Yosemite higher elevation campgrounds- Crane Flat

[BobWilson]

Most people want to camp in Yosemite in the valley at 4000 foot. But during the warm summer days it is a lot cooler at the higher elevation campgrounds.

The first campground called Crane Flat requires reservations in summer. Elevation 6000 foot. Restroom with flush toilets, dishwashing water disposal and tap water for drinking, campfires ok, bear box. No showers or dump site here though. About a 20 minute drive to Yosemite Valley. Nearly 10 degrees cooler than the valley.

White wolf is another campground that doesn't take reservations so if you avoid arriving on the weekend you should be able to find a nice spot.

First two pictures from Crane Flat. Note convenient restrooms in background and bear box in second photo.
Next Picture from a the nearby meadow.
Fourth picture is the Merced River with El Capitan (famous climbing rock at least 2000 foot high)
Fifth picture is at 8000 foot level- White Wolf campground, pleasant 70's in the daytime while Yosemite Valley is in the 90's during August.

[BobWilson]

I reduced the picture size per Bill's recommendation and added a couple more to give more information.

Hope you like it.

[B_and_D]

Nice pictures. Is it hard to get reservations at Crane Flat? We stayed in Lower Pines last month and would like to go back to Yosemite again soon when there's more water in the falls.

[BobWilson]

Making reservations is pretty easy but it does take time for a popular place like Yosemite. The hardest thing to do is to make your commitment early enough. In the summer you need at least two months notice but more time gives you more availabilities. Holliday weekend you need even more time in advance to make the reservation. The Yosemite Valley campgrounds fills up first, then Crane Flat and then Hodgedon Meadows which is another 8 miles or so farther away from the valley but on the same road as Crane Flat. See the Yosemite map. Since both Crane Flat and Hodgedon Meadows are in the hills it is a little harder to find a big enough spot that is level.

Incidently I saw my first Trailmanor at Hodgedon Meadows in 2002 and I was convinced that I had found what we needed.

First you need to pick a range of dates and put them into the internet reservation website. http://reservations.nps.gov/

Be sure to read all of the instructions and restrictions.
If after you put in your range of dates for the campground of your choice it doesn't accept it, try different dates until you find what you want. Sometimes you have to try the next day if the system isn't working right.

They don't reserve any particular spaces so it is best to get there on the day of your reservation as early as you can so that you have a pick of the available sights. Many people come in really late and don't have a selection.

What is bad about having to make reservations is not knowing what the weather is going to be like. Most of the time between about April and October the weather is very nice. But last year they had a week choked with the smoke of local fires in the valley and a stretch of 10 days of rain in a row. In July and August you have a 90% chance of nice dry weather.

But the higher elevation campgrounds are generally quietier and more peaceful.

Good luck,

[Sinclue]

We're making plans for '05 trip. Did you use the bear boxes or did you feel the TM was secure enough, but not vulnerable?

[BobWilson]

The bears in Yosemite are really not a threat to people if you use care. Bears wander around the campsites mostly in the dark almost every night. There was one bear, affectionately called Blondie because of the color of her coat, that came in our campsite in the evening and just passed through looking for easy food. The single lady sleeping out in the open campsite next to us didn't have a tent. She found it a little intimidating to have a bear walking right next to her. She wasn't bothered by the bear but slept in the car the rest of her stay. But a tent isn't protention anyway. Half the people who camp are in tents. But bears have been known to sneak-up and grab a steak right off the grill and run if you are not guarding it.

We used the bear locker for many of our things. Inside the TM we kept things in the refrigerator and a few other things sealed and out of sight. I wasn't a bit worried. On another trip we put up a screen tent over the picnic table to keep away yellow jackets (bees) when we eat. But because I forgot to dispose of some trash in the screen tent that night, a bear tried to get the trash sack when we were away.

So keep what you can conveniently in the bear locker. This includes any food, toothpaste, trash, ice chests and anything fragrant that could attract a bear.

But in daytime you will be lucky indeed if you see a bear.

Hope this helps,
Bob