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2. Accomodations and Services (The Yosemite FAQ)

Part 2: Accomodations and Services

CAMPING IN YOSEMITE

Many of the campgrounds inside Yosemite National Park require reservations. Reservations may be made up to FIVE months in advance. Starting the fifteenth day of each month, a month's worth of camping start-dates is available. For example, on January 15th, it is possible to make reservations with a start date between 15 June through 14 July.

The Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows, and Hetch Hetchy Backpackers campgrounds have limited room for horse use.

Group campgrounds are available in Yosemite Valley, Hodgdon Meadow, Tuolumne Meadows, Bridalveil Creek, Wawona, and Hetch Hetchy Backpackers. Each group site can accomodate 30 people. You may make reservations for Yosemite Valley, Hodgdon Meadow, and Tuolumne Meadows.

877-444-6777 (toll free)
1-301-722-1257 National Parks Reservation System. Campground reservations.
http://www.recreation.gov/ for online reservations and information.
http://www.yosemitesites.com/faq/ for unofficial information on campground availability (by dates and campground).

Rules for car camping in Yosemite:

Camping is permitted only in designated campsites.
Yosemite is BEAR HABITAT. Federal law requires that you PROPERLY STORE FOOD and other aromatic substances AT ALL TIMES! This includes ALL food (regardless of and including packaging), drinks, toothpaste, soap, cosmetics, etc. Proper storage means keeping ALL food, etc. in bear boxes at ALL TIMES. All campgrounds have bear boxes. Bears recognize ice-chests and many other types of food containers (including, for example, pizza boxes) and can easily break into your car to get them. Keep all food you are not actually handling stored in a CLOSED bear box. Your bear box MUST be closed at ALL times! NEVER leave food in your car overnight, under any circumstances.
DO NOT FEED the animals! This includes squirrels, no matter how much they beg. Human food is unhealthy for wildlife and feeding of the wildlife makes them reliant on humans for food.
FIREWOOD COLLECTION IS PROHIBITED IN YOSEMITE VALLEY. You may purchase firewood at Housekeeping Camp, Curry Village, and Yosemite Village. Outside Yosemite Valley, collection of DOWNED firewood is permitted. Do not cut down trees or remove branches from trees.
CAMPFIRES are permitted only in fire pits. During summer, campfires are prohibited in Yosemite Valley except between 5pm and 10pm in order to reduce pollution. Before going to sleep or leaving the campsite, you must completely extinguish the fire.
QUIET HOURS are from 10pm to 6am. Please show courtesy to your neighbors and refrain from making unnecessary noise during these hours (and during the day, for that matter). Generator use is permitted sparingly in most campgrounds between 7am and 7pm, though their use is discouraged. Please show courtesy to your neighbors and refrain from using a radio: it is very irritating to the hundreds of other people in the campground.
CAMPING LIMIT: There is a seven-day camping limit in Yosemite Valley and Wawona between June and September, and a 30-day limit per year. The camping limit elsewhere is 14 days between June and September, and 30 days per year.

CAMPGROUNDS IN YOSEMITE

All car campgrounds in Yosemite have fire pits or grills, picnic tables, and food storage lockers (“bear boxes”). No campground has hook-ups. The maximum length for RVs is 40 feet. Many campgrounds have campground hosts. These volunteers are available to answer your questions and help you solve any problems. For law-enforcement or emergencies, and if a bear is in the campground, call 911.

Upper and Lower River campgrounds were closed permanently after the 1997 flood. Whether these lost campgrounds will ever be replaced is still up in the air.

