Tips For Yosemite Camping Reservations (Guaranteed)
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Yosemite Camping Reservations
With the increase in the popularity of camping in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to get campground reservations in popular destinations like Yosemite. It has become so challenging that many people have given up trying altogether.
If that sounds like you, then you are in the right place. If you follow these tips for Yosemite Camping Reservations then I guarantee you will be able to get a camping reservation in Yosemite.
I have personally used this approach to not only get reservations at Yosemite, but also at other popular destinations such as Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, and more.
Read on to learn the best ways to secure a Yosemite Camping reservation.
Ways To Get A Reservation
There are three ways that you can get a camping reservation in Yosemite.
➡️ The first approach is to attempt to book a reservation for your trip as soon as they are available. For the majority of Yosemite campgrounds reservations become available in one-month blocks, five months in advance.
➡️ If you are unable to secure a reservation on the day they are released, or your trip is already less than five months out, don’t worry there is still a high likely hood you can book a canceled reservation. In fact, booking a canceled reservation is probably the most likely way you will get a reservation in Yosemite.
➡️ Finally, some campgrounds in Yosemite have started to use a lottery system to grant access to reservations. This is the least common approach so we will cover it last.
If you are planning your first trip to Yosemite be sure to check out our article “Is Yosemite Worth Visiting?” for a full breakdown on Yosemite National Park.
Tips for Getting a Reservation In Yosemite The Day They Become Available
If you are planning a camping trip to Yosemite you’ll want to try this approach first. Given the popularity of camping in Yosemite and the limited number of sites, there is no guarantee you will be able to book on the day they become available.
That being said, if you follow the tips below you will maximize your likely hood of snagging the spot you want!
Step 1: Create Your Recreation.gov Account
The reservation system for all Yosemite campgrounds is hosted on recreation.gov. In fact, not just Yosemite reservations but all National Park campground reservations are made through recreation.gov.
The first step for getting a reservation in Yosemite will be to create your account and download the app on your phone.
Step 2: Identify Your Booking Date
As mentioned above, most campgrounds in Yosemite open reservations in one-month blocks, five months in advance, on the 15th of each month.
Here is the explanation from recreation.gov (the site you’ll need to book through);
Yosemite National Park’s reservable campsites are available up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.m. (PST). For example, on January 15, the time period May 15 to June 14 becomes available to reserve, and therefore, the full booking window would be from January 16 to June 14.
recreation.gov
In other words, if the dates you want to go camping start anytime between May 15th and June 14th then the reservation window opens at 7am pacific time on January 15th.
Summer weekends are the most popular time to camp in Yosemite and thus will be the most difficult times to get reservations.
Mark this date and time on your Calendar and make sure not to let it slip by!
Step 3: Select Your Desired Campground And Campsite
There are 13 different campgrounds in Yosemite National Park. So you will want to find a specific campground and campsite that will be available for your desired dates and will accommodate your camping equipment.
Many campgrounds in Yosemite are only open seasonally, so be sure that your desired campground will be open for your dates. The campgrounds at higher elevations have a shorter season due to snowfall.
Additionally, if your desired dates are near the beginning of a booking window it is possible that reservations for the previous booking window may overlap with your window.
In this example, the booking window begins on May 16th, however, many sites don’t become available until after that.
Keep in mind that not all campgrounds in Yosemite are reservable. Some campgrounds are operated on a first-come-first-served basis. Other campgrounds are only reservable during certain times of the year.
Below is a list of the campgrounds within Yosemite National Park that offer reservations;
Yosemite Valley
➡️ Upper Pines Campground
➡️ Lower Pines Campground
➡️ North Pines
South Of Yosemite Valley
➡️ Wawona Campground (Reservations offered seasonally)
North Of Yosemite Valley
➡️ Crane Flat Campground
➡️ Tuolumne Meadows (Closed Until 2024 or 2025)
➡️ Hodgdon Meadow (Reservations Offered Seasonally)
Finally, if you are planning to camp in a trailer or RV be sure to find a site that will accommodate your rig. Many sites in Yosemite are quite small. If you show up with an RV or trailer that won’t fit, you won’t be allowed to stay, what a bummer that would be! Additionally, access to a dump station is limited so be sure to plan accordingly.
Step 4: Book Your Site
On the morning of your booking day, you will want to get all set up at least 10-15min prior to the 7 am PST open time.
I recommend having two devices ready to go, for example, a phone and a computer. If possible ask another person from your group, or just someone willing to help you out, to attempt to book sites also.
