Can You Car Camp Around Yosemite National Park?
Last spring, I was planning a trip up to Yosemite and found it ridiculously hard to find a campsite that was not already booked. I was traveling out of my car at the time, so I knew I needed to find some backup places to sleep. This led me to write this article. Here’s the information that I found:
Car camping is not legal inside Yosemite National Park with the exception of established campgrounds. However, you can camp outside of the park in National Forests and take part in dispersed camping. Dispersed car camping refers to camping outside of a designated campground.
In this article, I’ll go over the best spots to camp out of your car, whether you’d like to camp for free outside the park, or at an established campground in the park with amenities.
For starters, here are some free dispersed campsites around Yosemite:
| Dispersed Campsites | Reservation? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hardin Flat Road | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Goat Meadow | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Summit Road | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Owen’s River Road | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Evergreen Road | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Mammoth Scenic Loop | First-come, first-served | Free |
| Tioga Pass and Warren Creek Parking | No | Free |
| Stanislaus National Forest | No | Free |
| Sierra National Forest | No | Free |
| Inyo National Forest | No | Free |
Here are some established campsites inside of the park:
| Campgrounds | Reservation? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Pines | Required | $36/night |
| Lower Pines | Required | $36/night |
| Camp 4 | First-come, first-served | $10/night |
| Wawona | Required most of the year | $28-$36/night |
| Hodgdon Meadow | Required most of the year | $28-$36/night |
Now, let’s go into depth on all the campsites and where to find them!
10 Dispersed Camping Spots Around Yosemite (Free)
1. Hardin Flat Road Dispersed Camping
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 10 minutes
Amenities: None
Map:
Only 10 minutes from the park entrance and less than an hour from Yosemite Valley, Hardin Flat is a great place to stay in close proximity to Yosemite if you’re looking for a free spot in the middle of the woods.
There are around 10 pull-out spots and some are even large enough to accommodate trailers.
The campsite itself is located inside of Stanislaus National Forest and is full of Ponderosa Pine trees with mountain views. Most campsites are partially shaded.
Due to Hardin Flat being one of the most popular and closest dispersed camping sites to Yosemite, if you are planning on coming here during peak season (especially on the weekends), I would recommend getting there early in the morning to reserve a spot.
It’s also important to note that Hardin Flat Road is closed from December to April due to snow. Not that I personally would want to risk driving up there in the winter anyway.
2. Goat Meadow Dispersed Camping
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 5 minutes
Amenities: None
Located only 5 minutes from Yosemite’s South Entrance, Goat Meadow Dispersed Camping is a beautiful site. To me, it looks exactly like an established campground that many would pay for.
The roads are not too bad and the campsite has around 10-15 sites total.
If you aren’t wanting to set up camp on the dirt, there is even a paved camping area where larger vehicles typically go.
Here’s more information on Goat Meadow Dispersed Camping site by the U.S. Forest Service.
Here’s a video of a traveler at the site:
3. Summit Road Dispersed Camping
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 30 minutes
Amenities: Picnic table, rock fire ring
Map:
Located southwest of the park’s south entrance, Summit Campground is a part of Sierra National Forest and is known to be a quiet campsite.
As for scenery at the campsite, there are towering redwoods providing ample shade for all of the campsites. The campsites themselves aren’t established so you set up camp wherever you’d like.
Here’s more information on Summit Road Dispersed campsite by the U.S. Forest Service.
4. Owen’s River Road
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 45 minutes
Amenities: Fire rings
Map:
Owen’s River Road is a road that offers free dispersed camping, located inside of Inyo National Forest.
While driving down Owen’s River Road, you will find many different pull-out spots on the sides of the road. Once you pass Big Springs Campground, you will find many small offshoots where the more “established” dispersed sites are.
The rules on how long you can stay are extremely generous as you can stay for up to 28 days.
This area also happens to be super close to Mammoth Lakes if you are looking to check them out!
5. Evergreen Road Dispersed Camping
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 10 minutes
Amenities: None
Also located inside Stanislaus National Forest, Evergreen Road intersects with Highway 120 and goes further up into the forest.
After 3 miles along the road, you will begin to find multiple pull-off sites after you pass Forest Service Road 1S03. If you have the time and courage to trek further up some of the side dirt roads, you can find even more campsites that are a bit more secluded.
As this campsite is higher in elevation than some others, I would recommend not towing trailers or heavy vehicles.
6. Mammoth Scenic Loop Dispersed Camping
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 40 minutes
Amenities: Fire rings
Map:
Also located in Inyo National Forest near Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Scenic Loop Dispersed Camping is a popular, clean, beautiful forest-shaded site.
There are tons of spots to choose and has a ton of tree coverage without being too far out in the woods.
7. Tioga Pass and Warren Creek Parking Lot
Distance from Yosemite National Park: 5 minutes
Amenities: None
Less than 5 minutes from Yosemite National Park, there is a side road that you can park at. This location is on NFS land so you can park overnight. Trees provide a natural screen from the road for several parking spaces!
