Best Tent Camping near Hensley Lake, CA

We tent camped on the river here and really enjoyed our stay. We floated on the river in tubes, visited Nearby Rainbow Pools, went into Yosemite Valley a couple of days, the park is about 5-10 mins from the entrance to Yosemite but we didn’t mind we enjoyed the drive into the valley and used it as an opportunity to spot wildlife. We had two young kids (6 &8) and the campground restrooms and showers were perfect after a long day hiking, they were well maintained, good water pressure. These restrooms were located at the ponderosa tent sites, we had some family also camping in RVS along the river and I can’t speak for those restrooms. No cell service & WiFi is unlikely to work so prepare to be unplugged..they do give you printed directions to the closest area to get a signal depending on your carrier. The staff was very friendly and helpful! We will definitely be back one day. Side note: we came during COVID so reservations to Yosemite National park were required, therefore the park and surrounding campgrounds were not as packed as they normally would be. (This was heavenly).

Great location right in the valley. Amenities were nice (showers, laundry, food). The three-sided cinder block enclosure was a bit rustic and dirty. Would have felt cleaner actually camping in a tent where you can control what comes in and out of your personal space. Hiked several days in the park and took in sunset from Glacier Point (while doing the 4 mile hike earlier in the day from the valley floor up to the point). Beautiful!

We had a nice open camping spot. It was at the edge of Yosemite Valley. The only downside to the spot was everyone else had a RV and had there generators on at 6am. We are not RV people so we don’t know why they need to run them. Next time we will camp in a tent only area. This area had no showers.

Got one of the furthest sites tent camping. Could see all the stars. They also provide bear boxes for each site.

Beautiful tent camping above the Yosemite valley. Close enough to drive into the valley but far enough to not be surrounded by people at all times. Make sure to bring hammocks! Great trees to lounge in!

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.

Tons of Gold Rush history here, nice rv glamping featuring showers and a boat launch at first camp, more primitive tent camping up the road at second camp (my fave). I've been camping here for years, it's my favorite in the world!

It's a nice campsite. A bit of trash scattered around the tent spots. Excellente toilets and showers, but not so great out of hours check-in. Also 70+USD for a tent site with no hookup in November is a rip-off.

We had a great experience with the Rangers and the facilities. The view was BEAUTIFUL and we had a great time. However, we were tent camping for the night and were kept awake by our loud neighbors in their RVs who were playing loud music until 1am. Also, planes fly overhead pretty frequently which woke me up. But the quality of the place is great and would be good for family trips.

This campground was awesome. We went in the middle of summer without reservations and we were able to get a tent site. This camp site is at the head of the Upper Falls trail so you can get an early start and see some great sunrise scenes. Plenty of toilets and water sources at the camp site, just bring your filter.

site: right on river was a huge plus! semi-private, decent sized site. some sites seemed more private than others. some tree cover. a bit loud for tent camping quiet, but it’s expected with such a full campground. amenities: quite clean for the amount of people using facilities. attractions: the views from my site were amazing. shuttle stop near campground. I would go camping here again if we wanted to be in the heart of the park.

Narrow drive and sharp turns in the campground so we didn't camp with our RV but we did tent camp. There were smaller RVs there and plenty of camper vans. The sites are spacious and in the pines. Great location in the valley. Can walk everywhere or bike everywhere in the valley. AT&T service occasionally let a text go through but completely unreliable. No wifi. We had to put on quite a bit of bug spray at night and early in the morning, but other than that the bugs weren't an issue.

I know that you don’t know me but trust me! Tamarack Flat is an awesome campground and definitely worth being a short 30 minutes away from Yosemite Valley. It is first come first serve but I have never had any problem acquiring a campsite. While it is remote, it is beautifully scenic and with many campers nearby, you don’t feel like you’re out in the wilderness alone. There are bear boxes at every site as well as a fire ring/pit. I would highly recommend camping here if you are tent camping or have a small unit. You will not be disappointed.

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.

Our visit was great!! We came in late at night with 1 spot left. We camped in a tent and in the bed of our truck. We went in June which was a little chilly at night but sleeping under the open starts was to die for. The sites were clean and had plenty of space between them. Most of the people camping alongside were likeminded people (not everyone camps in tents and those who do just 'know' how to enjoy their surrounding). The campsite had bear proof bins at each site to hide your food etc. our dogs were welcome and kids were entertained with nature. Tenaya Lake wasn't far away which was the best part of the whole trip. Only con is it's usually really hard to get a campsite in Yosemite in general. We have tried before and ended up having to leave the park late at night as there was nowhere to camp. We lucked up this time!

If i could give this campsite for than 5 stars i would. my best friend and i are traveling across the country and we both agreed this was by far the most amazing place we have stayed. we were blessed enough to hang out with all the animals including baby goats and kittens, Jason was beyond kind and generous and has a full kitchen set up outside just for campers! I have never felt more at home at a campsite and he was beyond accommodating to all of our needs. the property is beautiful and an amazing place for tent camping and star gazing.

Beautiful area to camp, still far from the actual Valley but quiet enough to make day trips. Very dry dirt, like when you step there is a puff, so 1yr old was plenty dirty right away! Facilities are just bathrooms and water station. RV hookups and tent sites. Sites are close together and all around you. There is not enough coverage for true privacy. There were hammocks all over and I wished we had one. Bear boxes are large enough to cover all your food needs. Kids enjoyed it for their first trip and we even had a dear visit our campsite!