Yosemite Backpackers Campgrounds Explained
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I remember my first ever backpacking trip. It was in Yosemite, me and my partner were arriving after dark, and we were trying to figure out what the heck the backpackers campground was and where it was! We wandered around the parking lots near Curry Village and Lower Pines – in the dark – for probably 30 minutes wondering what the heck we were going to do if we couldn’t find it!
This was 10 years ago when I had only been to Yosemite once before as an adult, it was not for backpacking, and I was confused as heck. But, I eventually figured it out and after a dozen backpacking trips in Yosemite, I have camped in nearly all of the park’s backpackers campgrounds since that first confusing night!
I’m going to spell it all out for you: what the Yosemite National Park’s backpacker’s campgrounds are, where to find them, what you need to know about staying at them, who’s allowed to stay there, and answer all of your lingering questions!
Yosemite Backpackers Campgrounds: What Are They
Simply put, the Yosemite backpackers campgrounds are areas for backpackers to camp before and after their wilderness trips! It is really amazing of Yosemite to have these camps for backpackers considering how popular the park is!
There are 4 backpackers campgrounds in Yosemite, all in different areas of the incredibly large park.
Backpackers campgrounds are not car camping campgrounds, even though they are located in the “frontcountry”, often adjacent or part of a designated campground.
🏕️ If you are trying to learn how to car camp in Yosemite, check out this post.
How To Stay In A Backpackers Campground
There are a few ways to qualify to stay in the backpackers campgrounds, and you have to fall into one of these categories:
- Have a valid backpacking wilderness reservation or permit
- Arrived in Yosemite by bicycle
- Arrived in Yosemite by foot (like on a JMT or PCT thru hike)
- Arrived in Yosemite via public transportation (YARTS)
You are not allowed to stay consecutive nights in the same backpackers campground. If you have a backpacking permit, you are allowed to stay one night before and one night after your trip in a backpacker’s camp.
If you arrived by bicycle, foot, or YARTS, you are allowed to stay consecutive nights in the backpackers campgrounds, but you must change campgrounds each night. You also cannot stay in a backpackers campground more than once (aka you can’t stay in the valley, go to Tuolumne Meadows, and then come back to the valley).
You can only stay in the backpackers campground if the main campground is also open.
Backpackers Campground Layout & Amenities
Backpackers campgrounds do not have a lot of amenities. They all have a pit toilet, bear lockers for food, and some picnic tables. You can usually get potable water from the car camping campground next door.
The North Pines and Tuolumne Meadows campgrounds have a car unloading station with only 3-5 parking spaces and a 15 minute time limit a short walk away from the actual campground. Hetch Hetchy’s parking lot is right next to the campground and you’re allowed to leave your car there. I’m not entire sure where you park for White Wolf since it’s the only one I haven’t camped at! But probably at one of the trailheads nearby or along the road.
There are defined sites – kind of. There are stakes in the ground with a number on them, and there are corresponding bear lockers. But you don’t “own” a site when you arrive there. These campgrounds can get incredibly busy during the summer season, and you will probably share your site with another group. Be friendly and have a good attitude.
Locations of the Yosemite Backpackers Campgrounds
There are 4 backpackers campgrounds dispersed around the park. Two on Tioga Road, one in Hetch Hetchy, and one in Yosemite Valley. It’s nice for them to be in different areas so you can choose the one closest to the start and end of your backpacking trip.
Yosemite Valley: North Pines Backpackers Campground Map
GPS Coordinates: 37.743993, -119.566625
Overnight parking options: Curry Village Overflow, Valley Trailhead Parking, Happy Isles Loop road ONLY between Curry Village and the Pines campground turn-off by Stoneman Meadow.
Hetch Hetchy Backpackers Campground Map
GPS Coordinates: 37.943799, -119.786132
Overnight parking options: Parking lot next to the backpacker’s campground
Tuolumne Meadows Backpackers Campground Map
GPS Coordinates: 37.87324, -119.35395
Overnight parking options: Along Tioga Road, Lembert Dome parking lot, or the trailhead parking past Lembert Dome towards the PCT.
White Wolf Backpackers Campground Map
Notice: the White Wolf Campground and backpackers camp will not open in 2025 due to sewer line issues.
GPS Coordinates: 37.871869, -119.648208
Overnight parking options: Lukens Lake parking lot, along the White Wolf road.
How to Register and Pay For Your Stay
When you arrive at a backpackers campground, you’ll see a sign and box area. There are instructions for how to register and pay in the box. The camps cost $8/person per night.
You will need to have the recreation.gov mobile phone app downloaded, and you will scan the QR code at the campground from the app’s “scan” tab. Amazingly, this works even without service!
You will pay for the campground through this app.
There will also be tags for your tent at the check-in kiosk. Fill one out entirely and make sure you tie it to your tent. I usually attach it to my tent via a guyline or my tent stake.
