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You are here: Experts > Cities/Towns > California > California > Campground Reservations at Yosemite for 2010
California - Campground Reservations at Yosemite for 2010
Expert: Steve Springer - 11/3/2009
Question
Hi Steve
I am planning a trip to Yosemite in early June of 2010, and am planning to stay at Upper Pines campground. On Yosemite's site, it says that if I arrive between May 15 and June 14, the first day of online reservations are january 15. Is that correct? Am I able to reserve a site on the phone, or should I do it online. I want to be sure i get a site reserved. I am planning on staying for about 4-5 days. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
tim
Answer
Hi Tim,
Circle January 15 on your calendar. Set your alarm clock for 6:00 AM Pacific time, and set a backup alarm clock. Spring and summer in Yosemite are the most popular times, and for good reason. During this time of year, the park is at its most awesome. At 7:00 AM PST, those sites disappear in SECONDS! Within 2 minutes, they're all gone.
Back in the old days, you used to have to get a dialing party together and dial like mad. When Internet reservations first came out, I remember trying it (while I still dialed in). I clicked on my reservation, and each screen took about 20 minutes to load. The servers were so overloaded, they ground to a halt.
However, the last time I made reservations, all those problems were a thing of the past. The best campsites are gone in the blink of an eye, starting at 7. Within 5 minutes, the majority of spots are claimed, and you can only pick a day or two here and there. People LOVE Yosemite.
So my advice is to use the Internet. Don't bother with calling, since the sites will be gone by the time the phone rings twice.
My favorite sites are on the back row of Upper Pines. It's the quietest area, and you are very close to the Happy Isles Nature Center and shuttle stop. Any site in that loop is good, with the possible exception of #209. It's in the sun all day, and has no shade. It's also next to the bathroom and trash bin. But I'd still take it if it's the only one left.
Showering is not too hard. There are showers in Curry Village, about a mile away. Be sure to bring your bike, since it's MUCH easier to ride around the valley floor or take the shuttle than it is to drive. Once we park, we use the shuttle and bikes exclusively until it's time for us to leave. A big backback helps a lot for shopping trips to the store to pick up groceries and ice.
Note: Train yourself to NOT leave even a scrap of food out at night. Bears are VERY common that time of year, and they look dumb tourists to leave their food out. The cars are not safe either, since a bear can easily rip the door right off your car (I've seen the damage myself on other cars). The good news is that the bear boxes are very strong, and do a good job of holding food and iced chests. We've never had a problem fitting it all in, even though we've brought up to 4 ice chests.
Good luck to you!
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