Yosemite NP tips??

[KyDan]

We're trying to put together our longest trip ever.

Any thoughts or tips or helpful info on trying to visit Yosemite NP in late June early July as well as camping possibilities anywhere in the area are greatly appreciated.

Also advice about actually visiting the park. Bus tours, tram tours anything...

We're pulling a 29' trailer.

Thanks for any helpful advice you can offer.

[cpttimerstraint]

It is hard to get reservations in the park at this point. There is a koa just outside the park that is pretty nice from what I hear. If you stay up near Oakhurst, it will be a 2 hour drive to the valley. I like the toulumne Meadows area. It is really pretty and less crowded. Coming in off the 395 is the less used side of the park. You can also hot Bodie and Bridgeport on that side.

[High Desert]

Getting reservations in Yosemite is like winning the lottery. I used to spend a lot of time there, even on day trips and it finally got so crowded that it was impossible be alone. The final straw was when they put Toulumme meadows on a reservation system. If you come up the US 395 side, there are a lot of places you can camp at in NF although at 29" you are reaching the limit of size allowed. The downside of staying outside the park is that if you plan on spending a few days there, it will get expensive entering as park fees have really escalated, unless you have the Golden Eagle, or whatever they call the lifetime pass now. The meadows is a much quieter area to stay at than the valley. There are several campgrounds outside of the park entrance(s) that you may try, depending on what road you approach the park on.

[todtc318]

We've stayed here a couple times now and like it. It's less than an hour away from the park entrance and has good clean facilities. It was undergoing a major facelift last year when we were there. Worth a look. The major advantage is not having to take the truck/trailer into the park in the summer. We go on the motorcycle a couple times a year and that's bad enough!

[Wilco]

We stayed in Fresno at Blackstone North RV Park. Fresno is about midway between Yosemite and Sequoia NPs. This allowed us to easily visit Sequoia NP.

[CurtPutnam]

Do not try to take a trailer down the hill from the Mono Lake (eastern) side. A beautiful trip in a car or pickup but a white knuckle escapade for large vehicles - especially trailers. The KOA on that side is great, the one in Midpines is the opposite. Strongly suggest leaving trailer outside the park. The ability to do that is why we switched from MH to TT.

[lbrjet]

We stayed at the KOA in Midpines. About an hour to the park. Parking at the end of the loop is about impossible as we found out the first day there. After that we parked at Bridalveil Fall. About a 10 minute walk to the bus stop. Then it is hop on/hop off around the park from there. Glacier Point is really cool if you have the time. Expect wall to wall people everywhere. We also stayed in Lee Vining a couple of months earlier to see the high country part of the park.