Campgrounds in Yosemite

Campground   |Sites|RV|Dump Sta|Pets|Parking|Seasons|Reserve|Cost/Night|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOSEMITE VALLEY - 1-209-372-8502 for information only -
North Pines  |85   |y |no      |no  |yes    |Apr-Sep|yes    |$20/site  | [map]
Lower Pines  |80   |y |no      |no  |yes    |Mar-Oct|yes    |$20/site  | [map]
Upper Pines  |238  |y |yes     |yes |yes    |AllYear|yes    |$20/site  | [map]
Camp 4       |35   |no|no      |no  |nearby |AllYear|walk-in|$5/person | [map]
Backpackers  |25   |no|no      |no  |no     |May-Oct|walk-in|$5/person

WAWONA AREA
Wawona       |100  |y |no      |yes |yes    |AllYear|no     |$20/site  | [map]
Bridalveil   |110  |y |no      |yes |yes    |Jun-Sep|no     |$14/site  | [map]

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS, TIOGA ROAD, and HETCH HETCHY AREAS - 1-209-372-4025 and 2123
Hodgdon Mdw  |105  |y |no      |yes |yes    |AllYear|yes    |$20/site  | [map]
Hetch Hetchy |19   |no|no      |no  |no     |Apr-Nov|no     |$5/person |
Crane Flat   |166  |y |no      |yes |yes    |May-Oct|yes    |$14/site  | [map]
Tamarack Flat|52   |no|no      |yes |yes    |Jun-Sep|no     |$10/site  | [map]
White Wolf   |87   |y |no      |yes |yes    |Jul-Sep|no     |$14/site  | [map]
YosemiteCreek|75   |no|no      |no  |no     |Jul-Sep|no     |$10/site  |
PorcupineFlat|52   |y |no      |no  |no     |Jul-Sep|no     |$10/site  |
Tuolumne Mdws|314  |y |yes     |yes |yes    |Jun-Sep|yes    |$14/site  | [map]
                                    |no     |Jun-Sep|no     |$5/person |

Campground   |Tap Water|Toilets|Showers Nearby|Laundry Nearby|Market Nearby|
YOSEMITE VALLEY
North Pines  |yes      |flush  |yes           |yes           |yes          |
Upper Pines  |yes      |flush  |yes           |yes           |yes          |
Lower Pines  |yes      |flush  |yes           |yes           |yes          |
Camp 4       |yes      |flush  |yes           |yes           |yes          |
Backpackers  |yes      |flush  |yes           |yes           |yes          |

WAWONA AREA
Wawona       |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |yes          |
Bridalveil   |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |no           |

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS, TIOGA ROAD, and HETCH HETCHY AREA
Hodgdon Mdw  |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |no           |
Hetch Hetchy |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |no           |
Crane Flat   |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |yes          |
Tamarack Flat|no       |pit    |no            |no            |no           |
White Wolf   |yes      |flush  |no            |no            |no           |
Yosemite Cr  |no       |pit    |no            |no            |no           |
PorcupineFlat|no       |pit    |no            |no            |no           |
Tuolumne Mdws|yes      |flush  |yes           |no            |yes          |

Historical Campground Names

The campgrounds were originally identified by numbers instead of names. The numbers originate back to the 1800s when Yosemite Valley was administered by the State of California. Camps 1 - 5 were established by the state and abandonded as they had no sanitation facilities and were also polluted from raw sewage upstream from the Sentinel Hotel. Camps 6 - 20 were established by the U. S. government. Numbers were used until the early 1970s when all campgrounds were given names. Here are the numbers:

