Yosemite National Park official planning data

Official park context

Yosemite National Park covers nearly 1,200 square miles (3,100 square km) in the Sierra Nevada, with elevations ranging from about 2,000 feet (600 m) to 13,000 ft (4,000 m). Yosemite receives 95% of its precipitation between October and May (and over 75% between November and March). Most of Yosemite is blanketed in snow from about November through May. (Yosemite Valley can be rainy or snowy in any given winter storm.)

You can drive to Yosemite year-round and enter via Highways 41, 140, and 120 from the west. Tioga Pass Entrance (via Highway 120 from the east) is closed from approximately November through late May or June. Hetch Hetchy is open all year but may close intermittently due to snow. Please note that GPS units do not always provide accurate directions to or within Yosemite.

Current alerts in the NPS snapshot

• Yosemite Traffic Updates Information

  When the park is extremely busy, you can get updates on current traffic conditions in Yosemite by texting ynptraffic to 333111.

Visitor centers and planning stops

Visitor center records help decide whether to start with a map, restroom, ranger question or same-day route check before a gentle trail.

• Big Oak Flat Information Station

  The Big Oak Flat Information Station has an information desk, wilderness permit desk, and Yosemite Conservancy bookstore. In the winter, self-registration wilderness permits for the Crane Flat area and Tioga Road trailheads only, are available on the front porch. You must bring your own bear canister when the information station is closed. Designated accessible parking spaces are available in front of the facility. This facility is wheelchair accessible.

• Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center

  The Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center has an information desk, Yosemite Conservancy bookstore, and an exhibit area detailing the area's geology, plant and animal life, and history. A designated accessible parking space and entrance are available. From the main parking lot, drive up the service road to the visitor center. Park in the designated accessible parking space and follow the paved path in front of the visitor center to the rear entrance. Accessible restrooms are adjacent to the main parkin

• Wawona Visitor Center at Hill's Studio

  The Wawona Visitor Center has an information desk, wilderness permit desk, and Yosemite Conservancy bookstore. It includes an exhibit of Thomas Hill’s work, recreating a "salon hanging"—paintings covering the wall from floor to ceiling, typical of Victorian galleries in the nineteenth century. In the winter, self-registration wilderness permits are available on the front porch. You must bring your own bear canister when the information station is closed. This facility is wheelchair accessible.

• Yosemite Valley Welcome Center

  The Yosemite Valley Welcome Center is the destination for visitor information in Yosemite Valley. The welcome center has an information desk, informational exhibits, and a Yosemite Conservancy bookstore. The welcome center is located near Yosemite Village Parking and the Village Store in Yosemite Valley (shuttle stops 1 and 2.) In the winter, self-registration wilderness permits for Yosemite Valley trailheads are available. This facility is wheelchair accessible.

Campground logistics near route planning

Campground records are useful when a trail day starts or ends from inside the park. Treat reservation and site counts as planning context, not live availability.

• Bridalveil Creek Campground

  The Bridalveil Creek Campground is located along the Glacier Point Road near Bridalveil Creek and is surrounded by a beautiful forest of red fir and lodgepole pine. At an elevation of 7,200 feet (2,200m) the campground is located 7 miles west of Glacier Point, 9 miles east of the Wawona Road turnoff, and is approximately 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley. The spectacular views from Glacier Point are nearby, and numerous hiking trails are located along the Glacier Point Road. There are no services

• Camp 4 Campground

  Camp 4 is located in Yosemite Valley near the base of granite cliffs close to Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Valley is centrally located in the park and boasts some of Yosemite’s most iconic features. This campground is located at 4,000 feet (1,200 m) elevation and can be accessed from all park roads. Camp 4 is within biking and walking distance of many services in Yosemite Valley and is located near the free shuttle route. There are food and grocery services nearby at Yosemite Valley Lodge and Yosemi

• Crane Flat Campground

  The Crane Flat Campground is located along the Big Oak Flat Road, just west of Crane Flat, about 30 minutes northwest of Yosemite Valley, at 6,200 ft (1,900 m) elevation. There is a gas station and minimal convenience items located nearby at Crane Flat. Trailheads for both the Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias are located within a short drive of the campground.

• Hodgdon Meadow Campground

  Hodgdon Meadow Campground is conveniently located along the Big Oak Flat Road at the Big Oak Flat Entrance. At an elevation of 4,900 feet (1,219 m), the campground is located along the western edge of the park, 25 miles and approximately 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley. There is a gas station and minimal convenience items located nearby at Crane Flat. Trailheads for both the Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias are located within a short drive of the campground.

• Lower Pines Campground

  Lower Pines is located along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is centrally located in the park and boasts some of Yosemite’s most iconic features. This campground is located at 4,000 feet (1,219 m) elevation and can be accessed from all park roads. Lower Pines is within biking and walking distance of many services and trailheads in Yosemite Valley and is located on the free shuttle route. There are food and grocery services nearby at Curry Village and Yosemite Village.

• North Pines Campground

  North Pines is located along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is centrally located in the park and boasts some of Yosemite’s most iconic features. This campground is located at 4,000 feet (1,219 m) elevation and can be accessed from all park roads. North Pines is within biking and walking distance of many services and trailheads in Yosemite Valley and is located on the free shuttle route. There are food and grocery services nearby at Curry Village and Yosemite Village.

• Porcupine Flat Campground

  Porcupine Flat Campground is located off the Tioga Road about 30 minutes west of Tuolumne Meadows and over an hour from Yosemite Valley. RVs and Trailers are not recommended for the narrow roads in this more primitive campground. At an elevation of 8,100 feet (2,500 m) elevation, the campground is near Porcupine Creek, which is the only water source (must be filtered, treated, or boiled). The Porcupine Creek Trailhead is nearby. There are no visitor services close to the campground.

• Tamarack Flat Campground

  Tamarack Flat Campground is located off the Tioga Road just east of Crane Flat. The campground is approximately 20 miles (45 minutes) from Yosemite Valley and is tucked away in the forest 3 miles off Tioga Road. RVs and Trailers are not recommended for this harder to access, and more primitive campground. At an elevation of 6,300 feet (1,900 m) elevation, the campground is near Tamarack Creek, which is the only water source (must be filtered, treated, or boiled). There is a gas station nearby at

Fees and operating-hours clues