Although there are plenty of campgrounds within the Valley and all other major areas of the park, reservations can often be hard to come by. This could be a problem for you, as you probably hate planning ahead as much as I do. Basically, camping in the Valley results in convenience winning over spontaneity.

Another consideration when camping in the Valley is that you will need to be hyper-aware of the many rules and regulations strictly enforced by the Park Rangers, who are quick to give expensive tickets for things like leaving a cooler outside, driving over the speed limit, or having any glass bottles.

There are also two expensive hotels located in the Valley, but these are not an option for those traveling on a budget. If you get a chance, you should take a look at the decadent lobby of the Ahwahnee Lodge, it's beautiful. Also, if you're in need of a shower after a long hike, you can pay $2 at the Hotel and use their swimming pool and showers.

Camping Outside The Park: Bear Lovers Paradise!
Camping outside the park offers a more relaxed environment. Here you won't be under the watchful eye of park rangers rightfully obsessed with quiet hours and bear safety. Also, the atmosphere tends to attract mostly independent travelers and international mixes of people rather than the families who tend to stay within Yosemite Valley.

Although there are many campgrounds just east of Groveland, my favorite has always been Yosemite Lakes. Strangely enough, there are no lakes directly at the campsite, but there are lots of tent sites, a gas station on site (there are no gas stations within the park), and a general store.

There are little cabins for you to rent as well, but the highlight of this otherwise normal campground is its loyal nightly visitors: black bears. Now, if you're even the least bit squeamish, this is not the place for you to set up your tent. The bears are HUGE and they topple over the dumpsters only a few feet from the tents every night.

When I asked the proprietors why they didn't get bear-safe containers, they gave me many different and equally evasive answers. From "well, you don't want the bears to eat YOU, do you?" to "we don't have enough money" to "well, they seem to have become part of the attraction here, I mean, you come here for the bears don't you?"

Fair enough, whatever the reason, the bears ARE the top attraction for this adventurer. We even had the bears (lovingly known as "Cinnamon" and "Boomer") squeeze between our two tents, breathing heavily and giving us a fright as well as a great story to tell. If you leave them alone, they're harmless scavengers, just don't leave anything in your tent that even remotely smells like food.

Heard enough about the bears? Here's some other important information. Make sure you get a site as close to the bathrooms at the top of the hill as possible, otherwise you're going to be huffing and puffing your way to the shower in the morning. Also, remember that it will take you about 45 minutes to get to the Visitor Center in Yosemite Valley, and about a half hour to the grove of redwoods at Tuolumne Meadows. Are you willing to brave it? Call Yosemite Lakes to make a reservation.

©1999 Emma Beyn. Reproduction of this work and photographic images in whole or in part, including reproduction in electronic media, without the expressed written permission of the author is prohibited.