Camp 1: El Capitan Meadow; abandoned soon after 1906
Camp 2: Bridalveil Meadow, for army troops; abandoned soon after 1906
Camp 3: West of Yosemite Village, south of Merced River; abandoned soon after 1906
Camp 4: Sunnyside Walk-in Campground. Previously known as Camp 20, a 1930-era winter campground. Renumbered Camp 4 in 1941 and became famious as a climber's campground of the 1960s. The name was restored to "Camp 4" in 2003
Camp 5: Between Yosemite Lodge and Yosemite Creek; abandonded soon after 1906 (Later Camp Lost Arrow?)
Camp 6: "Camp Tresidder." Former employee camp south of Yosemite Village. Closed after 1997 flood; now a day use parking lot.
Camp 7: Former Lower River Campground; closed after 1997 flood
Camp 8: Later Kennyville (tent cabins). Located at present Ahwahnee Hotel before hotel was built in 1926.
Camp 9: "Organization Camp." Former Valley Group Camp east of the backpacker's campground next to and including Royal Arch Meadow; now naturalized
Camp 10: near Iron Spring on Tenaya Creek, south of old Mirror Lake Road; abandonded when Mirror Lake Road aligned over it
Camp 11: Upper Pines Campground
Camp 12: North Pines Campground
Camp 14: Lower Pines Campground
Camp 15: Former Upper River Campground; closed after 1997 flood
Camp 16: Housekeeping Camp.
Camp 17: "Camp Tecoya." Now Tecoya concessionnaire residential area east of Yosemite Village
Camp 18: Former campground at current Yosemite Village post office and photo studio.
Camp 19: Former Government employee campground between Sentinel Bridge and Housekeeping Camp; closed between 1968-1979.
Camp 20: Former campground at Church Bowl between Yosemite Village and Ahwahnee hotel. Another Camp 20 was a 1930-era winter campground now known as Camp 4.

CAMPING OUTSIDE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

Most of Yosemite National Park is surrounded by land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service. The US Forest Service operates campgrounds in the three national forests surrounding Yosemite. Camping is allowed in many places on BLM and USFS land where campgrounds do not exist. For more information about camping call:

INF: Inyo NF, Lee Vining: 619-647-3000
SNF-M: Sierra NF, Mariposa: 209-966-3638
SNF-O: Sierra NF, Oakhurst: 559-683-4665
SNF-G: Stanislaus NF, Groveland: 209-962-7825
BLM: Bureau of Land Management, Mariposa: 209-966-3192
Mono: Mono County Parks and Recreation: 619-932-5248

Campgrounds Outside Yosemite Note: the rates are out-dated; please contact the campground operator directly.

Highway 140

Campground     | Water | Sites |  RV  |Hookup  |  Fee  |Season | Reserve/Info
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KOA		showers	80	34 ft.	yes	$25	allyear	209-966-2201
McCabe Flat	river	6	27 ft.	no	free	allyear	No/BLM-M
Willow Placer	river	4	27 ft.	no	free	allyear	No/BLM-M
Railroad Flat	river	7	27 ft.	no	free	allyear	No/BLM-M

Highway 120 West (from Yosemite Valley)

Campground     | Water | Sites |  RV  |Hookup  |  Fee  |Season | Reserve/Info
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cherry Valley	tap	46	22 ft.	no	$9-16	May-Nov	No/SNF-G
Sweetwater	tap	13	22 ft.	no	$9	Apr-Nov	No/SNF-G
Lost Claim	pump	10	22 ft.	no	$7	May-Sep	No/SNF-G
The Pines	tap	12	22 ft.	no	$9	May-Nov	No/SNF-G
Lumsden		river	10	no	no	free	Apr-Oct	No/SNF-G
Southfork	river	8	no	no	free	Apr-Oct No/SNF-G
Lumsden Br.	river	10	no	no	free	Apr-Oct	No/SNF-G
Moccasin Pt.	showers	90	60 ft.	yes	$13-17	allyear	209-852-2396
Yosemite Lakes	showers	51	nolimit	yes	$18	allyear	209-962-0110
Pine Mt. Lake	showers	49	35 ft.	yes	$12-18	allyear	209-962-8625
Yos. Pines RV	showers	187	75 ft.	yes	$17-25	allyear	209-962-7690

Highway 41

Campground     | Water | Sites |  RV  |Hookup  |  Fee  |Season | Reserve/Info
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summerdale	tap	30	35 ft.	no	$12	May-Oct	no/SNF-O
Big Sandy	stream	14	35 ft.	no	$9	Jun-Oct	no/SNF-O
Little Sandy	stream	10	26 ft.	no	free	Jun-Oct	no/SNF-O
Nelder Grove	stream	7	25 ft.	no	free	Jun-Oct	no/SNF-O
Bass Lake area	tap	258	35 ft.	no	$15	allyear	800-280-2267
Hi-Sierra RV	tap	40	40	yes	$18-28$	allyear	559-683-7662

