Yosemite, asking for camping tips, when to go, tricks for getting a site

Hey Guys,
It's July 15th, which means the campsites for Yosemite in November have just been released. I like to go on the reservation site and watch how quickly the sites get booked up. Camping in November is not as popular as August when the sites get sold out in less than one minute.

IF, and it's a big IF, I wanted to go to Yosemite just to see what it's all about, I have some questions for those that go all the time.

If I was tent camping, which area would you suggest?
Is it full-on winter camping during Jan-April? I live in Canada so winter camping means snowshoes, snow, nordic skis etc.
Do you need chains on your car tires?
Are you better off staying at some campground outside the park and driving in each day?
Where would you suggest?
Are you better off just paying the big bucks and staying in an on-site hotel?
I would like to start this conversation, and will have more questions once we start.
Thanks.
-Rob

My advice regarding just about any National Park in the US, is to camp as close as you can OUTSIDE the Park -- and hike around the periphery. Most of the time, the Parks themselves are totally over-run with cars (traffic jams), buses and crowds of people -- everywhere. The land just outside the Parks are just as beautiful -- and you have it all to yourself. Plus, there are not fees, permits, waiting-lists, lines, etc. etc.

The park is very popular you have to reserve months prior to your visit if you want to stay in the hotel inside the park.
If you want to camp you can check the website recreation.gov most of them are closed during fall and winter. To my knowledge winter camping is not possible unless you can find campground outside the park and willing to snowshoe for hours to reach the park. In that situation you may better stay at the hotel in El Portal or Mariposa and drive into the park every day. The park's pass is good for few days. You may need chain if the snow is bad. And don't stay east of the Sierras cause they close HWY 120 in those months.

Rob Skeoch said:

Hey Guys,
....

If I was tent camping, which area would you suggest

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Only one campground in the Valley will be open in the winter.

Rob Skeoch said:

Is it full-on winter camping during Jan-April? I live in Canada so winter camping means snowshoes, snow, nordic skis etc.

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Maybe snow, maybe no snow. Roads are plowed eventually. Glacier Point Rd and Hwy 120 closed at Crane's Falt, so travel restricted to Valley and the highways coming into the Park. Having chains with you is required in the winter. January stormy. February not so stormy. I give a workshop in the Valley every April. April can be rain, snow, sun, hot, or cold during the same week, if not on the same day. This year was hot and sunny. The two years before we woke up to snow covering the Valley (see image).

Check the Park's website for up-to-date info...also has weather info, what to expect, etc.
In-park lodging is $$$. Staying outside the Park in winter might mean you can't get into the Valley during the day if a storm comes in.

To avoid scenes like that pictured above -- just go somewhere else.

I am sorry to say that visiting the popular National Parks are not worth the time and effort, even with the lottery system and reservations Yellowstone, Yositimity are just a crowded mess. November, the average temps run from 50s the low 30s, so rain and snow, if snows in the lower elevations the snow often melts, as I recall by November the camps sites are close.

Paul Howell said:

I am sorry to say that visiting the popular National Parks are not worth the time and effort,

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Unless you are going there to take pictures of crowds. Hey, lots of shutterbugs do that. NOT ME!!!!

I'll add that Yosemite isn't the only canyon in California. That's like saying Lake Louise is the only lake in Canada.

Yosemite can be stupendous, and I wouldn't let the negative views discourage you from visiting at least once. It will be crowded, but less so in November than high summer. I can't help with camping advice, but I have stayed at hotels both within and without the Valley, and would strongly advise you to snag a place IN the Valley if possible. Driving in and out each day is doable, but not ideal.

What do you mean by Yosemite? The crowded part, Yosemite Valley itself, is only 8% of Park. Hwy 120 over the top at Tioga Pass is usually open until the first significant snowfall in November. So if you want to avoid the crowds, see a bit of the high country too, along with some fall color, as well as some of the east side of the range, October is a nice month to visit, unless there's a major forest fire in the vicinity.

Most National Forest formal campsites are closed too after October, or sometimes even earlier. There are many informal roadside camping opportunities, dependent on which roads are open and which are not. I'm not going to disclose my favorite car camping spots; but a pretty known non-reservation area is along the bank of the Merced River at Briceburg. There's a little bridge turnoff there easy to miss.