The first step is to be sure you have created and are logged into your recreation.gov site.
Second, you can select the site and dates you want to camp prior to 7 am PST, just don’t hit the ‘Add To Cart’ button yet. Be sure to enter your arrival and departure date as well as select the actual campsite you want at this point.
As a backup, it is a good idea to open up additional tabs to alternative campgrounds you would be willing to stay at, we will come back to when to use these later. You will want to enter your arrival and departure date, but don’t select any particular campsite yet.
Third, open a separate browser window for time.gov, make sure it is visible at the same time as your recreation.gov window.
As the clock ticks up to 7 am be sure to hit the ‘Add to Cart’ button right as it rolls over from 6:59:59.
This is critical. If you are even a second late, the sites will get snagged by others and you’ll miss out.
After you hit the ‘Add to Cart’ button if you are taken to a booking page, then congratulations! You’re in, follow the prompts to complete your reservation.
Step 5: Search For a Second Chance Site
If you aren’t taken to a booking page, don’t worry you still might get lucky.
Immediately close any notification that recreation.gov creates and hit refresh on your browser. Check to see if there are any available sites for your time frame, or if you can be flexible, any sites available within the booking window at all. If nothing is available at your first choice campground, this is when you switch over to the tab of your backup campground.
Be sure to hit refresh first, to make sure that the info you see is current, and quickly scroll through to look for any available sites for your dates. If nothing is available move on to the next acceptable campground and repeat the process.
If you are still striking out, don’t worry, it’s not time to give up just yet. Once people hit the ‘Add to Cart’ button and are taken to the booking page, they have a 15min window to complete the booking.
If they don’t complete the booking, the site will be made available to the public again. So you will want to keep hitting refresh on your browser pretty consistently for the next 15min searching for a site that pops up.
In fact, I have on more than one occasion booked a site that popped up more than two hours later. You should keep a browser open or periodically check the app on your phone throughout the morning.
If you don’t get anything by about mid-day, it’s time to switch strategies to booking a canceled site.
Tips for Getting A Reservation In Yosemite: Booking A Canceled Site
So you didn’t get a site when the booking window opened, no big deal. Honestly, even if you are totally prepared, camping in Yosemite has become so popular, and there are so many people competing for sites, getting a booking when the window first opens is just a game of luck.
However, thanks to a handy app called Campnab finding and booking canceled sites is super easy and effective.
Of all the tips for Yosemite camping reservations, this is hands down the most likely to actually get you a campsite.
For a variety of reasons, lots of people make camping reservations and then later cancel them. Especially as it gets closer and closer to the day the reservation begins.
Campnab is an awesome app that allows you to set up automated notifications anytime a site at your desired campground in your desired time frame is canceled.
Campnab: How It Works
Step 1: Select A Campground
You start by selecting your campground. You can select specific sites if you would like. I would only recommend using this option if you are camping in a trailer or RV that you know will only fit in certain sites. Otherwise, leave it open to any site.
Step 2: Select Your Dates
Next, you select your arrival date. You have the option for flexible arrival dates. Setting the arrival date as flexible will increase your likelihood of finding a site.
Step 4: Select the Minimum Number of Nights
The next step is to select the minimum number of nights. I recommend leaving this at one night. This way you will get a notice for any cancellation of 1 night or more. If you set the minimum to 6 nights, you won’t get any notices of cancellations of 5 nights or less.
Step 5: Select Scan Frequency
Finally, you select your scan frequency and payment plan. They have multiple options ranging from 10 for the most basic, to annual memberships for people who camp all the time.
I recommend signing up for the 5min scan frequency. This will set you back $20 for a single scan. You will receive multiple notifications and can book multiple campsites using this single scan. There is no limit to the number of notifications or bookings from a single scan.
Once you have your scan all set up all you have to do is wait. Be patient, in my experience, there aren’t many cancellations right off the bat, but I have never been left without a campsite.
Once there is a cancellation you will get a text message sent directly to your phone. Click on the link in the message and if you have the recreation.gov app on your phone it will take you directly to the booking page with the available dates already selected. All you have to do is hit ‘Book Now’.
In my experience using Campnab, the highest number of cancellations will pop up in the weeks leading up to the arrival date. What I have done on a number of occasions was book the first cancellation that became available, then continue to check future cancellations for better sites or longer stays.
