Are you going camping in Yosemite National Park?
There are a few things that you need to know before you pitch up the tent and start camping.
1. Camping Grounds Within Yosemite
Yosemite has 13 camping grounds, out of which 7 follow a strict reservation system. These camps are allotted on a first-come, first-serve basis and usually fill up before afternoon.
2. Location of the Camp Sites
The 13 camp sites within the Yosemite are located at different sites. 4 camp sites are situated in Yosemite Valley, 5 along the Tioga Road above the valley and the remaining along the Highway 120 and 140.
3. Camping Outside Yosemite
In case you are unable to find a camping location inside the park, there are several places outside the park where you can pitch a tent and camp. These locations include some private and friendly lodging sites, along the roads around the national forest and other public grounds.
4. Treat for The Rock Climbers
While camp 1,2 and 3 have been clustered together, and built around each other, camp 4 is a little off track; and provides a wonderful walking experience. For this reason, this camp site is also popular among rock climbers.
5. You Need to Be Fast to Reserve
Camp reservation open on the 15th of every month at 7 in the morning. When the window opens, people can reserve the camps for up to 5 months in advance. The slots for the weekends and holidays fill really fast, sometimes within seconds after 7 AM.
You can either try your luck with the first-come, first-serve basis or book an assured site through website or phone. You can visit https://www.recreation.gov for bookings or call the following numbers for reservation. You are allowed 2 bookings per phone or website visit. However, you can start afresh and make more bookings on the same day. Here are the phone numbers:
877/444-6777
(or 877/833-6777 for TDD)
(or 518/885-3639 from outside the US & Canada)
6. Should I Carry Drinking Water?
Drinking water sources have been setup throughout the park, but not around every camping site. Therefore, carry big water containers to minimize the trips that you make to fetch water. Outside the park, water can get scarce and hence we recommend you to carry enough water with you. However, private lodges should be able to fill drinking water needs.
7. Washrooms in Yosemite National Park
Adequate number of rest rooms have been setup in Yosemite National Park. However, these rest rooms aren’t equipped with lights or electricity. Therefore, carry your own flashlight.
8. Allergy Concerns
Yosemite promises a close to nature experience and dirt forms an inseparable part of the nature. Equip yourself to deal with it. Apart from dirt, smoke from the camp fires is another source of allergens that you should consider. Yosemite is an at elevation range of 4000 to 86000 feet so altitude sickness can kick in at this height.
9. Taking RV to The Camp Site
RV owners can have a hard time finding the right spot for their vehicles. Also, the maximum length of the RVs is limited to 40 feet long and that of trailers to 35 feet. However, most camp sites do not allow RVs larger than 35 foot and trailers more than 24-foot long. Therefore, before making a reservation, make sure that your RV and trailer length are within the permissible limits. RVs have designated parking spots outside the Yosemite too.
10. Quiet Hours for RV
RV owners aren’t allowed to run their engines or their generator sets from 10 PM to 6 AM. Yosemite Camps observes this duration as Quiet Hours, and expects all RV owners to respect this decision. Also, generator can be used from 7 AM to 9 AM, 12 PM to 2 PM and 5 PM to 7 PM only.
11. Back Country Camping
One needs a permit to go backcountry camping in the Yosemite. To keep the place clear and maintain the beauty of the place, authorities limit the number of people who are allowed to go on the trek. 60% of the quota is available for advance booking while the remaining are given on first-come, first-serve basis.
12. Overnight Trips
Overnight trips can be exciting, but at the same time, frightening. Therefore, it is recommended that you join a group led by an experienced agency and then set out on an overnight journey across the park. Another benefit of hiring an agency is that you do not have to worry about the camping permits and reservations as they are taken care of by the agency.
13. Campfire Rules
Through October to April, campfires are allowed at any time of the day. However, from April to September, campfires are only allowed from 5 PM to 10 PM. At 10, the campfires must be extinguished. Also, firewood collections are a complete NO inside the park irrespective of the time of the year.
14. People Per Camp Site
A camp site is designed to accommodate not more than 6 people at a time. However, there is no limit on the number of tents in the camp site as long as they fit in the camp site. Also, a maximum of two motor vehicles is allowed per camp site. Trailers aren’t counted as additional vehicles if they fit inside the designated parking pads. Extra vehicles can be parked at extra parking space created around every camp ground.