There are also motels in nearby places like Mariposa and El Portal. Yosemite Valley also has its own facilities based on reservations, with stores, cafeterias, etc etc. It's basically a city much of the year. If you want a wilderness or snow camping experience, that's a whole different story. But there is an official ski area, including groomed cross country runs, near Glacier Point on the south rim of the Valley. True backcountry skiing conditions can vary significantly from year to year; but the Sierras can be highly avalanche prone; and Spring and early summer stream crossings can be especially hazardous.

Check the Park website for off-season road conditions. Keep in mind, all of Yosemite is just a portion of a much larger magnificent range. If Tioga Pass is open, give yourself some time to explore Mono Lake, perhaps a loop trip over Sonora Pass just north of the Park (great car camping opportunities up there) - all kinds of options on the east side of the range especially above Hwy 395 either toward the north or the south.

Springtime is rather unpredictable in terms of weather. But lower down there can be amazing wildflower displays, especially in March and April. For a long time I had property in the hill country near Yosemite, and know the area quite well. Even in recent years, I've backpacked in Yosemite without seeing another person for an entire week; 98% of the people go to only 2% of the area. But even with respect to Yosemite Valley itself, I've been lucky enough to have been snowed in there in winter with almost nobody else in sight for several days.
But you can also get chased out if flooding occurs.

Here is the campgrounds common open/close : Campground Schedule

The colder season is actually better in term of less crowd but few roads will be closed i.e. Glacier Point and Tioga Pass.

I didn't emphasize quite enough just how much impact fire smoke can have in Yos Valley. I find it insane that they even allow campfires there in summer, when it's hot and smoggy anyway. Then there are apt to be control burns in surrounding areas. Sometimes the visibility is awful in late summer or early fall. Then if you get a real forest fire in the area - and there have been multiple gigantic ones in the past two decades - then the entire Park might need to be closed. Just last week a fire broke out in brush inside and around Mariposa itself, and that entrance into Yosemite had to be temporarily closed; about five homes were lost.

The Park website has live webcam views of Yosemite Falls and Half Dome, which give you a good idea of not only the weather, but of how clear the air might or might not be. I've seen it so smokey at times that you couldn't even make out the face of El Capitan from the road directly below it.

But mist and falling snow can be sheer lighting magic. I was there at exactly the same time in April as Vaughn two years ago. I 4-wheeled my way in via the upper entrance in falling snow and dropped down into the Valley, and started photographing at 6:00 AM. By the time the El Portal entrance was finally allowing tour buses to get through, and the tourists started building up in early afternoon, I was already gone. The magic misty light was gone too by then. It was the last snowstorm of the season that low, and one of the wettest years, with waterfalls everywhere. I used a 6X7 tele lens to home in on graceful waterfalls the general public totally overlooks. Famous landmarks included, yes, but I still got lovely unique shots characteristic of my own style.

Late Oct and Nov can bring brief snow flurries to the high country, but also Indian Summers when the temps are quite comfortable and the air clean. If one if hiking into the aspens or at higher elevations that time of year, it's vital to have a waterproof parka and warm sweater or coat along, because the weather can change dramatically, very fast. Yosemite Valley itself is basically low elevation, and the fall color is typically a little later, in Nov rather than Oct. But some of the waterfalls are either low or nonexistent that late in the season. So you have to choose your photographic priorities.

Hey Rob, I did a bunch of climbing trips in the Valley and Tuolumne Meadows, in the mid '70s- mid 80s, and stayed in Camp 4. Life was easier at the time. November wouldn't be my pick timewise. As a photographer I'd visit in Sept/Oct and stay in a hotel or motel, rather than be tied to the availability of camp sites.
Are you thinking of driving from Ontario or flying into the Bay area and driving? If you're on a big N America road trip and heading for New Mexico and then north, there's less chance of getting hit by winter weather in the mountains in mid-sept to mid oct. Or are you envisioning a trip to visit Yosemite? Either way....there are fine photos to be had.

Weather is a lot less predictable in this era than in the 70's and 80's, Greg; and rather than mega-fires occurring in the Sierra about once every 10 years, now there are a dozen or more per year, with Sept being peak fire season. Some of that smoke has traveled as far as England!

