By:
Submission
For the 2021 season, Wawona Campground's group site will not be available. *****NO TENTS ALLOWED for 2021** SELF-CONTAINED RVs AND TRAILERS ONLY*****
Due to ongoing wastewater system construction, Wawona campground's family sites will **only be open to self-contained RVs and trailers** (i.e., those with **on-board** toilet and wastewater systems). Portable toilets, stand-alone toilets, buckets with bags or other separate systems will not be allowed **.Tents will not be allowed.** Restrooms and drinking water are not available. If you arrive without your own contained waste management system, your reservation will be forfeited and you will be asked to leave.
To book a **horse site only** , please call the Wawona Campground office at 209-375-9535.
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, arrival dates from May 15 to June 14 become available to reserve, and therefore, the full potential arrival 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=)
Wawona Campground is located in breathtaking Yosemite National Park in Central California's rugged Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The site is situated at the southern end of the park, 27 miles and approximately 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley, at an elevation of 4000 feet.
Wawona was home to the park's headquarters in 1904 and historic structures still stand today. The majestic Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is just a short drive away. Within Yosemite, visitors gaze upon waterfalls, sheer granite cliffs, deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area and much more.
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.
The Pioneer Yosemite History Center is like stepping back in time. A visit to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, just four miles away, is a must-do. A network of hiking trails within the grove leads to stately trees with names like Grizzly Giant, Faithful Couple, and California Tunnel Tree.
Wawona offers several additional hiking trails, including the Wawona Meadow Loop, Swinging Bridge Loop, Alder Creek and Chilnualna Falls.
Wawona Campground offers family, group, and horse campsites; reservations required. Group camp will not be open in 2021. Horse camp may only be reserved by calling the Wawona Campground office at 209-375-9535.
Paved roads and parking spurs, flush toilets and drinking water are provided. Each campsite contains a picnic table, fire ring, and food storage locker. A general store and gas station are located about a mile south of the campground.
The area is forested with a diverse mix of ponderosa pine, incense-cedar, white fir, and whiteleaf manzanita, which offers a pleasant combination of sun and shade. The gentle South Fork of the Merced River flows alongside the campground.
Just 45 minutes away is Yosemite Valley, an awe-inspiring landscape containing many of the famous features for which Yosemite National Park is known. Hiking trails and bike paths are abundant in the 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. A scenic 45-minute drive leads to Glacier Point, with its sweeping views of Yosemite Valley, Little Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Clouds Rest, among other notable landmarks. The Tioga Road, in the central region of the park, 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.
* Cancellation of individual or equestrian site reservations will be charged a $10 service fee. If the cancellation is within 48 hours of the arrival date, the first night's fee will also be charged. Cancellations for a single night’s use will **not** receive a refund, but will not be assessed an additional service fee.
* Cancellation of a **group** site reservation will incur a $10.00 service fee plus the first night’s use fee when the reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date.
* No-shows for any type of reservation will be charged a $20 service fee and 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 Wawona. The campground is located 8 miles north of the South Entrance station on Highway 41, and 27 miles south of Yosemite Valley.
My new favorite campsite! If this wasn’t a six hour drive away, and requiring five month advance reservations…I would be here constantly!
Last year when my family and I visited Yosemite, we stayed in Oakhurst and rented a tiny cabin. It was great but what a long drive into the park it was. This time I was able to snag a reservation at Wawona and I’m so glad I did. The grounds are very well maintained. We stayed in 26A which is in the first loop and the river is right behind you, the bathrooms right across from you. Absolutely stunning to walk down to the river and just watch it flow by. Loved hearing it all night long.
The bear locker was more than big enough to put everything in.( and by everything, they mean literally everything that has a scent in your car or in your suitcases)
45 min drive to the Valley after we packed up camp in the morning. We got there around 7am and it was gorgeous! No driving around trying to find parking or jostling others trying to get good pics. The Valley wasn’t packed either so lots of trails we had to ourself. Will come back here again and again.
Absolutely beautiful campgrounds with river backdrop and between Redwood trees. There’s ample shade and space. Each standard site can have 2 to 3 tents and 2 big car parking spaces. There’s clean water and other facilities. There are regular flush toilets that are very well maintained and spacious. Loved camping here!!
A nice place to camp for a few days . There's a little creek flowing by, little animals around and, we heard, black bears. The toilets are relatively clean, but no showers. Drinkable water is available.
The spots have a table with 2 benches and a fire hole.