15. Pets at Camp Sites
Pets are not allowed at group camp sites and camp 4. Everywhere else, pets are allowed, dogs too. However, they should always be on a leash and never left unattended.
16. Dump Stations Inside the Park
Dump stations are available all year round at the Upper Pines Campground. In summers, the Wawona Campground and Tuolumne Meadows Campground open too.
17. Group Campgrounds
There are special campgrounds made for group travelers. These are available at Wawona Campgrounds throughout the year and at Hadgdon Meadow, Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows campgrounds during the summers.
18. How Long Can I Camp?
A person is allowed to camp for not more than 30 nights in a calendar year. This limit is reduced to 14 nights from May 1 to September 14. Out of these 14, only 7 can be in Yosemite Valley or Wawona.
19. Check in and Check out rules.
You are allowed to check in at 12 noon. However, if you have a reservation, you can arrive anytime after noon but before 10 AM in the morning next day. In case, you are unable to reach before 10 AM the next day, your reservations will stand canceled. Check out time is at 12 noon.
Yosemite provides a huge variety of fly fishing opportunities to the fly fishers. It is home to more than 1,300 miles of different types of rivers and creeks and 300 lakes and ponds.
On average, approximately 4 million people visit Yosemite every year. And most of the time is spend in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite National Park is an American national park located in Central California. About 95% of the park is designated wilderness.
Yosemite National Park has magnificent waterfalls, enchanting Giant Sequoias, and the iconic Half Dome. Majestic trails end up in water to the fly fishers that are seeking breathtaking beauty and complete calmness. If you are looking for areas to fly fish, Yosemite provides miles of water easily accessible to fish and gives a great chance to catch a native Rainbow or a wild Brook, Brown, Cutthroat or maybe even a rare California Golden Trout.
Fishing Yosemite National Park
Fishing Yosemite National Park is unlike fishing anywhere else. More than anywhere Fishing Yosemite is so much fun and adventurous. But where can you fly fish in Yosemite? Yosemite is enriched with many fishing destinations. Such as:
Crane Creek
It is a small and very lively stream with a good population of rainbow and brown trout. Accommodations, lodging, and supplies are available in this valley, you can rent homes on vacations. It is a good early season destination in Yosemite. It has its headwaters in the Crane Flat area.
Lyell Fork
Running through scenic Lyell Canyon is the Lyell Fork. As soon as the snow melts i.e. in mid-June, you can start fishing. It offers great miles of meandering river bordered by fields of lush meadow having abundant wildlife. It is easily accessible for a day-long outing.
Tanaya Creek
Tanaya Creek is a great early season destination for adventurous fish flying. It begins at Tenaya Lake high in Tuolumne Meadows. The creek offers a wide variety of fishing from gushing, deep pools to shaded, quite runs.
Merced River
It is a popular attraction for fishing, wading, and rafting during summers. Through the Yosemite valley the Merced River meanders for about 10 miles. The river contains abundant trout both brown and rainbow, which is difficult to catch here. But it is very productive for anglers. Campgrounds and accommodations are available here but it is difficult to find during peak seasons. Here you can fish among the grandest sceneries of Sierra.
Upper Merced River
It meanders 8 miles from Merced Lake. It is an excellent location for fishing. Great fishing is found along the river. It has both brown and rainbow trout. It offers the best fishing in mid-summers.
Today, we have limber and light fly rods that weigh a few ounces and provide a great amount of leeway to the fighting fish. Also, you can find modern tapered lines and leaders that you can use to add some unfurling effect to the cast.
It is essential to match the rod, reel, and line correctly to handle a given-weigh fly line. You must balance them all to carry out effective fly fishing. When in proper balance, the gear allows the angler to deliver a fly with good accuracy within the desired distance.
A fly fishing experience at Yosemite gives an angler more than just fishing stories and memories as one can expect to catch unmatched scenery, beauty, clear blue skies, and spectacular waterways. A day spent here will give you memories that will span a lifetime. Make sure to spend one of your days in Yosemite chasing large trophy trout.
