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Yosemite National Park will pilot an Early Access Lottery at North Pines Campground beginning January 18, 2022 in addition to the traditional general on-sales. Successful applicants will be allowed to make one reservation with arrival dates between July 21 and September 14, 2022. Upper Pines, Lower Pines and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds are not part of this pilot and will release campsites on the 15th of each month as usual. Click on the Lottery Information tab (about mid-page on the right) for further details.
North Pines Campground is located in breathtaking Yosemite National Park in Central California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range at an elevation of 4000 feet. The site is situated in the heart of Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite National Park is known.
Within Yosemite, visitors can gaze upon waterfalls, sheer granite cliffs, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, vast wilderness areas and so much more.
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. (PT) or 10:00 a.m. (ET). 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.
**Reservation tips!** Campsites in Yosemite are extremely popular and typically sell out in minutes. Login to your account or create a new account before the 7:00 a.m. (PST) release time. You may only add reservations to your cart and proceed with your reservation if you are logged into your account. The recreation.gov call center does NOT have access to additional sites or additional information beyond what is published on recreation.gov.
[Yosemite National Park Campground Reservation Dates](https://recreationonestopprod.servicenowservices.com/external?id=kb_article&sys_id=72fff607dbe8a30022f970c08c961990&table)
Yosemite's trails, cliffs, roads and rivers provide endless recreational activities for any kind of visitor. Hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, horseback riding, rafting, auto touring, and photography are all very popular activities within the park.
Hiking trails range from the easy paved, two-mile roundtrip walk to Mirror Lake/Meadow, to the grueling but rewarding 14- to 16-mile trek to Half Dome (permit required). Both of these trails begin near the Pines Campgrounds, and many additional trailheads are within Yosemite Valley.
Rafting the Merced River is a fun way to cool down on a summer day when water levels are sufficient. Yosemite Valley also offers numerous guided bus tours, educational programs, museums, ranger-led activities,and an art center with workshops.
North Pines Campground is one of the three reservation campgrounds in Yosemite Valley. It offers paved roads and parking spurs, flush toilets, and drinking water. Each campsite contains a picnic table, fire ring, and a food storage locker. Yosemite's free shuttle bus stops at the campground entrance. Nearby historic Half Dome Village (formerly Curry Village) offers a general store, restaurants and bar, amphitheater, and tours and activities desk.
Yosemite Valley is forested with a diverse mix of California black oak, Ponderosa pine, Incense-cedar, White fir, and Whiteleaf Manzanita, which offers a pleasant combination of sun and shade.
Through the trees, Yosemite's telltale granite cliff faces are visible, and the gentle, refreshing Merced River flows nearby.
Within one to two hours, visitors can drive or ride a shuttle bus to some of Yosemite's most grand viewpoints and historic sites. Glacier Point offers sweeping views of Yosemite Valley, Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Clouds Rest, among other notable landmarks.
A visit to Wawona and the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is like stepping back in time.
The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes, and granite domes. Tuolumne Meadows embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada, with its broad sub-alpine meadows and granite domes and peaks.
Beautiful Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is home to spectacular scenery and numerous wilderness trailheads.
Cancellations more than 48 hours in advance of arrival date only incur a $10 transaction fee. Within 48 hours, $10 and the first night's fee are charged (Exception: 1 night reservations do not incur an additional $10 fee, but do not receive a refund). No-shows will be assessed a $20 service fee along with the loss of the first night's fee.
Take Highway 41 north from Fresno, Highway 140 east from Merced, or Highway 120 east from Manteca into Yosemite National Park. Follow signs to Yosemite Valley and the campgrounds.
A Great Camp ground in Yosemite, in the pines, next to the Merced river, can it get any better than that? (Reminder you have to have reservations to camp before you come up to Yosemite)
This was my first time visiting Yosemite and it was great. The campground and bathrooms were very clean. All of the sites are a short walk to the river or even right next to it. The water was a bit cold(late August) but once the sun was up, it was perfect. The sites seem a bit close to each other but once you settle in, you won't notice your neighbors. It was also a very dog-friendly campground, you just have be careful with the wildlife since it is bear country. Overall it was a very scenic campground and it was very close to trails.
Such a beautiful camp spot to be in. We were pretty close to the restrooms and the river. It was quiet, easy to bike or walk to Curry Village or Yosemite Village and many of the trailheads.
Campsite number 403 is close to the restrooms which i thought whould be nice However the light radiated throughout the campsite. The campground is kept clean however the sites are incredibly close together. There is an overall feeling in Yosemite similar to that I felt in Disneyland with huge crowds.
