Re: Tuolumne Early Opening?

I apologize if this has been covered on here somewhere in years past, but I couldn't find it. Tuolumne Meadows campground shows on recreation.gov as opening on July 10, and so for arrivals before that no reservations were available during the last onsale window this past week. Given the very light snowpack so far this year (and assuming that persists) would that date potentially move earlier in the season, or is it driven by more than just snow levels? IF it gets moved earlier, how would reservations (for the 50% reservable sites) be handled for the period before July 10 - would they be available to reserve at some point, or would the whole campground be walk-up until then? I know no one here is making the rules, but it seems like this may have occurred in the past at some point. Bottom line is we pretty much got shut out of Valley campsites for a June 28 arrival and I'm looking at other potential options. Thanks!

If it opens early, it'll probably be not be on the reservation system. That's how it has worked in the past.

I was told by a ranger up there that the entire campground is FCFS if it opens early.

That might be our plan then. Thanks for the info!

I have some first hand experience with this scenario. Last year, around June (I think), just by luck I saw a notice either on this site or on FB that the TM campground would be opening early. I went right to recreation.gov and sure enough there was roughly (2) weeks of available sites for the end of June and begining of July. I spent July 1st - 11th there with my wife and daughter, it was awesome and our entire trip was reserved online. Moral of the story: if the campground opens early, there is a definite chance that online reservations will be available.

I was lucky enough to get (7) days in the Valley and (4) in TM during this most recent site release. I hope to get more in TM if it indeed opens early.

Quote
sewolpe
I have some first hand experience with this scenario. Last year, around June (I think), just by luck I saw a notice either on this site or on FB that the TM campground would be opening early. I went right to recreation.gov and sure enough there was roughly (2) weeks of available sites for the end of June and begining of July. I spent July 1st - 11th there with my wife and daughter, it was awesome and our entire trip was reserved online. Moral of the story: if the campground opens early, there is a definite chance that online reservations will be available.

I was lucky enough to get (7) days in the Valley and (4) in TM during this most recent site release. I hope to get more in TM if it indeed opens early.

Interesting, that is contrary to what a ranger told me, but that was 3 years ago.

Last year Tuolumne opened June 8. I don't think they announced it until the week before. We were in the valley the week of June 1 and when I "heard it through the grapevine," I scurried over to the Curry lounge and used my laptop to make reservations for that date. So, yes, last year. suprisingly, they put the sites up for reservations immediately. We stayed in Tuolumne a few more nights beyond our initial three nights reserved and had no problem keeping our site. Very nice and quiet up there, too, in the campground.

Something I learned the first time I stayed in TM was that regardless of what site you reserve, they will assign you a site based on your equipment when you arrive. I had pieced together 4 nights by checking the website over the course of a few weeks. Two nights in a tent site, one in an Rv site and another in a different sized RV site. When we arrived, he just gave us a tent site for all 4 nights.

I am not sure if they always do that, but it was nice not to have to move.