Tuolumne Meadows Overview

Tuolumne Meadows Campground has 304 single-family campsites and is located in spectacular Yosemite National Park at an elevation of 8,600 feet. There are also 4 equestrian campsites and 7 group sites (no RVs). The backpackers campground is also within the campground with access to the John Muir Trail trailhead.

The campground is generally open late June to late September (weather permitting).  It is located approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Yosemite Valley but a small store, grill, and post office are located nearby in Tuolumne Meadows. Amenities include potable (drinking) water, flush toilets and trash collection. A sanitation dump station is also nearby.  Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center is also within walking distance of the campground.

Campsites can accommodate tents, trailers and RVs (up to 35 feet). There are no electric, water or sewer hook-ups at this campground. It is also ‘generator free’.  Each campsite has a paved parking spur, table, food storage locker (35 inches deep x 43 inches wide x 28 inches high), fire ring and grate. Up to 2 motor vehicles are allowed per campsite (trailers don’t count as a vehicle). All vehicle’s wheels must be on the paved parking surface. Overflow parking is also available.

Typically about half of the campsites can be reserved and the rest are first-come first-serve. Yosemite’s reservable campsites are available up to five months in advance on the 15th of each month at 7:00 a.m. (PT) or 10:00 a.m. (ET). For example, on January 15, the time period May 15 to June 14 becomes available to reserve, and therefore, the full booking window would be from January 16 to June 14.

Tuolumne Meadows – Area Recreation & Activities

The area embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada, and visitors can enjoy beautiful alpine meadows, granite domes, the Tuolumne River and seasonal wildflowers. Outdoor recreation includes hiking, rock climbing, backpacking, biking, fishing, picnicking and wildlife viewing.

The 4.8-mile roundtrip trail to Elizabeth Lake begins in the campground and climbs to a glacier-carved lake at the base of Unicorn Peak. Other trails in Tuolumne Meadows include Soda Springs and Parsons Lodge, Lyell Canyon via the John Muir Trail, Cathedral Lakes, Mono Pass, and Glen Aulin. Nearby Tenaya Lake is a magnificent spot for picnicking, swimming and canoeing.

Tuolumne Meadows’ seasonal free shuttle bus stops at the campground entrance, and provides service between Tioga Pass/Gaylor Lakes Trailhead and Olmsted Point.  The bus will also stop at at various viewpoints along the way.

Other campgrounds in Yosemite National Park include: Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona, Hodgdon Meadow and Crane Flat.

Make a Reservation for Tuolumne Meadows

Amenities

• Amphitheater
• BBQ Grills
• Camp Store
• Campfire Center
• Campground Host
• Campsite Tables
• Cell Service Poor
• Comfort Station
• Concessionaire
• Drinking Water
• Dump Station
• Equestrian Facilities
• Equestrian trail
• Fire Pit
• Fire Rings
• Firewood Available
• Food Storage Locker
• Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
• Grills
• Ice
• Overflow Parking
• Pets OK
• Picnic Tables
• Ranger Station
• Recycling Center
• Restrooms (Flush Toilets)
• Trash Collection
• Visitor Center
• Wood

Activities

• Backpacking
• Biking
• Bird Watching
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historic Sites
• Horseback riding
• Interpretive Programs
• Mountain Biking
• Nature Programs
• Photography
• Picnicking
• Rock Climbing
• Stargazing
• Swimming
• Wilderness Area
• Wildlife Viewing