Looking for the best campgrounds near Yosemite Valley, CA? Yosemite Valley is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
"You come into Yosemite Lakes by a little Thousand Trails convenience store and gas station. It's kind of handy since there's really nothing nearby other than Groveland."
"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."
"Beautiful trees, paved roads for biking or scootering, hooting owls in the trees, huge unusual pine cones, a nature trail that goes to an old gold mine. Really special place."
"No Verizon or T-Mobile coverage. Wifi available for purchase."
$13 - $50 / night
"We stayed in the premium sites at this camp ground. Loved the hosts. They were wonderful to work with and very accommodating. The premium sites include full hook-ups — water, electric and sewer. "
"The campsite was 39 and it was right next to the bathroom. To leave with a 26’ travel trailer I had to pull out and back down another road just to exit the park."
$35 - $80 / night
"Plenty for the kids and family to do and a great location close enough to bike/walk to most stores on the east end of town.
Our reservation said 50 amp partial hookups."
"Pet friendly which is a plus. Be mindful it’s bear country so wonderingl around at night not so wise lol"
"We booked this last minute over the phone, we were very impressed with the spot, next to the pool, clubhouse, fire pit."
"Cool summer nights near Bass Lake Recreational area so fishing and boating are a main attraction. Park is tight for big rigs, but can fit if careful. Pads are gravel and almost level."
$30 - $40 / night
"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."
"Make sure if you come since it’s right next to the mountains be prepared for wind and rain, but usually passes pretty quick."
$10 / night
"It is not advisable for trailers over 18 feet in length. We had a great stay. The campgrounds were very clean, and pit toilets were available."
"The restrooms are cleaned 2 times a day. There is trash cans for each of the 3 campsites that go with this one. there a great little swimming hole just up the path."
$42 - $288 / night
"They have cabins, places to rent camp, laundry on site, a pool, 30/50 hookups. Pull throughs and water and sewer."
"This is a great campsite if you have an Rv or trailer. Close to the lake plenty of activities in the area
Boats jet ski rental fishing etc"
"WiFi is no bueno can’t even get a connection. We booked a pull through deluxe full hookup site."
"Large dog run which was amazing. Personal just a bit expensive 100 ish for a rv spot with 30 amp an water."
Guidesite: wooded area. not very private. most sites have an incline. amenities: not very clean facilities. attractions: 40 minutes from Yosemite Valley. Near Tuolumne Sequoia Grove. I might camp here (just drove through checking out the campground).
Guidesite: wooded. semi-private. large. quiet campground. cooler temps than in Yosemite Valley. amenities: clean. no showers at campground. attractions: near to a market. Hiking trails. 40 minutes from Yosemite Valley. Wildlife. I would go camping here again- nice quiet place.
GuideSierra Campground off the beatin path. Full hook ups in summer. Closed in winter. Tall pines block satellite feeds. Spotty Cell service. Daily, weekly, monthly rates. Lots of trees dropped due to bark beetle. Pool, group camping, ball fields, disc golf
LegendIn the summer of 2015, my (now) boyfriend and I decided to plan a very last-minute hike up Half Dome. We finalized the decision to go about six weeks before our trip in the third week of September, therefore had missed the window of opportunity to reserve a valley campsite by about 5 months. The only available campgrounds in Yosemite were the ones outside the valley, and we decided to try out Crane Flat campground.
The Crane Flat Campground is about 19 miles outside Yosemite Valley off highway 120 - it takes around 35 minutes or so to travel by car from Yosemite Valley to Crane Flat. Crane Flat is a nice and peaceful campground surrounded by trees, and at the time was at less than half capacity. While camping in Yosemite Valley would have been more convenient for us on the day of our Half Dome hike, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of the nearly empty Crane Flat campground.
The campsites in Crane Flat have bear bins, fire rings, and picnic tables. The toilets were plumbed but there are no showers available. I imagine Crane Flat fills up during the peak seasons, but the sites seem to be more spread out than the sites in the Valley. If you want to avoid camping in the Valley, Crane Flat or Wawona campgrounds are both great options!
We spent our first day doing easy hikes around the valley floor, swimming in the Merced River, and keeping our fingers crossed that we would win the lottery to hike Half Dome. We did, so we climbed it the next day.
We were exhausted the day after our Half Dome hike, so we decided not to drive to the Valley. We swam in Tenaya Lake which was still FREEZING in September, but it felt good as it was hot out. We drove past the Big Oak Flat Entrance and out to Groveland, where we had lunch and drinks at the Iron Door Saloon. The Iron Door Saloon is a family friendly restaurant and bar that is apparently the oldest continuously operating saloon in California. It’s a little tourist-trappy, but I’ve enjoyed it the couple times I’ve been there, and they have good burgers and drinks for cheap.
