Re: Bicycle Camping to Yosemite

I'm planning on riding my bicycle up to Yosemite from Modesto. Looking for someone to tag along for the adventure. I would like to camp out for four, maybe five nights.

Has anyone ever done bicycle camping around Yosemite? Interested in riding up to Yosemite this summer?

- Riding 4 Life
http://vj4him.********.com/

---

- vja4Him

Jim,

Never done anything like that but just want to check one thing: I presume you know you will be restricted to regular roadside campgrounds and their often sticky reservation system, especially in summer. Camping elsewhere is generally prohibited unless you get wilderness trail permits and backpack an average of at least a mile into the wilderness areas past the no camping zones. Not sure what type of camping you have in mind.

Jim D.

tomdisco wrote:

> Jim,
>
> Never done anything like that but just want to check one thing:
> I presume you know you will be restricted to regular roadside
> campgrounds and their often sticky reservation system,
> especially in summer. Camping elsewhere is generally
> prohibited unless you get wilderness trail permits and backpack
> an average of at least a mile into the wilderness areas past
> the no camping zones. Not sure what type of camping you have
> in mind.

One could always try Camp 4.

There's also one exception. The backpackers campgrounds typically don't get that full. It wasn't full the last time I was there (and that was a Saturday night in summer), but I understand that most of the time someone will let you double up on a site, especially since it's a per-person charge ($5 per night) and not a per site charge.

The Park Service doesn't typically make it well known, but the backpackers campgrounds are open to people who specifically arrive by bicycle, foot, or bus. I'd call ahead to ask, but I think the rules that apply would be the 7 day max one can stay between May 1 and Sept 15.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/upload/compendium-2008-2.1-all-122807.pdf
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bpcamp.htm

Quote

Backpacker camps are intended for use by visitors in possession of an overnight
Wilderness Permit or for visitors arriving in the park by foot, bicycle, or bus.

Post Edited (03-02-09 10:26)

It probably wouldn't hurt to print out the page(s) specifying that backpacker camps are also for those entering by bicycle, and take the copy with you. Just in case. Maybe pages 17 and 18.

Sounds like a nice plan.

---

Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Maybe you know this already but I'll mention it anyway.

Within the National Forest you can pretty much camp anywhere you
want. They call it "dispersed camping". Unless:

It is part of Wilderness then you need a wilderness permit.
It is a "Recreational Area" then you can't camp there.

You don't need a permit for dispersed camping. You are suppose to have a
campfire permit to start your stove...

So... on your way up 120 once you are around Groveland ... you can
pretty much just dive into the woods and go sleepy bye.
(Stanislaus National Forest)

I went into the Groveland Ranger Station once to camp outside Yosemite
and get a "permit" and the guy in there pretty much made me feel like
a complete idiot for even asking.

Have fun and Enjoy... I'll give you plenty of room when I drive by...

bill-e-g wrote:

> You don't need a permit for dispersed camping. You are suppose
> to have a
> campfire permit to start your stove...
>
> So... on your way up 120 once you are around Groveland ... you
> can
> pretty much just dive into the woods and go sleepy bye.
> (Stanislaus National Forest)

It's supposed to be away from "developed areas".

Isn't there a possibility of bears in some areas? I'd personally want a bear box.

>It's supposed to be away from "developed areas".

I would contend that 99% of 120 beyond Groveland is undeveloped.

>bears

It's National Forest so guns are allowed. The bears are gonna be wild.
I highly doubt there is any issue with bears. I wouldn't worry.
At least I've never seen one at PJ's.

bill-e-g wrote:

> >It's supposed to be away from "developed areas".
>
> I would contend that 99% of 120 beyond Groveland is
> undeveloped.

I was thinking of 140 between Mariposa and El Portal. It's either developed areas or places unsuitable to set up a campsite. I think that side of the river is Sierra National Forest, while the other side is Stanislaus NF.

bill-e-g :>I highly doubt there is any issue with bears<

In my experience, the bears that hang around developed campgrounds are far more of a problem that the bears in the wild. The same is true for the other scavanger animals, too. Outside of California, there are many more opportunities for 'wilderness' camping without permits, etc, and the animal encounters are much more normalized.

B