Yosemite Lakes RV Resort is located 80 miles east of Modesto, and just 5 miles west of Yosemite National Park’s Big Oak Flat entrance station. This large, year-round resort offers nearly 400 sites for RV and tent campers along the banks of the South Fork Tuolumne River. RV campers can choose from open, grassy spaces, or shady, wooded spaces with full hookups; tent campers can set up under mostly shady pine woods. Sites are equipped with picnic tables and fire pits, and restrooms and shower facilities are conveniently located throughout the resort. The resort also offers a variety of cottages, cabins, yurts and bunkhouses. Onsite amenities include a country store, laundry room, Wifi and satellite TV service, trash receptacles, gas station, and propane depot. Dogs are permitted. Reservations are recommended, however many tent sites are first-come, first-served. Seasonal campsite rates are $41–$75/night; other accommodations range from $86–$305/night. For campers looking for a little rest and relaxation time outside of the busy national park, the resort offers a variety of amenities and activities. There’s a playground for the kids, and mini golf, shuffleboard, horseshoes, and basketball for kids of all ages. Swimming, floating, fishing, and gold panning can be enjoyed on the South Fork Tuolumne River, which flows right through the resort area. The resort also hosts group activities, movies and weekend events. Nearby activities include swimming, fishing, boating and water skiing on Don Pedro Reservoir and New Melones Lake, as well as touring the old mining towns of Sonora, Angels Camp and Murphys. When it’s time to visit Yosemite National Park: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is 45 minutes away; Yosemite Valley is 1 hour away; Tuolumne Meadows is 80 minutes away; and Mariposa Grove is 90 minutes away. In the busy summer season, it’s good to allow extra time to get to these destinations, and have patience looking for parking. Yosemite National Park, located in the heart of California’s spectacular Sierra Nevada Mountains, is, justifiably, one of America’s most popular national parks. Visitors flock to Yosemite every summer to marvel at its towering granite walls, domes and pinnacles, as well as its spectacular meadows, waterfalls and wildlife. No trip to Yosemite is complete without taking at least a short walk or hike to soak in the majesty of this glacier-carved landscape, away from the park’s busy roads and villages. Yet, with its limited camping and lodging options, it can be challenging to visit the park during its busy summer season. Fortunately, there are several campgrounds and resorts located just short distances outside of the park that make suitable alternatives to the often congested and overcrowded park facilities, while still allowing easy access to the park’s sights, attractions, and trails.

Thousand Trails Yosemite Lakes

We are members of Thousand Trails so our review may be a little different than someone who is a non-member. Here's why. The majority of the campground (the nicer parts next to the river) is for members only. The smaller, tighter section is for non-members.

WiFi: Yes they have it. It is only available in the 'lounge area'. It's VERY slow. Instead I went east by 4 miles to a hotel to have a beer and connect for work.

Sites: Those by the river are packed close together and more shaded. We didn't care to be packed like sardines, so we opted for one of the middle sites. Hardly anyone was in these sites so it was quiet and spacious. No problem with full-hookups.

Events:It's a resort so they have something going on every weekend. While we were there it was a family movie and Octoberfest (beer and bratwurst for $5). Then smores by the fire with music. It was nice.

Proximity: Although it is very close to the park boundary, it is still an hour to the valley. We couldn't get a spot in the valley so we accepted this as the way it was. No biggie. There was also a bus that took you into the valley in the morning and back in the afternoon for a reasonable price.

Service: The staff was friendly and patient with all the folks that came in at 7pm begging/demanding for a site.

Overall, I would go back.

Large franchise campground close to Yosemite Nat'l Park

**_Yosemite Lakes RV Resort was a gem of a campground. It was like we were nestled in the heart of Yosemite Valley but we were actually over an hour away from it. A taste of what Yosemite National Park has to offer, if you will. They offer the best riverfront camping spots. The tranquil waters were a pleasant surprise to our trip. We have been to Yosemite many times but have never experienced it quite like this before. I recommend Yosemite Lakes RV Resort to anyone looking to take a relaxing break from lifes hustle and bustle._**

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort in California is a little peice of Yosemite Valley

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. 

Hillside yurt #6

We recently rent camped here and absolutely loved the campground.  Our tent site was #311 and it was perfectly tucked in the trees with a stream alongside.  The kids enjoyed playing in the river, where there is a spot deep enough to jump off a rock-Hammocks and hammock stands were nearby.  mini golf and lawn jenga were also a hit.  The campground is located near the park entrances for both Yosemite valley and Hetch Hetchy as well as the turn off for Tioga Pass.  We enjoyed all of the above.  A bench in the shower area would be nice, the only thing I would recommend for improvement.

Perfect Balance

Thousand Trails Membership allows me to stay 21 days free. Just 5 miles outside of Yosemite Entrance or Catch the bus right here at the campground. Campfires allowed. Lots of activities for the kids. Dog Friendly. Creek near by to cool off during hot summer days.  

