[pct-l] Camping in Tuolumne/Yosemite

[Aaron Wallace]

I'm not aware of any new rules for Yosemite for 2011.  The rules that have been in place for quite awhile for backcountry camping are:

- no camping within 4 trail miles of Tuolumne Meadows.  For the JMT, this is roughly between the Ireland Lake Jct. and Upper Cathedral Lake.  There is a backpackers campground in the Tuolumne Meadows car campground, near the store, $5/night, first-come.
- if camping immediately near a High Sierra Camp, you must use the backpacker campground near the camp
- camping in Little Yosemite Valley is allowed only at the two designated campgrounds
- canisters are required unless you camp only where there are bear boxes--near the High Sierra Camps and Little Yosemite

Otherwise, in Yosemite, as long as you have a permit and a canister, you can camp wherever you want in the backcountry subject to minimum distances from water and trail and selecting durable sites--there is no requirement (outside of those above) that you camp in any designated areas. 

No reservations are needed for these backpacker campgrounds (perhaps the rangers you spoke with were thinking about the High Sierra Camps?), but you will need a wilderness permit (the PCT permit won't cover a side trip to Yosemite Valley), and those can be reserved in advance.


On Apr 23, 2011, at 8:41 AM, "Guthrie Nutter" <guthrie.nutter at gmail.com> wrote:

> What's the story about non-reserved camping along the JMT from TM to
> Yosemite?
> 
> Been on the phone, trying to get a live person to help me - getting a lot of
> mixed messages.  Need insight about where I can actually CAMP.  Getting the
> impression that TM, even Glen Aulin is a reservation only campground.  Is
> this so?  Would this mean I'd have to barrel in from Vogelsang, and then run
> out TM to pick up my resupply and try to get as far as possible all in the
> same day...?  Weird.  Was hoping to check out Yosemite, but with all these
> new 2011 rules and rangers, it sounds like a police state.  Against my inner
> child's wishes, I'm considering on ditching it.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> -- 
> www.guthrienutter.com
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