.

  Here's the thing: the staff was super friendly, the store was well stocked, and where the holy everloving fuckelse was I gonna go? From tent teardown to nat'l park access was probably all of 15 minutes. Equally 100% bilked and satisfied - aka "thank you sir, may I have another!?"

• 

  Bryan R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 2, 2018

  Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

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

  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.

• G

  Gamaliel A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 22, 2018

  Camp Edison

  Shaver Lake Camping

  Great campsite if you want to camp around Shaver Lake in the Sierras of California. Beautify lake, plenty of water sports. The small town has great rustic mountain vibe.

• 

  Carly E.

  Legend

  

  May. 23, 2018

  Lower Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

  Perfect Home Base for Exploring Yosemite Valley

  The Yosemite Valley campgrounds are large and busy - it's an extremely popular park, and Lower Pines is right in the heart of things. Don't expect silence and solitude if you are staying here. That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lower Pines. We camped for 3 nights in a camper van (switched to Upper Pines for a 4th night). Reservations are hard to come by; we got very lucky and reserved our spot only a couple of weeks before our trip (traveling in the Fall helped some).

  Site was large with a bear box to store food - be sure to use this and store food safely! The rangers will warn you about the destruction bears can cause, and there are pictures posted all over to prove it. Our site had a large level parking pad (perfect for the campervan), picnic table, and fire ring. Awesome views of El Cap towering above us, at night you could see the lights from climbers up on the wall.

  Bathrooms were clean, access to drinking water was easy. Park shuttle is nearby and easy to get around. Half Dome Village was a short walk/shuttle ride with access to food, stores (got some tenacious tape to repair a hole in a hydration bladder, saving our hiking!) and showers (for a fee). They had rental bikes which we used for a day to explore the path around the Valley. Trails were very close, we did a lot of hiking/trail running and were able to get a permit for Half Dome as well which was awesome! We were there in late September/early October - Yosemite Falls was dry and the other waterfalls are much lower that time of year, something to keep in mind if seeing the waterfalls roaring is in your itinerary.

  All of our nearby campers were very polite and friendly. Yes, this is a "tourist" type campground, not a backcountry or dispersed site in the middle of nowhere. Everyone is there to experience Yosemite Valley in their own way. We found it to be fairly quiet and enjoyed checking out other people's camping setups and chatting with them while walking around, etc. We didn't find that to be a negative experience at all.

  http://adventuresneaker.com/2017/01/23/california-road-trip-days-1-2-san-francisco-to-yosemite/

  http://adventuresneaker.com/2017/01/25/california-road-trip-day-3-yosemite-hiking-4-mile-trail-panorama-trail-mist-trail/

  http://adventuresneaker.com/2017/02/06/california-road-trip-day-4-half-dome/

• 

  Lili R.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 11, 2019

  Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

  Crowded but worth it.

  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!

• 

  Dash G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Curry Village — Yosemite National Park

  Half Dome Village Tent Cabin

  We went to Yosemite for our first time during Memorial Day Weekend. Thankfully we lucked out with being able to score a tent in the Half Dome Village. I think this was due to the 7 day minimum cancellation so there were quite a a few. Key is keep refreshing the page and keep trying all day.

  Anyway, the tents were better than I thought! Certainly not as clean as pictured on their website but it's a step up from a camping tent. We flew to California so we didn't bring all our gear. The bad thing about the tent village is that you can hear everything- from a cough, sneeze, talking, whispers, snoring, babies crying, and a stupid jerk kid sobbing at 7AM for an hour. Bring some ear plugs!

  The location was amazing - easy for beautiful day hikes. We hiked Cloud's Rest which was the most amazing, breathtaking view I've ever seen in my life. Really. In the Valley, you can find restaurants, groceries, and gear. There's also showers and wifi.

  We prefer the solitude so we'll probably backpack next time or stay at a different campsite to try something new.

  Yosemite is top notch.

• 

  Natasha H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 11, 2016

  Upper Pines Campground — Yosemite National Park

  Work Hard, Reap the Benefits

  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.

• 

  Hannah V.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 1, 2018

  Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

  Hike in is Worth It

  Thousand Island Lake is a trek to get to but once you get there, well you don’t really want to leave. This view is absolutely beautiful, and it changes rapidly with the rising and setting sun so make you have your camera ready for it. This is completely back country so you gotta pack it all in. There are some rules you have to follow while camping at this lake, 30 feet off of the trail and then another 100 feet away from the water. This can be hard to do as your camp may be on a slant or in the wide open, however you have plenty of space to choose from at this location. There is another rule about camping past a certain peninsula but from everyone we talked to they had no idea which peninsula the map was actually referring to, so you just walk past a couple of them and hope you’re in the right spot. The water is very cold but still feels great after a long hike all day.

  There are multiple routes to getting to this lake, you can come. The John Muir trail and the PCT lead to this location, also Mammoth California has a trail that leads here as well. We even encountered mule train options on our way in if you prefer that type of transportation. But this is definitely somewhere you want to visit.

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 7, 2018

  Thousand Island Lake Backcountry

  Solitude, Splendor, Serenity!

  Thousand Island Lake is a backcountry camping area located at 9,839 feet elevation in Ansel Adams Wilderness within the Inyo National Forest, California.

  If you desire 360 degree mountain beauty, a cool lake to fish, float, swim or reflect by, epic sunrises and sunsets, star-filled night skies...or just desire the unearthly quiet of being unplugged and being a speck in rugged vastness...this is for you!

  This incredible dispersed backcountry camping area must:

  1. Be hiked into
  2. Possess a permit
  3. Use approved bear canisters
  4. Leave No Trace

  There are a few methods of getting to Thousand Island Lake...all involve backpacks and hiking. First, if you are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will at some point of your journey reach Thousand Island Lake. Second, if you are hiking the John Muir Trail NOBO or SOBO, you will reach Thousand Island Lake during your journey. Third, you can choose a beautifully scenic 14.3 mile out and back from Mammoth, CA...the shortest of the three options. Fourth, there are horseback/mule train options.

