Cascading mountains, spectacular green valleys and high granite mountains make Yosemite National Park a great place to camp in an RV. You'll find RV campgrounds in two different areas of the park. All of the campgrounds offer easy access to trails for hiking and climbing as well as the Merced River for fishing, whitewater rafting and kayaking.
Planning Your Trip
To fish in the park or nearby rivers and streams, you'll need to purchase a California state fishing license. Buy the license online or head Yosemite Village Sport Shop or Curry Village Mountain Shop to purchase one. Make sure that you bring plenty of sunscreen and a hat to protect your skin from sunburn. Plan on storing all food, coolers, cookware and toiletries in your RV or vehicle when not in use since black bears roam the area.
Breakdown of the Park
Yosemite is broken down into two sections, including Yosemite Valley and outside the Valley. You'll find campgrounds that offer campsites for RVs in both sections, but don't expect electrical or water hookups. Instead, you'll find basic amenities, including toilets, drinking water, campfire rings and picnic tables.
Reservations
Yosemite stays busy all summer long, so reservations are a necessity. You can reserve a campsite for any day of the year, up to five months in advance, at Wawona, Upper Pines and Hodgdon Meadow campgrounds. You can reserve campsites at the other campgrounds although they're only open in the summer, from May through September.
RV Camping in Yosemite Valley
You'll find three campgrounds suitable for RVs in the Valley, including the Upper, Lower and North Pines. While the sites are shady, you won't get much privacy between campsites. From North Pines Campground, walk one mile to Mirror Lake for swimming and fishing. The valley campsites also offer access to trails and climbs up El Capital and Half Dome.
Campsites Outside the Valley
Outside Yosemite Valley, you'll find Bridalveil Creek Campground, known for the beautiful waterfall you can hike to. Hodgdon Meadow also offers RV campsites. Walk a mile to nearby North Crane Creek or the Tuolumne River's south fork to fish for trout or swim. White Wolf Campground offers campsites in the forest with access to several trails leading to Grant and Luken Lakes. Tuolumne Meadows is the Park's biggest campground. You can walk down to the Tuolumne River and fish for trout. Wawona Campground offers sites near the Mariposa Grove, a forest of giant sequoia trees you can hike to. You'll also find easy access to the south fork of the Merced River for rafting or fishing.
Activities
Bicyclists can ride on more than 12 miles of paved trails in Yosemite Valley. You can also ride you bike on regular roads with helmets required for children under 18 years of age. Rent bicycles in Yosemite Valley. For pool swimming, head to Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge. You can also swim in any of the rivers, creeks and lakes in the Park except for Hetchy Reservoir and above waterfalls. For quiet kayaking, head to Tenaya Lake.
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