A great view of Half Dome from a campsite in Lower Pines Campground.
Photo: NPS Photo / Sheree Peshlakai
About
Lower Pines is located along the Merced River in Yosemite Valley. Yosemite Valley is centrally located in the park and boasts some of Yosemite’s most iconic features. This campground is located at 4,000 feet (1,219 m) elevation and can be accessed from all park roads. Lower Pines is within biking and walking distance of many services and trailheads in Yosemite Valley and is located on the free shuttle route. There are food and grocery services nearby at Curry Village and Yosemite Village.
Campsites
Location
9024 Southside Drive
Yosemite, CA 95389
Fees
Hours
Lower Pines is open seasonally typically from mid-April to mid-October for tents, RVs (up to 40 ft.), and trailers (up to 35 ft.). All sites are available by reservation only.
Reservations
Reservations are required seasonally when Lower Pines is open (mid-April through late October). Campground reservations are available in blocks of one month at a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all campground reservations in Yosemite for the months of May through September and for some other weekends are filled the first day they become available, usually within seconds or minutes after 7 am Pacific time.
Make a Reservation →Directions
From Hwy. 140/Arch Rock Entrance, continue driving west on the El Portal Road 8 miles to Yosemite Valley. From Hwy. 41/South Entrance drive 33 miles north (approximately 1 hour) on the Wawona Road to Yosemite Valley. From Hwy. 120 west/Big Oak Flat Entrance, drive 23 miles (approximately 45 minutes) on the Big Oak Flat Road to Yosemite Valley. From Hwy. 120 east/Tioga Pass, Yosemite Valley is approximately a two-hour drive. In Yosemite Valley follow Southside Drive and signs for Valley campgrounds.
Weather
Yosemite National Park covers nearly 1,200 square miles (3,100 square km) in the Sierra Nevada, with elevations ranging from about 2,000 feet (600 m) to 13,000 ft (4,000 m). Yosemite receives 95% of its precipitation between October and May (and over 75% between November and March). Most of Yosemite is blanketed in snow from about November through May. (The Valley can be rainy or snowy in any given winter storm.)
Accessibility
The following campsites are suitable for wheelchairs and include picnic tables with extended tops. The closest restrooms to these campsites are also wheelchair accessible. These campsites are limited to people with disabilities. Lower Pines: sites 7, 13, 14, 18, and 20
Wood fires are permitted all year, however, from May through September, campfires in Yosemite Valley are only allowed between 5 pm and 10 pm (campfires are allowed at any time from October through April). Charcoal fires are allowed at any time.
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Lower Pines: 73 sites with space for tents, RVs up to 40 feet, and trailers up to 35 feet. Not every site can accommodate equipment of these lengths. Be sure to read the site details when making a reservation on recreation.gov to ensure your equipment will fit into the site you're reserving. When making online reservations, you can filter available sites by entering the length of your RV.
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Each campsite contains a <b>fire ring</b>, <b>picnic table</b>, and a <b>food locker</b> and is near a <b>bathroom with drinking water and flushing toilets</b>. In Upper Pines food lockers measure 35"(D)x43"(W)x28"(H). <b>Groceries:</b> Nearby (Yosemite Village and Curry Village) <b>Showers:</b> Yosemite Valley (Curry Village) <b>Dump Station:</b> Nearby (Upper Pines Campground)
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The following campsites are suitable for wheelchairs and include picnic tables with extended tops. The closest restrooms to these campsites are also wheelchair accessible. These campsites are limited to people with disabilities. Lower Pines: sites 7, 13, 14, 18, and 20
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Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Developed Campground