Highway 120 East (from Yosemite Valley)

Campground     | Water | Sites |  RV  |Hookup  |  Fee  |Season | Reserve/Info
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tioga Lake	tap	13	30 ft.	no	$8	Jun-Oct	no/INF
Junction	stream	13	30 ft.	no	free	Jun-Oct	no/INF
Ellery Lake	tap	12	30 ft.	no	$8	Jun-Oct	no/INF
Saddlebag Lake	tap	20	30 ft.	no	$8	Jun-Oct	no/INF
Sawmill		stream	12	no	no	free	Jun-Oct	no/INF
Big Bend	tap	17	30 ft.	no	$8	May-Oct	no/INF
Aspen Grove	stream	50	40 ft.	no	$5	Apr-Oct	no/Mono
Lee Vining Cr.	stream	100	40 ft.	no	$5	Apr-Oct	no/Mono
Cattle Guard	stream	16	30 ft.	no	$5	Apr-Oct	no/Mono

ACCOMODATIONS IN YOSEMITE

Hotel-style accomodations in Yosemite National Park

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite (DNC) provides hotel-style accomodations within Yosemite National Park. For reservations in Yosemite, call DNC at 801-559-5000, write 6771 N Palm Ave. Fresno, CA 93704, or visit on the web at http://www.yosemitepark.com/

Accomodations within Yosemite range from tent-cabins in Curry Village to luxury hotel suites at the Ahwahnee Hotel. You may make reservations up to 366 days in advance, though it is generally possible to get some accomodations several months in advance without much difficulty, especially in winter. If you can't get reservations for the date(s) you want, you can try calling back a little later: cancellations are frequent. Alternatively, you can look at http://www.yosemite.ca.us/lodging.html and make reservations near the park.

"The Redwoods" provides cabin-style lodging with kitchens. They are located in the southern end of the park (in Wawona near the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia trees) please see http://www.yosemite.ca.us/lodging.html#park

NOTE: If you have trouble getting reservations within Yosemite, try the motels and hotels outside Yosemite. Rooms may be reserved 1 year + 1 day in advance. Lodging is easer to reserve and often lower-priced off-season (mid-Sept. to Memorial Day, Sept to May). You will find that many of them are lower-priced and nicer than accomodations within Yosemite . . . and most of all, easier to reserve!

Be sure to remove ALL food and other items with a scent from your vehicle.
Do not store food and related items in a tent cabin-- use a bear box!

Lodging in Yosemite

Accomodation        |   Style   | Season | Cost (2004)  |    Notes        |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOSEMITE VALLEY
Curry Village       |tent cabins|all year| $75-80/night |public bathrooms |
Curry Village       |cabins     |all year| $80/night    |public bathrooms |
Curry Village       |cabins     |all year| $88/night    |                 |
Housekeeping Camp   |tent cabins|Spr-Fall| $67/night    |public bathrooms |
Yosemite Lodge      |hotel room |all year| $97-161/night|                 |
Ahwahnee Hotel      |luxuryhotel|all year| $373-822/night|                |
Ahwahnee Hotel      |cottage    |all year| $449/night   |                 |

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS
Tuolumne Mdws Lodge |tent cabins|Jun-Sep | $71/night    |public bathrooms |

YOSEMITE BACKCOUNTRY -- no roads --
High Sierra Camps   |tent cabins|Jun-Sep | $112/night   |public bathrooms |

WHITE WOLF
White Wolf Lodge    |tent cabins|Jun-Sep | $67/night    |public bathrooms |
White Wolf Lodge    |cabins     |Jun-Sep | $84/night    |                 |

WAWONA
Wawona Hotel        |hotel      |All year| $115/night   |public bathrooms |
Wawona Hotel        |hotel      |All year| $170/night   |                 |

ACCOMODATIONS OUTSIDE YOSEMITE

Please see http://www.yosemite.ca.us/lodging.html for information about hotels, motels, and cabins outside Yosemite National Park. You can also make reservations there.

