Re: First Come First Serve Campsites

I ran a search on this forum for availability of FCFS campsites north of yosemite valley, and looks like the main response is "get there early". What time is "early"?

In summer, is it really THAT unlikely to be able to drive to one of the 4 or 5 campgrounds along Tioga Pass and find a campsite on a Friday? I would be coming from the Bay Area, so making the 4 1/2 hour drive to T. Meadows area would not allow me to get there THAT early.

What about driving in on a Thursday afternoon/evening? Would my chances improve then?

cthenn2 wrote:

> In summer, is it really THAT unlikely to be able to drive to
> one of the 4 or 5 campgrounds along Tioga Pass and find a
> campsite on a Friday?

Friday morning, yes; friday afternoon, no.

Since you are coming form the bay area I would suggest traveling to somewhere like Buck Meadow and staying in a motel with a reservation. You could get an early start Friday morning and try your luck at Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, and Porcupine Flat campgrounds for a site on your way to the east side. These campgrounds are first come first served and may very well have a spot Friday morning.

I don't know your plan but if you don't really need to be in a campground outside of the park on the east side then these in-park campgrounds are a good bet.

I think you can actually check on reservations at the Saddlebag Lake campground by phone. I could be wrong on this though.

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Old Dude

Thanks for the replies. What about THURSDAY afternoon? I could always take off at noon or so on a Thursday, but is that a better bet than early Friday?

Mike, I was looking into staying at Dimond O for a night, but that's a lot of packing, unpacking, and packing and unpacking the gear.

East of Tioga Pass...man I don't know, that's a LOT of driving... I'd like to go up there a few times this summer, and I'd prefer to be in the park, and not have to drive so dang far! I actully would hope to get a site west of T. Meadows, just to avoid the additional miles.

Mornings are always best. Even if a campground is full, there is always someone that is leaving that morning.

When you said Tioga Pass Road I thought you were talking about outside the park on the east side. In the park it's just Tioga Road or Hwy 120.
Dimond O is all first come first served I believe. I don't know how busy it gets. The motel in Buck Meadow isn't too far from Crane Flat if you came up in an evening and no camp to set up, just crash and get going the next morning. Thursday may be a better day than Friday to get a site but again you have to be there in the am.

Like eeek said it is always better in the morning. By afternoon everything is taken. You won't be the only one looking for a site. Tamarack Flat is pretty primitive and not too well known so if you get there early you stand a good chance. Porcupine Flat is big so there are more people leaving in the am but it's the farthest away from Crane Flat.

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Old Dude

OK, thanks again. So it looks like a Friday morning is better than a Thursday afternoon. I just thought most people coming up to visit would arrive sometime Friday, so arriving Thursday afternoon would be a jump on the weekend campers...but I guess not.

Oh, just thought I would add:

I usually leave Santa Rosa ... hella' early ... 5-ish or so in the morn' ... get to Tuolumne Meadows campground by 10 or so ... and have always gotten a site ... and that's been on Friday and some saturdays ...

.. there ain't, for sure, a whole lot left to choose from ... but usually there're a few ...