Because these campgrounds are attached to car camping campgrounds, camp host volunteers do come through the sites every night and morning checking for tags and to see your wilderness permit. Don’t try to swindle the park service.
My Experience Staying In the Backpackers Campgrounds
I’ve stayed in the North Pines and Tuolumne Meadows backpackers campgrounds multiple times and the Hetch Hetchy one once. I haven’t had the chance to stay at the White Wolf one yet.
As I talked about above, my first time trying to figure out the backpackers campground in the valley was a nightmare. It was pitch black, we didn’t know we could unload our car near the sites, and we ended up wandering around in the dark in a place neither of us had been. We were a mess, but we eventually made it because we ran into a ranger who was chasing a bear away from the campgrounds (lol).
Once the sun came up it was so obvious where we were and where everything was! So the darkness really makes a difference. Now, it’s not intimidating for me to arrive at night, but I know it probably seems intimidating if it’s your first time.
What I’ve done on subsequent visits is drive my car into the North Pines campground, staying to the right. Once you pass the camp host and first set of bathrooms, you’re going to see a small pullout on the right and it’s labeled as timed parking for the backpacker’s campground.
The timing isn’t heavily monitored, but just be aware that other people may need to park here too and don’t lollygag. I grab my stuff, use the trail to walk over to the camping area, set up my tent, put my food in the bear box, then walk over to the kiosk to pay for my stay. Then I go get my car, drive it over to overnight parking (usually near Curry Village), and then walk back to the campground.
I do the same thing with the Tuolumne Meadows campground, though the walk back to the campground is much longer after parking the car.
There have been a few times in the campgrounds where it’s been incredibly crowded and my tent is pitched super awkwardly in a site that isn’t a real site. That’s just how it goes.
Campground Etiquette
Aside from following official campground rules and the “golden rule” (treat others the way you want to be treated) – there are a few things you should keep in mind when staying in the backpackers campgrounds to be courteous to your fellow campers.
“Hiker Midnight” is 9:00 pm
“Hiker Midnight” is called that because 9:00 pm is usually considered “late” for backpackers, and many are trying to go to sleep at that time. The sun has gone down, and they usually have to wake up early the next day to get hiking.
Basically, you should be quiet after 9:00 pm – it’s just courteous. The official quiet hour for campgrounds in Yosemite begins at 10:00 pm and ends at 6:00 am. So don’t make noise after that time, and if you’re waking up super early to start hiking, don’t make loud noise before 6:00 am.
Be Mindful of Your Headlamp
There have been SO MANY times I’m trying to get to sleep in the backpackers campground and someone comes in with their headlamp at full brightness on the white light (instead of using the night-friendly red light) and it seems to be shining right into my tent.
If you’re arriving after dark, just be mindful of your headlamp. Point it towards the ground, and don’t shine it on others tents. Use the red light if you have one. People are trying to sleep.
Keep Groups Together
If you’re in a group with multiple tents, keep your tents close together and stick to one area. Don’t scatter your tents all over the place like you own the entire campground. I’ve seen people do this and then constantly walk through other people’s little areas to get to their friend’s spot, or they’re yelling across half the campground to talk to the rest of their group and it’s just kind of confusing.
Obviously, if you’re in a group and you arrive late and the campground is packed, that’s a different story – you’ll probably need to scatter. Just don’t go yelling at each other from across the campground.
Backpackers Campground FAQs
I don’t have a permit for backpacking – can I stay here?
The backpackers campgrounds are only for people with backpacking permits or people who entered Yosemite by YARTS or on foot or bicycle.
Are the backpackers campgrounds open year-round?
No. They are only open at the same time as the car camping campground associated with it. The exception is Hetch Hetchy – that one is open year-round. Check the opening dates of car camping campgrounds here.
Can you make a reservation for the backpackers campground?
No, you are not allowed to and you don’t need to.
Am I guaranteed a spot at a backpackers campground if I arrive late at night?
These campgrounds are first-come, first-served. But, they’re kind of a hot mess and tents are pitched literally everywhere. So, you are pretty much guaranteed to find some kind of spot at the campground, even if it’s not very comfy.
Remember though, Hetch Hetchy gates are only open certain hours of the day. You must arrive at Hetch Hetchy before the gates close to get a spot in that campground!
Do I need to stay in the campground closest to my trailhead?
No, you’re not required to, and sometimes you won’t be able to depending on campground opening and closing dates!
I recommend you be as strategic as possible though with where you stay. I think it makes the most sense to stay close to your trailhead the night before your trip, and then maybe stay at a different one closer to your drive out of the park the night your trip ends.
Are there parking spaces available?
There are no parking spaces available next to your tent site at the backpackers camp. You will need to park your car overnight elsewhere and walk to the campground.
Next Steps
Alright! That’s how you stay in the Yosemite backpackers campgrounds. Next step is to plan your Yosemite backpacking trip and get a wilderness permit to backpack in the park. Then you can stay at these secret hidden campgrounds!
If you have any questions about these campsites, leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to help you out!
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