CAUTION: be extremely aware of bears while camping in Yosemite National Park! Each campsite in Crane Flat has a bear bin - USE YOUR BEAR BIN! Bears are known to break into cars to snack from coolers or any food or toiletries are left out. The bear bins are quite large, so coolers do fit inside - bears can still smell food in coolers inside of cars, and apparently recognize a cooler when they peak into your car windows. If you have to leave your cooler in the car, it is suggested that you cover it up with towels or gear to hide it from site. On the same note, do not leave any of your toiletries or snacks inside the tent with you. In general it seems that the rangers seem to have good control over the bears that have been tagged and are constantly monitored, but not all bears are tagged, and even the tagged bears will make their way into Yosemite campgrounds. Be smart and safe in bear country!
CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $26/night peak ($18/night non-peak)
Plumbed Toilets: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Showers: No
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grate: Yes
Shade: Yes
Cell Service: No
Animal Bins/Food lockers: Yes
Trash: Yes
TravelerSites are moderate sized with bear locker, picnic table and fire pit. Campground has flushing toilets, sinks. Campground is close to curry village where showers, pool, market and pizza are available. Campground is near happy isles, where the trailheads for vernal falls, Nevada falls and half dome begin. Great camping spot to see Yosemite valley! Also is pet friendly.
RangerWe have stayed at this campground many times and recently revisited in September’24. This COE is on a small lake that is used for irrigation during the summer resulting in a much lower water level than in the spring. Fishing is good. The Corps have added more electric sites over the years and there were 5-6 that fit our 43’ Blue Bird. We marked this as “big rig” friendly. Springtime has the grasses green with abundant wild flowers in late Feb through early March. Summer can be hot as the elevation is low in the California Central Valley and the grasses are brown. Sites are asphalt. Many sites may take some time to level. Back in and pull through are available. A nice dump stations is available within the COE park. Fall has a Tarantula migration and you will definitely see them. Coyote, Bobcat, and deer are frequently seen. Codorniz is 21 miles from Chowchilla. One way in and one way out cuts down on traffic.
ScoutFull hook-up. 50 amp 30 amp. Fresh water at each site. Free WiFi. Large grassy area with picnic table. Lots of trees and shade. Sewage at each site. Management is very helpful and works hard maintaining grounds. They are in their own RV at the back of the campground.
GuideYou come into Yosemite Lakes by a little Thousand Trails convenience store and gas station. It's kind of handy since there's really nothing nearby other than Groveland. Make sure to come in at this entrance though. When coming from the west GPS likes to take you through Hardin Flat Road... don't go that way with an RV. Check-in was quick and easy. Don't forget it's first come first serve like most Thousand Trails campgrounds. Staff were all very friendly. There's complimentary wifi at the main office if you need it. There's NO phone signal of any kind for miles. There is Jabba Communications wifi throughout that campground that you can pay for but it's pricey and very shoddy and unpredictable here. Unless you're staying for a long time it's not worth it.
Every spot pretty much has full hookups but only a few with 50 amp. The rest have 30 amp. Again, as I've said with other Thousand Trails, that just seems like laziness to me. These campgrounds have been around long enough to see the need for upgrades.
We parked at the far east end past the cabins in a pull-through group spot. They are the biggest spots and didn't seem like people really use that area much. It was pretty quiet for the two weeks we were there. It's off season as well though. Power went out to the entire campground two days in a row. Not the campground's fault as high winds knocked out power to the entire area. They were nice and let us use our generator even though they are not allowed any other time.
There's a little river that runs along the campground that looks like it would be beautiful in the spring and summer when there's more water. It still had quite a bit flowing through over by the main office. Yosemite National Forest is just a short distance away. Some great hikes and sights to see!
I'd say with a few more updates this one could easily be a 5-star!
GuideStayed here for a week. Great spot for the family while I worked. Plenty for the kids and family to do and a great location close enough to bike/walk to most stores on the east end of town.
Our reservation said 50 amp partial hookups. But only the full-hookup sites have 50 amp. Partial hookups are 30amp with water, but the water access depends on the weather/season you're there in. We had to fill up with Fresh Water before we got to our site but it's in a convenient spot so not too big of a deal.
It is a parking lot but there was plenty of space for us and our SUV. Pool and Laundry Mat/Showers were close as well which made things nice. Starbucks is a short walk away too if that's your jam.
Great spot just make sure to call so there's no surprises with water/hookups etc.
Amenities: Pool & Jacuzzi / Laundry Mat / Showers & Bathrooms / Dump Station / Playground.
Exploring RV camping near Yosemite Valley offers a fantastic way to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the comforts of home on the road. With a variety of campgrounds to choose from, you can find the perfect spot to relax after a day of adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Yosemite Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Yosemite Valley, CA is Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes with a 4.2-star rating from 40 reviews.
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