And I've been in serious blizzards in the Sierra every month of the year except July, including in Sept numerous instances. That kind of event would prematurely or temporarily close entrance over the top into Yosemite Valley, but not via the lower western approaches that early in the season. I sought out intense weather for photo reasons, properly equipped, of course.

And in terms of more casual walk-in campsites (Camp 4), I'd be worried about any camera gear left behind in the car, or left in the tent when out on a walk.

Don't listen to naysayers, you should go at least once. Yes, many of the big national parks are overcrowded with tourists, but there is still the rule of thumb that if you are willing to walk 30 minutes from the trailhead the crowds will thin out drastically. (Okay, it might be 60 minutes from the trailhead in Yosemite Valley on a crowded day ... but still worth it.) If you go outside of the high summer vacation season it may be less crowded, this is one reason to consider Sept/Oct.

Keep in mind that Yosemite has multiple parts. The valley itself is moderately low elevation, Tuolomne Meadows is significantly higher and gets snow / closes earlier / opens later, Tioga Pass at the east entrance is very high and is only open roughly May to November depending on when the snow comes in the winter and is cleared in late spring.

xkaes said:

To avoid scenes like that pictured above -- just go somewhere else.

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We had a hella of a good time. We were 'suppose' to be inside the Ansel's old (but greatly remodeled) darkroom making carbon prints, but I wandered outside and found my students (pictured) as far as they got coming in to class. They are along the road out in the Valley enjoying the light rather than being grumpy that other people were about.
This image (digital) of the Valley wall and moon I took while they were photographing.

I also did an Artist-in-Residence in Zion National Park during the month of April (which included the Spring Break for kids of all ages). Like Yosemite Valley, I could easily get to places where I may not see anyone else. Unless one is into capturing icons, solitude is always possible. It takes some investment in time and effort to get to know a place, National Park or otherwise -- but I feel that is needed if trying to photograph any place intently.

I took the image below (a 5x7 platinum/palladium print) in Zion Canyon one morning, and afterwards, I had a long line of people behind me that I let get under the darkcloth and take a look at their first upside-down image on a ground glass. Another time while photographing with the 8x10, I had to get a hold of Search and Rescue because I was the only one around in the middle of the day to hear a climber calling for help (broken leg) in the otherwise 'crowded' Zion Canyon.

Keep in mind that 90% of even Yosemite NP is roadless, and that only a handful of trails and relatively easy backcountry destinations tend to be crowded. Even along the "freeway" (the John Muir/Pacific Crest Trail south of Tuolumne Meadows), all you have to do is veer off the official trail a mile or so to find even better scenery in complete solitude. I've been in significant portions of Yos where its quite difficult to detect any evidence of human presence at all, ever, were it not for ancient obsidian chips left behind by bighorn sheep hunters.

And even with respect to Yos Valley - just time your visit off season, or explore further down the river. Why does everyone think they have to go to exactly the same spots? No different than Zion Canyon - I've found my own magical photo nooks there in complete solitude just a couple hundred yards from the main road, not counting splendid backpacking destinations. I've even timed Yellowstone to when I only saw one other tourist car driving through the Park - right after the main road was plowed, but none of the facilities open yet. It was a magical week filled with wildlife and unhurried 4X5 shots.

I was there in June 95, my biggest memory is the campfire smog hanging over the valley...
Went to bishop that was very quiet

Yeah. If you want to bet, go the Vegas.

Bishop is over 100F right now, and the air quality can be pretty bad down there in Owens Valley during summer, depending on what the forest fires are doing, and how much noxious dust gets whipped up by wind over the old Owens Lake bed. You might or might not get distinctly cleaner air by driving uphill from there (the Bishop Creek road tops out around 9,000 ft; but the general terrain gets up to around 14,000, and even higher a little further south). Car camping in Bishop Creek Canyon is restricted to official FS campsites using a reservation system.
It's actually easier to find casual camping spots well north of there, closer to the east side Tioga approach into Yos NP.

Conditions change. At least in Vegas, you know that it will be hotter then hell (it hit 120F this month), and you can reliably bet on losing money.