Re: Yosemite Creek Campground availability

Does anyone have any data or experience on how likely it would be to find a space available at Yosemite Creek Campground on a Thursday night (8:00 p.m. arrival) in mid-July?

If that was full, it seems to me that there shouldn't be any problem finding a site at White Wolf, Porcupine Creek, Tamarack Flat or T. Meadows (plans B, C, D and E - nice backup options!). It would be cool to see data such as what days each of the first-come, first-served campgrounds have been full over the years.

Thanks,

Ron

Does this help? Click "Next" at the bottom until you see the one you want.

http://www.yosemite.org/DSN/wwwyosemiteassociationorg/Content/Webcam/rptFullTrailheadDates.htm

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cornbread
Does this help? Click "Next" at the bottom until you see the one you want.

http://www.yosemite.org/DSN/wwwyosemiteassociationorg/Content/Webcam/rptFullTrailheadDates.htm

I've been following that, yes, and it's helpful, but I'm looking for more specific info about campsite availability, not wilderness permit availability - thanks.

Finding an open site with an 8 PM arrival time on any day is a long shot plus you want to arrive with plenty of daylight left. Your best bet is to arrive early in the AM and see who is checking out and then grab that spot. Thursday morning would give you a better chance than Friday morning. Try Thursday PM but have an out-of-park backup plan.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
Finding an open site with an 8 PM arrival time on any day is a long shot plus you want to arrive with plenty of daylight left. Your best bet is to arrive early in the AM and see who is checking out and then grab that spot. Thursday morning would give you a better chance than Friday morning. Try Thursday PM but have an out-of-park backup plan.

We'll go with that as Plan F, but I hope we wouldn't get that far - if we get a Wilderness Permit for Friday, we can stay at the backpackers camp in T Meadows.

If you get in at 8PM on Thursday you won't be able to get a permit until Friday morning. I think that technically you can't stay at a backpackers campground without a permit in hand. Also where you plan to hike will determine whether or not you have a chance on getting permit for the day you want to start. You might only be able to get a permit for a Saturday start if you try for a permit Friday morning. So where do you plan to hike?

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Old Dude



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2009 10:14AM by mrcondron.

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mrcondron
If you get in at 8PM on Thursday you won't be able to get a permit until Friday morning. I think that technically you can't stay at a backpackers campground without a permit in hand. Also where you plan to hike will determine whether or not you have a chance on getting permit for the day you want to start. You might only be able to get a permit for a Saturday start if you try for a permit Friday morning. So where do you plan to hike?

I was planning to have a permit in hand - today I'm sending in a permit request for Yosemite Creek to Yosemite Falls, which I'm hoping will still be available.

That would be the Lukens Lake to Yosemite Falls trailhead. As of right now only July 11th is not available. Be aware you still have to go to a permit issuing office to pick up your permit even if you have a reservation.

Here is a link to the trailhead reservation status:

http://www.yosemite.org/DSN/wwwyosemiteassociationorg/Content/Webcam/rptFullTrailheadDatesPage2.htm

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Old Dude

Billy...
He wants Yosemite Creek TH.
(which is what he said)

Same location as Ten Lakes TH.

Well in that case then these dates are full at this moment:

Yosemite Creek Campground
May 22
June 4 8 12 19 26

Anyway I think the trail from Lukins is much better that the one going through Yosemite Creek Campgrounds.

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Old Dude

You mean Lukens.

But I get your drift.

From Lukens TH you miss some of the really nice sections of Yosemite Creek a flowing thru some nice
granite sections. So I guess maybe I don't agree so much.
But that's ok.

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mrcondron
That would be the Lukens Lake to Yosemite Falls trailhead. As of right now only July 11th is not available. Be aware you still have to go to a permit issuing office to pick up your permit even if you have a reservation.

Here is a link to the trailhead reservation status:

http://www.yosemite.org/DSN/wwwyosemiteassociationorg/Content/Webcam/rptFullTrailheadDatesPage2.htm

Thanks for mentioning the Lukens Lake trailhead, Mike. We're looking at going from Yosemite Creek Campground, but Lukens or Ten Lakes could also work.

Now that we're sufficiently OT on Wilderness Permits, anyone have experience / data on campsite availability?

