Name: Upper Pines Campground
Item: Upper Pines Campground
Rating: 3
Author: percywittaker.1

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We made last minute reservations to camp here in August 2016. There is no privacy between sites and they have a ton of rules. At check in they make you sign a document stating you will not store food in your vehicle. Overall you are made to feel like a child but at the same time after camping here one night I can totally see why! Everybody and anybody camps here; a lot of people who clearly have never camped before.

We brought the bikes along and rode the bike path which was great. Other than camping in Yosemite Valley there is no reason to come to this campground. We had a lot more fun and enjoyed ourselves way more staying at some of the lesser known campgrounds in the park.

Verizon cell and data worked here. We camped in a truck camper.
9 years ago

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Upper Pines Campground is in the heart of Yosemite National Park California is situated on the valley floor near the main visitor center and 2 other campgrounds (North Pines and Lower Pines). Combined these three campgrounds are the most popular places to camp inside Yosemite National Park and therefore the campground fills up fast with reservations and first come first served camping.

Open to both tent and RV camping Upper Pines campground is the largest campground on the Valley Floor. Divided into multiple one-way loops this campground is better suited to small RV and tent campers. Officially the maximum RV sizes are RVs up to 35 feet and trailers up to 24 feet. No privacy between sites the “best” option for privacy is the “back-loop”. Sites are very close together overall in this campground.

Paved roads and parking pads with dirt campsites. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and bear box. Restrooms with running water and water spigots are located throughout. Showers are available at Half Dome Village, formerly Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp. Upper Pines is home to the only dump station on the Valley Floor.

Set on the Yosemite Valley Floor in a heavily forested setting the majority of the sites are shaded and have no views of the surrounding mountain features. This campground is closest to the Half-Dome trails. Bring the bikes to explore the entire valley floor via the paved multi-use trail and avoid the headaches of traffic. A free shuttle is also available and all of the famous hiking trails are in easy reach.

Reservations are required and must be made by calling the listed phone number or going to Recreation.gov First come first served campsites may be available due to cancellations and/ or no-shows. The process for obtaining these requires parking, near Half-Dome Village, and checking in at the campground kiosk. This is a long shot strategy and not advised.

Travelling to Yosemite Valley with a RV or trailer does require some planning. Most of the roads in to the park are steep, winding and in some cases pass through tunnels. CampgroundViews.com provides insight to help you route in this webinar recording by clicking here.

Open year round. Due to high demand this location, and all Yosemite National Park campgrounds, have instituted significant rules regarding length of stays and registration/ camping procedures. These rules change almost seasonally so do check the official NPS site for current restrictions. All food and scented items are required to be stored inside food storage lockers (don’t leave food or scented items in a vehicle!).

See the park in standard format