Planning a camping trip to Yosemite..

[screw3d]

I'll be going sometime next weekend or the week after, driving from LA

Is there anything that I should know beforehand.. like what to bring, where to go, personal experience etc, you know, stuff that the official site won't tell you

 

[Sheepathon]

Bug spray for these critters.

 

[jagec]

Please firebomb the golf course while you're there. Thanks.

 

[KLin]

Stop at Chukchansi Gold on highway 41 near coarsegold and hit the blackjack tables :thumbsup:

 

[LtPage1]

bears really will break into your car/tent if youre dumb about keeping food where you shouldnt. and when i say food, i mean ANY kind of food. ive seen car doors ripped off because some idiot ignored the signs and left a bag of chips inside.

 

[V00DOO]

Have you already made reservation for the camp ground? If not you're going have a tough time finding a place to stay.

 

[imported_Mike]

I go every year to tuolumne meadows which is just inside the park from the Tioga pass end. Bring plenty of bug spray and sunblock. Some years the bugs are bad and sometimes they don't really bother you. Are you going to be fishing? hiking? just camping?

Don't leave anything in your car that could be mistaken for food. Bring a saw/axe for firewood. You can't cut down any trees but there are huge amounts of wood just laying around that you can chop up and take to your camp site to burn.

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: V00DOO
Have you already made reservation for the camp ground? If not you're going have a tough time finding a place to stay.

The tuolumne meadows campground only reaserves half of their spots...the other half is walk-in. Getting there on a weekday you should have no problem getting a spot...weekends you don't want to be later than 2pm.

 

[imported_Mike]

next week you say? FYI

2005 Opening Dates for Campgrounds
Get used to it; Here's the estimated opening dates for the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road campgrounds for 2005. Forget Memorial Day this year... Ain't gonna happen. There is 25 feet of snow on the ground now and there's bound to be more coming.

Crane Flat 6/17 - 10/11
Tamarack Flat 6/19 - 9/5
White Wolf 6/10 - 9/18
Yosemite Creek 6/24 - 9/5
Porcupine Flat 6/24 - 10/15
Tuolumne Meadows 6/24 - 9/26

edit: unless you're going to the valley?

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
next week you say? FYI

2005 Opening Dates for Campgrounds
Get used to it; Here's the estimated opening dates for the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road campgrounds for 2005. Forget Memorial Day this year... Ain't gonna happen. There is 25 feet of snow on the ground now and there's bound to be more coming.

Crane Flat 6/17 - 10/11
Tamarack Flat 6/19 - 9/5
White Wolf 6/10 - 9/18
Yosemite Creek 6/24 - 9/5
Porcupine Flat 6/24 - 10/15
Tuolumne Meadows 6/24 - 9/26

edit: unless you're going to the valley?

:Q Looks like it's not gonna happen next weekend anyway.. probably 20th-22nd. Memorial Day weekend would be nice.. except that there would probably be a boatload of people there? We will be making reservations in advance so I hope that's out of the way.

We're just probably going to camp and hike a bit..

So if teh bears are gonna sniff out my food, where should I keep them? Hmm I've almost forgotten about insect repellants.. but if it snows.. insects should be the last thing I should worry about yea?

Erm what's the valley? /googles

 

[JoeKing]

Originally posted by: screw3d

Originally posted by: CheapArse
next week you say? FYI

2005 Opening Dates for Campgrounds
Get used to it; Here's the estimated opening dates for the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road campgrounds for 2005. Forget Memorial Day this year... Ain't gonna happen. There is 25 feet of snow on the ground now and there's bound to be more coming.

Crane Flat 6/17 - 10/11
Tamarack Flat 6/19 - 9/5
White Wolf 6/10 - 9/18
Yosemite Creek 6/24 - 9/5
Porcupine Flat 6/24 - 10/15
Tuolumne Meadows 6/24 - 9/26

edit: unless you're going to the valley?

:Q Looks like it's not gonna happen next weekend anyway.. probably 20th-22nd. Memorial Day weekend would be nice.. except that there would probably be a boatload of people there? We will be making reservations in advance so I hope that's out of the way.

We're just probably going to camp and hike a bit..

So if teh bears are gonna sniff out my food, where should I keep them? Hmm I've almost forgotten about insect repellants.. but if it snows.. insects should be the last thing I should worry about yea?

Erm what's the valley? /googles

I hope you've made your reservations already. Yosemite campgrounds (especially the more popular "better" ones) fill up months in advance during the spring season. As for the bears, I've found food stored / sealed well in 3 heavy duty yard bags, then into a cooler works great. But even then don't leave the cooler in your tent or near where you sleep at night.

 

[neovan]

I was just there April 29th-May 1. It took us about 5.5 hours to drive from LA. We stayed in a cabin (more like a house) for about $450/night comfortably sleeping 8 people. We drove to Yosemite Village and started hiking to Vernal Falls and got very close to Half Point. It had spectacular views and was great exercise. You could also visit the Mariposa Groves.

 

[screw3d]

look here.. which are the 'preferable' campsites?

Originally posted by: neovan
I was just there April 29th-May 1. It took us about 5.5 hours to drive from LA. We stayed in a cabin (more like a house) for about $450/night comfortably sleeping 8 people. We drove to Yosemite Village and started hiking to Vernal Falls and got very close to Half Point. It had spectacular views and was great exercise. You could also visit the Mariposa Groves.

:thumbsup: I'm gonna bring a stash of :beer: good too!

 

[imported_Mike]

The valley is the main attraction or so it seems. Its the most crowded part of Yosemite and its what most people think of when they think of Yosemite. We went down the the valley 1 year for a day...havn't been back since. IMO its rather boring compared and the crowds is not something that is fun.

I go in the summer though...I don't know what kind of people traffic there is this time of the year.

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: CheapArse
The valley is the main attraction or so it seems. Its the most crowded part of Yosemite and its what most people think of when they think of Yosemite. We went down the the valley 1 year for a day...havn't been back since. IMO its rather boring compared and the crowds is not something that is fun.

I go in the summer though...I don't know what kind of people traffic there is this time of the year.

You are right.. I can't seem to find any available campsites for weekends in May.. looks like I might have to scrap this

 

[dderidex]

Why on earth would you want to go "camping" in an area with 10,000 other people?

That's not really "camping", now, is it?

Come over to Oregon, where we have REAL wilderness! (And gorgeous sites to see!)

 

[JoeKing]

Originally posted by: screw3d

Originally posted by: CheapArse
The valley is the main attraction or so it seems. Its the most crowded part of Yosemite and its what most people think of when they think of Yosemite. We went down the the valley 1 year for a day...havn't been back since. IMO its rather boring compared and the crowds is not something that is fun.

I go in the summer though...I don't know what kind of people traffic there is this time of the year.

You are right.. I can't seem to find any available campsites for weekends in May.. looks like I might have to scrap this

If you're willing to spend a little dough, a real gem of a place to stay at is Big Creek Inn

GF and I had a great time there last spring.