If you have your permit Thursday evening you can park on 120 and just hike in a mile and pitch. I believe the rule is a mile in from the trailhead there.

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Old Dude

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mrcondron
If you have your permit Thursday evening you can park on 120 and just hike in a mile and pitch. I believe the rule is a mile in from the trailhead there.

Not if the start date is Friday.

That is true. Then you could use the backpackers campground at White Wolf.

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Old Dude

But... I'll give you that there are some nice falls/cascades on the stream coming down from Lukens TH.

(and don't worry... I won't be around Fri-Sun)

Is there a footbridge at Yosemite Creek where the trail crosses if you come in from the Ten Lakes trailhead? The creek could be a roaring torrent.

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Old Dude

Staying off-topic.

There is no bridge there. However, even when it was a roaring torrent the crossing wasn't bad.
I was sorta worried about it. But was not an issue. I highly doubt it will be any issue
whatsoever come July. Maybe right now ... but not then...

He was gonna drive down to the Campground anyway, I think.

As far as the question on hand.. Well.. for YC Campground you won't find RV's down there...
however... there are limited number of sites b/c the bridge at the campground is
condemmed so a huge number of sites are not allowed to be used.

I'd just play it by ear... then again... I would reserve a permit either tho.. not for Lukens or YC Campground.

But then again, I live Vicariously through myself... so...

And, yes I know your question. and I highly doubt they really have that info for general consumption.
The campground hosts are probably collecting the cash and making sure everything is ok.
I can see them writing it in some spiral notebook with a pencil. But.. could be wrong here.
And sorry to bother you incessantly...

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bill-e-g
And, yes I know your question. and I highly doubt they really have that info for general consumption.
The campground hosts are probably collecting the cash and making sure everything is ok.
I can see them writing it in some spiral notebook with a pencil. But.. could be wrong here.
And sorry to bother you incessantly...

Hey, thanks for taking the time - always good to have a clear understanding. Just rec'd email confirmation on reservation (faxed 11:00 am - three hour turnaround!), so we've got permit in hand for Friday heading out of Yosemite Creek; we'll sleep there or at White Wolf backpackers on Thurs. night.

Next great thing would be easy iPhone-type-accessible info that says what campgrounds have sites available, or even how many sites are available at various first-come first-served campgrounds.

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vdrummer

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bill-e-g
And, yes I know your question. and I highly doubt they really have that info for general consumption.
The campground hosts are probably collecting the cash and making sure everything is ok.
I can see them writing it in some spiral notebook with a pencil. But.. could be wrong here.
And sorry to bother you incessantly...

Hey, thanks for taking the time - always good to have a clear understanding. Just rec'd email confirmation on reservation (faxed 11:00 am - three hour turnaround!), so we've got permit in hand for Friday heading out of Yosemite Creek; we'll sleep there or at White Wolf backpackers on Thurs. night.

Next great thing would be easy iPhone-type-accessible info that says what campgrounds have sites available, or even how many sites are available at various first-come first-served campgrounds.

Even if you don't have the actual permit in hand (i.e. picking it up in the morning), it might just help to carry the reservation confirmation with you if you're staying at one of the backpackers campgrounds. Of course you probably want to have it for when you pick up the permit anyways.

So does anyone have an idea if the reservation confirmation would suffice? I saw several late arrivals at the Valley backpackers campground (maybe 9 PM) and I doubt they would have picked up their permits by then.

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vdrummer
Does anyone have any data or experience on how likely it would be to find a space available at Yosemite Creek Campground on a Thursday night (8:00 p.m. arrival) in mid-July?

It doesn't always fill on a Thursday night so you do have a chance.

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If that was full, it seems to me that there shouldn't be any problem finding a site at White Wolf, Porcupine Creek, Tamarack Flat or T. Meadows

Those campgrounds fill up before Yosemite Creek does.

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eeek

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vdrummer
Does anyone have any data or experience on how likely it would be to find a space available at Yosemite Creek Campground on a Thursday night (8:00 p.m. arrival) in mid-July?

It doesn't always fill on a Thursday night so you do have a chance.

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If that was full, it seems to me that there shouldn't be any problem finding a site at White Wolf, Porcupine Creek, Tamarack Flat or T. Meadows

Those campgrounds fill up before Yosemite Creek does.

Thanks, eeek, that's exactly what I was looking for.