If you’re approaching from the east, you’ll find an unofficial overnight parking spot near a sharp bend in the Tioga Rd at Warren Creek, approximately 2/3 miles before reaching Ellery Lake. For those traveling eastbound, this will be about 2/3 miles past Ellery Lake. This parking area is to the left when traveling westward, and to the right if you’re heading east.
8-10. Stanislaus National Forest, Sierra National Forest, and Inyo National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest, Sierra National Forest, and Inyo National Forest are all a part of the U.S. Forest Service. In National Forests, you can take part in dispersed camping anywhere that is outside of a campground.
All national forests offer land that is free to be explored and camped on with limited rules and regulations compared to National Parks. Without an established campground, you can expect a lack of common amenities like a bathroom, showers, fire rings, and even phone service.
To take part in dispersed camping on national forest land, research the rules to follow beforehand. Most forests have forest roads that can be trickier to find without a map and may require an off-road or high-clearance vehicle to access.
5 Campgrounds in Yosemite National Park
Now let’s go over some campgrounds located inside Yosemite National Park. Remember, most of these sites are super popular so I would recommend reserving a spot 5 months in advance. You can reserve a campsite here.
*All campsites in Yosemite National Park require reservations year-round with the exception of Camp 4
1. Upper Pines Campground
Amenities: Toilets, potable water, cell phone reception, dump station, picnic table, food storage lockers, fire ring
Cost: $36/night
Open: Year-round
Upper Pines Campground is located in Yosemite Valley, which is home to the park’s most iconic, popular features such as El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls. Not to mention, the campground is bordering the beautiful Merced River.
Upper Pines Campground is located at 4,000 feet in elevation and can be accessed from all park roads. Upper Pines is within biking and walking distance of many services and trailheads in Yosemite Valley and is located on the free shuttle route. There are food and grocery services nearby at Curry Village and Yosemite Village.
National Park Service
2. Lower Pines Campground
Amenities: Toilets, potable water, cell phone reception, dump station, picnic table, food storage lockers, fire ring
Cost: $36/night
Open: April to October (Check here for updates)
Lower Pines Campground is literally a one-minute walk north of Upper Pines Campground. Lower Pines is right on the Merced River and offers more riverside spots, while Upper Pines is closer to the trails to Half Dome and Nevada Falls.
All the other information about the campsite is the same as Upper Pines Campground with the exception of time of year they are open.
3. Camp 4
Amenities: Toilets, potable water, picnic table, hot showers, cell phone reception, dump station, food storage lockers, fire pit
Cost: $10/night
Open: From May 21, 2023. through September 30, 2023, campsites will be available only by reservation via Recreation.gov. Camp 4 operates on a first-come, first-served basis, usually until sometime in May.
Camp 4 is also located in Yosemite Valley near the base of granite cliffs close to Yosemite Falls. This campsite can be accessed from all park roads and you can also easily access grocery stores and shuttles.
4. Wawona Campground
Amenities: Toilets, potable water, picnic table, cell phone reception, dump station, food storage lockers, fire pit
Cost: $28-$36/night
Open: Wawona Campground requires reservations from mid-April to mid-October and is first-come, first-served the remainder of the year (exact dates vary).
A bit further from Yosemite Valley, The Wawona Campsite sits near the historic Wawona area, adjacent to the South Fork Merced River. Positioned at a height of around 4,000 feet, this campsite is on the park’s southern side.
A brief trip takes you to the Mariposa Grove filled with Giant Sequoias. Additionally, the Wawona is not far from Yosemite History Center. In Wawona, visitors will also find a resource center and a store.
5. Hodgdon Meadow
Amenities: Toilets, potable water, picnic table, cell phone reception, dump station, food storage lockers, fire pit
Cost: $28-$36/night
Open: Hodgdon Meadow Campground requires reservations from April 10 through October 23, 2023 and is first-come, first-served the remainder of the year. The group campsites are not open outside of reservation dates.
Also a bit further from Yosemite Valley, Hodgdon Meadow Campsite is situated near the Big Oak Flat Entrance. Elevated at 4,900 feet, this camping site is on the park’s western perimeter, about 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley.
Crane Flat, a short distance away, has a gas fill-up station and a few essential supplies.
One can easily access trailheads that are close-by leading to the Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove, both showcasing magnificent Giant Sequoias.
The Best Time To Visit Yosemite National Park
The best times to visit Yosemite are May and September, when the park has nice weather, is accessible, but not too crowded.
Here are Yosemite’s high and low temperatures by month:
It’s important to remember that the park gets snow! Most of Yosemite is covered in snow from about November through May.
Final Thoughts
If you are car camping, have a bit more money to spend, and prefer the luxury of more amenities and close proximity to the National Park, I would reserve a campground inside Yosemite!
On the flip side, if you want to save some cash and live that rugged car camping life, there are so many dispersed camping options around the park.
Happy car camping, my friends!