Upper Pines or Wawona: choosing a Yosemite campground

Upper Pines is the largest campground in Yosemite Valley: you wake under tall pines with Half Dome above the trees and the Mist Trail a short walk away. Wawona sits 27 miles (about 45 minutes) south by the South Fork of the Merced River, in a quieter corner of the park close to the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. Pick Upper Pines if your days revolve around the Valley's waterfalls and big walls; pick Wawona if you want the sequoias, a calmer campground and are happy to drive for Valley days (NPS campgrounds; Wawona).

Upper Pines: sleeping in Yosemite Valley#

Upper Pines has 236 sites at about 4,000 ft at the eastern end of the Valley, and it is open all year (NPS campgrounds). The free Valley shuttle stops at its entrance, so you can leave the car parked for the whole stay (Upper Pines booking page).

The location is the whole point. The trailhead for Vernal and Nevada Falls, and for the long day to Half Dome, is at nearby Happy Isles, which makes Upper Pines the natural base for an early start on the Mist Trail. Our guide to Half Dome and the Mist Trail covers those routes and the permit. Gentler days begin here too: the Mirror Lake Trail starts at shuttle stop 17 and is 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip to the lake on a mostly paved path, or 5 miles (8 km) for the full loop, with only about 100 ft of climbing. The lake is fullest in spring and early summer, when Tenaya Creek runs with snowmelt, and shrinks to a meadow later in the year.

Curry Village, a short walk away, has food and the park's paid showers at the pool showerhouse. The trade-off is that the Valley is the busiest part of Yosemite, and Upper Pines feels it: sites are close together and the campground is full most of the year.

Wawona: the quieter south#

Wawona has 95 sites, also at about 4,000 ft, along the South Fork of the Merced near the park's South Entrance. It has a slower, small-settlement feel, with a gas station open all year and the Yosemite History Center, a collection of historic cabins, horse-drawn wagons and a covered bridge that were moved here from around the park in the 1950s and 1960s.

The walks start close by (Wawona day hikes):

• Wawona Meadow Loop: 3.5 miles (5.6 km), nearly flat, two to three hours. It is the only trail in Yosemite where bicycles and leashed pets are allowed.
• Swinging Bridge: 0.6 miles to a footbridge and swimming spot on the river.
• Chilnualna Falls: 8.2 miles (13 km) round trip with 2,400 ft (732 m) of climbing, five to seven hours. The lower cascade is visible a quarter of a mile from the trailhead, so even a short walk is rewarded.

The big draw is the Mariposa Grove, home to more than 500 mature giant sequoias, including the roughly 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. The 0.3-mile Big Trees Loop is wheelchair accessible, and the 2-mile Grizzly Giant Loop takes in the best-known trees. There is no shuttle from Wawona to the grove: you drive to the Welcome Plaza near the South Entrance and ride the grove shuttle from there. In 2026 it runs 8 am to 5 pm until 31 October and 8 am to 3:30 pm in November.

Wawona's downside is the drive. Each Valley day means 27 miles each way on a winding mountain road, plus finding parking in the Valley once you arrive.

Side by side#

Figures are from the NPS campground table and the Wawona booking page. Every site also has a picnic table and a food locker. Note the trailer limit: anyone towing more than 24 ft should look at Wawona rather than Upper Pines, and an individual pad can be smaller than the campground maximum.

Which one, and how to combine them#

For a first visit of two or three nights, Upper Pines is the easier choice. You can see Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake and Vernal Fall without moving the car, and be at Happy Isles at first light.

With four nights or more, a split works well: two nights at Wawona for an early start at the Mariposa Grove and a walk to Chilnualna Falls, then two nights at Upper Pines for the Valley. You drive the 27 miles only once.

Wawona is also the better pick for towing a long trailer, travelling with a dog that needs a trail to walk on, or simply wanting less noise. Upper Pines wins if you want to walk or take the shuttle everywhere.

Getting a reservation#

Both campgrounds are booked on Recreation.gov in five-month blocks. Sites are released on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time, five months ahead, and the most popular dates go within minutes (NPS reservations). For example, an arrival on 20 July falls in the 15 July to 14 August block, released on 15 March. Log in before release time with a shortlist of suitable sites, and remember the clock is California time.

Read the site type before you click. NPS explains that most sites are "standard nonelectric", fine for a tent or an RV, while "RV nonelectric" sites usually lack level ground for a tent. Each site takes a maximum of two vehicles, parked on the pad. Check-in and check-out are at noon. If you are delayed, call the campground: if you have not checked in or made contact by noon after your first night, you lose the whole reservation.

A campsite does not include park entry. The private-vehicle pass is $35 for seven days, and from 2026 non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 per person unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass (entrance fees). Yosemite dropped its timed vehicle-reservation system for 2026 and managed summer traffic on the day instead (NPS news release).

Campground facts, seasons and fees were checked on 8 October 2026.