SERVICES IN YOSEMITE

Service            |Location                                 |Season

Groceries          |Yosemite Village (Yosemite Valley)       |all year
                   |Curry Village (Yosemite Valley)          |all year
                   |Housekeeping Camp (Yosemite Valley)      |spring-fall
                   |Crane Flat (Tioga/Big Oak Flat Rd jctn)  |all year
                   |Tuolumne Meadows                         |summer
                   |White Wolf (along Tioga Road)            |summer
                   |Wawona                                   |all year

Sporting Goods     |Yosemite Village (Yosemite Valley)       |summer
                   |Curry Village (Yosemite Valley)          |all year
                   |Tuolumne Meadows                         |summer

Gas Stations       |Wawona                                   |all year
                   |Crane Flat                               |all year
                   |Tuolumne Meadows                         |summer
                   |Yosemite Lodge (Yosemite Valley) CLOSED/REMOVED

Post Office        |Yosemite Village (Yosemite Valley)       |all year
                   |Tuolumne Meadows                         |summer
                   |Wawona                                   |all year
                   |Curry Village (Yosemite Valley)          |CLOSED

Showers ($2)       |Curry Village (Yosemite Valley)          |all year
                   |Housekeeping Camp                        |summer

Laundromat         |Housekeeping Camp                        |summer

Medical and Dental |Yosemite Village (towards the Ahwahnee)  |all year

RESTAURANTS IN YOSEMITE

Not all eating facilities are open year-round.

Restaurant       |Description                  |Bkfst|Lnch|Dinner|Reservations
YOSEMITE VALLEY
        Yosemite Village	(seating available nearby)
Degnan's Deli    |sandwiches, deli  take-out   |no   |yes |yes   |no
Degnan's Pizza   |pizza, ice cream  take-out   |no   |yes |yes   |no
Degnan's Pasta Pl|pasta  buffet     sit-down   |no   |yes |yes   |no
Village Grill    |fast food         take-out   |yes  |yes |yes   |no

        Yosemite Lodge
Cafeteria        |full meals        sit-down   |yes  |yes |yes   |no
Garden Terrace   |buffet            sit-down   |yes  |no  |yes   |no
Mtn. Room Rest   |family restaurant sit-down   |no   |no  |yes   |no

        Ahwahnee Hotel
Ahwahnee         |formal dinners, Sunday brunch|yes  |yes |yes   |209-372-1489
                                                                  dinner only
        Curry Village (summer only)   (seating available nearby)
Cafeteria        |full meals        sit-down   |yes  |yes |yes   |no
Hamburger Stand  |fast food         take-out   |yes  |yes |yes   |no
Terrace Pizza    |pizza             take-out   |no   |yes |yes   |no

There are snack shops at Happy Isles (summer), Glacier Point (summer),
Yosemite Lodge Pool (summer), and Ahwahnee Hotel (afternoons).

TUOLUMNE MEADOWS (summer only)
The Grill        |fast food         take-out   |yes  |yes |yes   |no
TM Lodge         |family            sit-down   |yes  |no  |yes   |209-372-1313
                                                                  dinner only

WHITE WOLF (summer only)
White Wolf Lodge |family            sit-down   |yes  |no  |yes   |209-372-1316
                                                                  dinner only
WAWONA (April-October; weekends/holidays rest of year)
Wawona Hotel     |family            sit-down   |yes  |yes |yes   |209-372-6556
                                                                  dinner only
BADGER PASS (November-March)
Badger Pass	|fast food/pizza    sit-down   |     |yes |yes   |no

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