Family Camping Yosemite: What to Know

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We love a Yosemite family camping trip. I wish I had all the secrets in the world to help my followers get campsites in Yosemite Valley. Since 2020, it seems even more difficult to get campsites, as more and more people found that they love being outdoors. That being said, I do have some tips to share, along with some must-dos in the park if you do get so lucky to visit it.

First of all, you don’t have to camp in the valley to be able to visit it. Plenty of people go for day trips and stay outside of the park. That’s not a bad alternative. However, if you can score a stay in the valley, do it. Nothing comes close to beating that experience.

And don’t forget that you can get into Yosemite for free if you have a 4th grade student thanks to the free National park pass they get. This just includes the entrance fee, not the camping or lodging fees. Check out this list of the best national parks for kids to see where else you can use your pass!

There are many ways you can stay in the valley. You can camp or stay in the lodges. There are also many campgrounds located in Yosemite, but not in the valley. This post will focus only on the ways to camp in the valley.

Campgrounds in Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley has 4 campgrounds to choose from for your Yosemite family camping trip: Lower Pines, Upper Pines, North Pines and Camp 4. All of these campgrounds have bathrooms and running water. They also have a bear box on each campsite, and using the bear boxes to store food in strongly enforced.

Camp 4

Camp 4 is a first-come, first-serve campground from Oct. 21 to May 21. Between May 21 and Oct. 21, you can reserve a spot two weeks in advance. These are tent-only sites and can accommodate up to 6 people.

Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines

These campgrounds are all located in close proximity to one another, and these are my absolute favorite campgrounds to camp in. In the spring and summer, these campgrounds are extremely difficult to reserve, as there is a ton of competition.

Lower Pines and North Pines are just across the river from one another, and Upper Pines is adjacent to Lower Pines.

The largest of the 3 campgrounds is Upper Pines, with 238 sites. North Pines has 81 sites, and Lower Pines has 60 sites. Because of the number of sites Upper Pines has, and because it is not as close in proximity to the river, this campground would seem to be your best bet at getting a campsite in Yosemite Valley, however, it is still far from guaranteed.

Campsites at Lower Pines and Upper Pines are reserved 4-5 months out, on a monthly basis. On February 15, for example, you will have access to book campsites from June 15 through July 14. Then on March 15, you can try for dates from July 15 to Aug. 14.

North Pines is now reserved through a lottery. You must enter the lottery between dates in November and December, and winners will get early access at booking sites for the following summer dates.

Curry Village & Housekeeping Camp

If camping isn’t exactly your thing, there are other options for your Yosemite family camping trip that are a good compromise. Two areas in Yosemite Valley are set up with canvas-style tents that you can rent: Curry Village and the Housekeeping Camp.

Curry Village is located closest to Lower Pines campground, and has shower facilities and a pool. The Housekeeping Camp is located on the Merced River with a nice sandy beach and beautiful views of Yosemite Falls.

These tents come complete with cots to sleep on for up to 6 people. You can rent sleeping materials or bring your own sleeping bags and pillows. The Housekeeping Camp also includes a fire ring with each tent. Some cabins have their own bathrooms, others will share a bathhouse with other campers.

These units are all very popular as well, and are reservable one year and one day in advance, so 366 days. The nice thing about that is, if you are really hoping to camp, you can book one of these a year out, and then if you get lucky with a camping reservation, you can cancel your unit and only be out a small cancellation fee.

What to Do on Your Yosemite Family Camping Trip

If you choose to stay in Yosemite Village during your Yosemite family camping trip, you have access to so much that the park has to offer. There is a shuttle service that can get you to various points throughout the Valley, like Mirror Lake, Happy Isles, the Visitor Center, Yosemite Falls, and more. If the water levels aren’t too high, you can raft on the river.

Enjoy pizza in the village. Walk through the meadows and look for deer. Use binoculars to watch climbers scale the massive walls of El Capitan. The list goes on and on.

There are many hikes that have trailheads in the Valley, so you have easy access to those as well. Check out this list of the best hikes in Yosemite, or these more kid-friendly Yosemite hikes. If you’re looking for one of the most scenic waterfall hikes in Yosemite, check out the Panorama Trail.

Booking Tips: How to Book Your Yosemite Family Camping Trip

Like I mentioned, there is nothing I can tell you to 100% guarantee you’ll get a campsite in Yosemite, but there are things you can do to help improve your chances. First, know when to book. Set alarms on your phone. The reservations begin at 7am and will be completely gone before 7:01am during those popular months. You need to be logged in and ready to go before 7am for your best shot.

Because I have only tent camped in Yosemite, my strategy was always to try for some of the smaller sites, hoping that those would be less popular. People with large motorhomes would need bigger sites, so if I tried for the tent-only sites or the sites with a 20-ft. vehicle limit, I figured there would be less competition.

Lower Pines seems to be the most popular campground, with close river proximity and a nice meadow nearby, so trying for a campsite in Upper Pines instead will eliminate some of the competition. North Pines has been piloting a lottery system for making reservations, so paying the $10 to join that lottery can also help increase your odds of getting a site.

Watch For Cancellations

Watch for cancellations nonstop. When I was up in the middle of the night with my newborn, I secured multiple nights that had been cancelled. I always leave the reservation pages open and just push refresh every time I open my phone. I have gotten extremely lucky this way.

Be willing to move.

I know it’s a pain, but if you can even get one night in the park, book it. Then watch for cancellations for that same campground. Book anything that opens. Keep watching and trying to move your sites closer together to make the move easier. One trip, I had 5 nights booked on 4 different campsites, and things kept opening up, so I ended up only having to move once and it was to a site just 3 sites down. Super easy! Most people pack up and leave first thing in the morning, so you can move to their site as soon as it’s empty.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t get a campsite in Yosemite Valley, there are many other great campgrounds in the Yosemite area that you can stay at and then drive to Yosemite for the day as an absolute last resort. Oh Ridge at June Lake, Spring Cove at Bass Lake and Pinecrest Lake are my favorites.

If you’re looking for more awesome family campgrounds, check out this list of my favorites.

Interested in more? Check out:

• Kid-Friendly Hikes in Yosemite Valley
• Camping in June Lake: Oh Ridge Campground
• Meeks Bay Campground on Lake Tahoe
• Types of Tents for Camping
• Glamping Resorts Near National Parks