The downside of using this method is that you might not be able to get the exact dates you had originally planned and you might not be able to get the exact campsite you had planned. But, you’ll still be going camping, and that’s what’s most important!
Campnab Tutorial
Check out Campnab’s demo video below for a quick tutorial on how their system works.
Tips For Getting A Yosemite Campsite Reservation: Lottery System
Some Campgrounds in Yosemite National Park have started implementing a lottery to grant access. So far North Pines Campground and Camp 4 both have lottery systems in place. However, the systems function differently.
➡️ North Pines Campground has a one-time early access lottery to grant access for the entire camping season. The application period for the lottery opens in the end of November.
If selected you will be granted a window to make reservations. Only once all lottery winners have had the opportunity to make reservations will any remaining sites be made available to the public.
➡️ Camp 4 has a daily lottery during the peak season of May 20th – September 14th. The lottery takes place each day for the next day. You can apply for the lottery starting at midnight. You will be notified if you won at 4 pm, and your site will be available the next day.
Beware that Camp 4 is a walk-in tent camping only campground. There is a central parking lot, but you can not park adjacent to your site. Additionally, sites are shared, with six people being placed in each site.
➡️ Wilderness Permits for backcountry camping in Yosemite are also issued via a lottery system. Sixty percent of all wilderness permits are issued via a lottery system 24 weeks in advance.
The remaining forty percent are issued on a first-come-first-served basis via recreation.gov 7 days in advance.
All backcountry camping in Yosemite requires a wilderness permit.
Tips For Getting A Yosemite Campsite Reservation: First Come First Served
Many campsites in Yosemite offer at least a portion of the sites on a first-come-first-served basis. So if you are unable to secure a reservation you can aim for a first-served campsite as a backup plan. During the peak camping season, these sites typically fill up fast.
On a recent trip to Tuolumne Meadows, the first-come-first-served line would start to form as early as 6 am each morning.
Some campgrounds are available for reservations for part of the year and first-come-first-served for the remainder.
Campgrounds With First-Come-First-Serve Sites
Yosemite Valley
➡️ Camp 4 (Seasonally)
South Of Yosemite Valley
➡️ Wawona (Seasonally)
➡️ Bridalveil Creek
North Of Yosemite Valley
➡️ Hodgdon Meadow (Seasonally)
➡️ Tamarack Flat
➡️ White Wolf Campground
➡️ Yosemite Creek
➡️ Porcupine Flat
➡️ Tuolumne Meadows (Closed until 2024 or 2025)
Be sure to check with the National Park Service on the status of the campground you plan to visit prior to departing for your trip.
You can find a full breakdown of campgrounds here.
Alternatives To Traditional Campsites
If you cannot get the campsite you desire there are a few alternatives to traditional camping that will still give you a camping feel.
There are two options in Yosemite Valley, Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp. Additionally, there is one option in Tuolumne Meadows, Tuolumne Meadows Lodge.
Curry Village
Curry Village offers rustic tent cabins. All units have access to shared bathrooms with hot showers. Some of the cabins offer heating. Each cabin has a bear box for storage of snacks but cooking is not allowed. Nearby there is a cafeteria, pizzeria, and bar.
You can find more info on Curry Village and make reservations here.
Housekeeping Camp
Housekeeping Camp provides even more of a camping feel. Units in Housekeeping Camp consist of three-walled structures with a canvas roof and a privacy curtain for the fourth wall. Units include access to shared bathrooms, as well as a covered patio with a picnic table, a bear box for food storage, and a fire ring. At Housekeeping Camp you are able to have a campfire as well as cook your own food.
You can find more information on Housekeeping Camp as well as make reservations here.
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge
In Tuolumne Meadows, the Tuolumne Meadows lodge offers tent cabins similar to those of Curry Village during the summer months. Cabins come equipped with a wood-burning stove and firewood is provided at no additional cost.
For meals, there is a dining tent that serves breakfast and dinner and boxed lunches are available.
You can find more information on Tuolumne Meadows Lodge as well as make reservations here.
Tips For Getting A Yosemite Camping Reservation: Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a first-timer or have camped in Yosemite for decades, getting reservations is a challenge. I encourage you not to be discouraged, no matter how challenging the reservation process may be, once you are there, it is well worth it!
Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places on the planet to camp, and I for one, am happy to jump through any hoops required to snag a campsite in this marvelous park.
I hope you have found these tips for Yosemite camping reservations helpful. If you try them out I’d love to hear about how they worked for you!