Places to go

January 1st, 2000

California

Peninsula Hikes

Other California Activities

  • Point Reyes
  • Big Sur
  • Lassen National Park

Oregon

  • Obsidian Falls
  • Crater Lake
  • Coast
  • Old McKenzie Pass

Arizona

  • Grand Canyon

Utah

  • Arches
  • Alta

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Yosemite Campgrounds

January 1st, 2000

Campgrounds

Lower Pines
Location:___Valley
Elevation:-__4,000
Size:____-__49
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-all year
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__Stayed in site 43 in Sept. 2004 and loved it. Although not very remote, campground is very convenient to Half Dome.

North Pines
Location:___Valley
Elevation:-__4,000
Size:____-__85
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-April – November
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__Even 130s and even 500s look good

Upper Pines
Location:___Valley
Elevation:-__4,000
Size:____-__238
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-April – November
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__

Sunnyside Walk-In
Location:___Valley
Elevation:-__4,000
Size:____-__35
RV:________N
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____Y
Open:_____-April – November
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__This place looks miserable. There are tons of cars in the lot and its just a field with a million tents in it.

Crane Flat
Location:___West Entrance
Elevation:-__6,191
Size:____-__166
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – October
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__Tried camping here in June 2005, but were snowed out. This place didn’t look bad, particularly site 234?

Hogdon Meadows
Location:___West Entrance
Elevation:-__4,872
Size:____-__105
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-All Year
Reserve:____Y
Notes:___-__Right inside park entrance, doesn’t look great.

Tamarack Flat
Location:___West Entrance
Elevation:-__6,315
Size:____-__52
RV:________N
Water:_____N
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__

Tolumne Meadows
Location:___North Side
Elevation:-__8,600
Size:____-__314
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____50%
Notes:___-__Family campground

White Wolf
Location:___North Side
Elevation:-__8,000
Size:____-__87
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__This campground could be good, although there aren’t any reservations

Yosemite Creek
Location:___North Side
Elevation:-__7,659
Size:____-__75
RV:________Y
Water:_____N
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__

Porcupine Flat
Location:___North Side
Elevation:-__8,100
Size:____-__52
RV:________Y
Water:_____N
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__

Brideaveil Creek
Location:___Glacier Point Road
Elevation:-__7,200
Size:____-__110
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-June – September
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__This campground could be good, although there aren’t any reservations

Wawona
Location:___South Entrance
Elevation:-__4,000
Size:____-__100
RV:________Y
Water:_____Y
Walk in:____N
Open:_____-All Year
Reserve:____N
Notes:___-__On the Merced River

To get reservations, call 800-436-7275 on the reservation date below.

Camping Dates_____________Reservation Date
December 15 – January 15______August 15
January 15 – February 15_____-_Setpember 15
February 15 – March 15________October 15
March 15 – April 15 ___________November 15
April 15 – May 15_____________December 15
May 15 – June 15_____________January 15
June 15 – July 15_____________February 15
July 15 – August 15___________March 15
August 15 – September 15_____April 15
September 15 – October 15__-__May 15
October 15 – November 15_____June 15
November 15 – December 15__-_July 15

Camping near Yosemite

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Online Resources

January 1st, 2000

Bay Area Hiking
Bay Area Camping #1, Bay Area Camping #2
Camping Reservations
California State Park Maps

Favorite Hikes:

Favorite Camping:

  • Camping or Back Packing in Yosemite
  • Big Basin* (Santa Cruz mountains. Sites 6-42, 100-120, and 140-156 look good. 831-338-8860). Backpacking information for Big Basin/Castle Rock
  • Butano* (Santa Cruz mountains. Sites are tent only and well spaced out. Reservations 05/13 to 09/24. 650-879-2040)
  • Castle Rock* (Santa Cruz mountains. No reservations)
  • Portola* (Santa Cruz mountains. Sites are tent only and well spaced out. Reservations 05/19 to 09/06. 650-948-9098)
  • Ventana Wilderness* (south of Monterey, may be where I stayed with the family after freshman year)
  • Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground* (some ok looking spots on right side by creek. 831-667-2315 )
  • Big Sur* (Bottcher’s Gap looks good and is the farthest north: 805-434-1996. Nacimiento also looks good, but is farther south)
  • Samuel P. Taylor* (near Point Reyes. The Creek Loop has some tent only sites. 7-25 are ok, but 7, 11, 13, 14 & 16 are by the creek. Open year round. 415-488-9897)
  • Point Reyes backpacking (exposed bluffs, except for Sky Camp. Each campground has a picnic table, food storage locker charcoal brazier, pit toilets and a water faucet. Campsites may be reserved up to three months (to the day) in advance. 415-663-8054, 9 am – 2 pm, Monday through Friday)

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