  We happened to reach Thousand Island Lake as part of our August 2018 SOBO John Muir Trail attempt.

  Choosing to hike in by any of the options takes planning and preparation. This is beautiful country, but it is also rough and unforgiving. The trails are wonderfully cared for, but not groomed and flat...know this and adequately prepare.

  Every hiking/camping group must possess a permit, which for a short hike directly into Thousand Island Lake is secured through the Inyo National Forest office. PCT and JMT permits are primarily lottery based (although several walk-in permits are granted each day on site...but that's a gamble).Inyo National Forest website page states: "Groups cannot be larger than 15 people (includes day use). Quota of 30 people permitted to start overnight trips each day from May 1 to November 1."

  This is active black bear country, so you must use approved bear canisters for food and odoriferous items (toothpaste, soap, lip balm, insect repellent, etc). Stiff fines by rangers (and they do backcountry patrols) await if you foolishly ignore this law...worse yet, you might receive a catastrophic visit from Yogi or Boo-Boo. We did not see any bear or evidence of their presence but I’m sure they saw us.

  Leave No Trace...pack it in...pack it out. Yes, that means everything. Know the rules and abide by them. Nothing more distasteful and damaging to pristine wilderness are those that believe they are the exception to this rule and leave trash...worse, waste and TP dotting the landscape. Unfortunately, I found myself burying selfish stranger's waste. So bring a small shovel (www.tentlab) and a Ziploc freezer baggie to pack out your TP.

  There is signage at Thousand Island Lake advising where to camp, which is far away from the main JMT trail. Again, abide by the rules and camp at least 40 feet away from the trail and 100 feet from the lake. Read and obey the list of rules on the website.

  We camped on the northwest area of the Lake. Numerous hikers were there, some groups that hiked in for a day or two, others were thru-hikers. I enjoy the "community" of backcountry backpacker's. Day hikers can bring "Fido."

  It is unnecessary to pack in hordes of water, as there seems to be streams and lakes aplenty. I'd recommend a reliable water filter or boiling the water to ensure a parasite free thirst quencher. We used a simple Sawyer Squeeze, which was both lightweight and effective.

  Once camp is set, hike around the trails of this pristine wilderness and soak it all in...or just pull out your sleeping pad and relax.

  I have read and been admonished to use 100% DEET for the mosquitoes on the JMT...particularly June-July, and though prepared, we experienced none in mid-August, nor at this elevation. The elevation should not be bothersome healthwise, as it is not above 10,000 ft. As Floridian Flatlanders, we had no adverse altitude maladies...other than being out of breath while climbing passes. June and early July hikers may experience snow at this elevation depending on the winter accumulations.

  Several notable peaks shadow Thousand Island Lake, Banner Peak being one of them.

  For those securing a day hike permit, search out several websites/blogs for the best starting locations (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/thousand-island-lake-pct).

  If you are looking for the best bang for your buck in backcountry short trips, file this one away as a "must do!" There are others in the eastern Sierra Nevadas...but that's for another post.

• 

  Tyler S.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 10, 2018

  Camp 4 — Yosemite National Park

  Unplanned Stay at Camp 4

  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.

• N

  Nicco C.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 21, 2022

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Great views of the foothills

  Sparse and open foothills very beautiful in late winter.

• m

  matt

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 13, 2022

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Great Views of the Dam

  Clean Campground and site. The site we stayed at had a nice fire ring, was flat, had a picnic table and it was close to running water. We tent camped, but it looked like there were plenty of RV spots too. Nice and quiet too.

• D

  Drew P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 13, 2022

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Great stay, very quiet

  Use your national park pass for 50% off such a quiet place.

• W

  Wayne H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 10, 2022

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Great Place but know this…

  This is a great campsite but there are a few things campers must know. Not all sites are drive up. Some have a “thrombosis hill and stairs” to get to. If you book sites B 16, 17 or 18 bring a sherper or pack horse with you to get your tent and stuff to the top of the hill. Male bathroom has a toilet and shower and was clean. Female bathroom has the same but was disgusting! Not what we expected from a Gov. Park. As we were only staying night, we slept in Jabulani #Jabulaniadventures.

• L

  Linda S.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 22, 2023

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Clean campground

  Even with all the rain, the lake isn’t very full. The campground, including the bathroom, was clean. It was difficult to figure out what to do when we reached the campground, because there is no one at the entrance. A ranger came around at some point, who was able to answer our questions. The sites are small, but there are some with great views of the lake.

• J

  Julie

  Scout

  

  Mar. 4, 2023

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Great Views of the lake...

  …IF you get the right spot. We were there during Easter weekend and it was a bit crowded but not too bad. The sites are too close together and we had a nosy neighbor that seemed to take pleasure in watching our every move til I told her to mind her own business  The rate is reasonable and the grounds are clean and well kept with lantern posts, fire rings and sturdy table. Some even have nice verandas. Rangers on  site are friendly and accommodating and will even deliver fire wood to you.

• T

  Ted T.

  Guide

  

  May. 25, 2023

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Quiet spot

  This is a decent campsite. Nothing amazing but the lake is nice. The bathrooms aren’t particularly clean so I chose not to shower. The sites are very wide open so you won’t have much privacy.

• p

  patricia C.

  Guide

  

  May. 26, 2023

  Hidden View Campground — Hensley Lake

  Shared space

  We had a shared space, good thing they were really friendly. It was a very well shaded area that we got! It was a beautiful day, very peaceful too . My family and I enjoyed our day!

• 

  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.