Yosemite Lakes Groveland

Really beautiful park, stream running through, campfires allowed.  Friendly helpful staff. Somewhat difficult drive up the 120 especially if you are in a large rig. No cell reception at all so you need to drive to the top of a Hill or into Groveland

Beautiful campsite 

I wouldn't say this is the best campground but it's located 5 miles outside Yosemite's west gate. About as close as you can get without staying in the park itself. My family and I went twice during COVID, 4th of July and first wknd in October. I can't speak to some of the amenities (bathrooms, lodge, etc) because they were closed. We stayed in the RV section, but our site was big enough that I could also pitch my tent. The river runs right along the edge of camp. Shallow enough that kids can walk all the way across and runs all the way to the dam where there seems to be decent fishing. The riverfront sites are pretty tight but the sites across the street are a bit more spacious. The little store at the gas station is well stocked and a good place to get ice. Overall, I would recommend.

Location can't be beat

We stayed at this resort for three nights.  We loved the proximity to the park, only 5 miles away.   When we visited there was a pretty nasty fire to the South.  The air was real smokey and could be the reason the resort wasn't busy.  The owner is super nice and helpful.  Not all of the facilities were open.  This didn't bother us since we are self contained.  The resort is spacious and backs up to a creek.  During certain times of the year you can fish the creek.  There is a Vallero Gas Station/Convenient Store as you first pull into the resort.  This was great for picking up drinks/snacks and filling up with fuel.  We would stay again.

Nice RV Resort near the entrance of Yosemite

This campground is the most convenient location when visiting Yosemite National Park. It snowed while we were there and the giant trees looked beautiful. Only one out of the two bathrooms was in service. The WiFi service was non existent unless you sat in the laundry room
Near the welcome center. About a mile from the campground itself there is a camp store that had anything you may have forgotten and great souvenirs. There’s a playground, but no dog park. 

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, CA

It was so nice a quiet, the hosts were all very helpful. It snowed on us, which we were actually happy about. Definitely a new winter favorite, we will be back!

So close to Yosemite!

Beautiful campground with even more amazing staff. It is First come first serve (after a reservation) so get there early. We lucked out with a pretty big and shaded riverfront spot (site 73) and could not have been happier. Full hook up, VERY well maintained facilities and again the staff are over and above helpful. 

It’s about 45 minutes to drive to the valley or Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite but the drive is beautiful. Plus a short drive to Rainbow Pool and Cherry Lake if you want to avoid park crowds. ( we stayed weekday so we didn’t experience traffic or crowds in Yosemite but I’m sure it can get crowded. Would 100% stay here again. 

Oh there is no cell service and the “pay WIFI” did not work for us...but there is complimentary WiFi at the laundry to check in on things that works just fine

Perfect Base Camp for Yosemite

We were tent camping and were nervous about not having a reservation around Yosemite so we reserved a site here for a tent site by the river. The price was high but were willing to pay for a confirmed place to stay during June 2021. When we got there they were under major construction and told us the area by the river was closed. They put us in the area on the hill. The sites were small and full of dirt. We got more dirty there than several of the more remote places we stayed before and after our stay there. 
The campground was decent though, and everyone we spoke with was nice. 
Three stars was value for the price. We found several first-come first served campgrounds around there for much less (of course they only had vault toilets). 

Decent campground, overpriced

Was a bit crowded but was ok for our purposes of a stay over. Bathrooms were nice but not well maintained

Ok for 1 night

Very active park.  A little dusty and no wi-fi.

Close to park entrance. 

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 &amp; Yurts.
They have WiFi, Satellite TV,Clubhouse, Billiard's, Game room, Shuffleboard, Store, Hiking Trails,Nature, Playground, Mini Golf, Tennis, Picnic/BBQ,Volleyball, Basketball &amp; in the Summer-Bus runs to Yosemite, for an additional fee. Summer Swimming,Seasonal Fishing,Wheelchair Accessible, Restroom/Shower Facilities &amp; 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


"Child/Pet Friendly!

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. 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!

Great place near Yosemite

The campground here is very nice the 1000 trails employees and personnel are super helpful. Do not let your garmin RV 890 talk you into coming down highway 49. Hwy 49  has between 6 and 13% grades, and something like 300+ hairpin curves.we have a f350 6.7l dually and pull a 41' Montana 384br 

Great campground 

There are only a handful of 50amp spots and people move to them quickly after someone leaves  lots of 30amp though so you might want to bring an adapter. Lots of trees especially along the river ( creek) fairly quiet even though it's a family atmosphere with lots of kids I think they get worn-out playing in the water. Would stay again reel close to yosemite entrance 

Nice place

This has been the best Thousand Trails campground that we have been to. Plenty of outdoor activities at the campgrounds. Hiking trails, fishing, bike rides, spots next to the river. There is no cell phone reception and the paid wifi is terrible so it is best not to purchase it.

Amazing Campground a short drive from Yosemite National Park

Nice, but not many options in terms of activities.

Yosemite Lakes, not quite Yosemite!

Perfect Campground for a night outside Yosemite Valley!

Great Campground 

The sites were large and the scenery beautiful. It was the first full hookup campground outside the park, so pretty convenient. The road going in was washed out—the alternate route was extremely steep, but we managed with our 5 Cylinder motorhome. It is first come, first serve, so we chose a quiet place and were happy with it. No privacy between sites, and many were not functional due to sewer issues; I assume, due to the same storm that washed the road out. The shower heads were broken in one of the shower houses, both men’s and women’s. The other showers in our section worked great. Toilets and sinks were very clean. Overall, a good place.