The natural beauty and scenic climes offered at Yosemite National Park compel many tourists to visit it by daytime, but making your Yosemite camping reservations in time will work to ensure you have a head-start on the madding crowds that can gather on a good day, some of whom only come on a day-trip.



To avoid the excessive traffic and to get a good view of the magnificent mountains at Yosemite camping, reservations is the way to go and also cut-back on any disappointment at not getting the perfect camping spot if staying over for the night. If you intend to make only a day-trip, then making Yosemite camping reservations is not necessary

You may have to remember thought that whether or not you intend to stay for the day or over-night camping at Yosemite, the entrance fees are applicable to you as a visitor; these are $20 for private cars or trucks and a license to come and go as you please for a full week! Those footing, biking or riding (horse-back) it to Yosemite will find this entrance pass at a discounted price of $10 per person while frequent visitors (coming many times in the year), senior citizens and disabled persons have discounted entrance passes available for them - you may need to enquire at the park to know about these.

You may find yourself spoilt for choice when making Yosemite camping reservations as there are over a dozen campgrounds to choose from there and all can be very competitive during different times in the year. For example, the Yosemite camping reservations for availing car campgrounds is open all year through in Yosemite Valley while Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat or Wawona camp sites can be made from summer season right through Fall. Besides these, about half the camping grounds at Tuolumne Meadows ask for reservations from Summer to Fall with the other Yosemite campgrounds operating on a first-come, first-serve basis purely.

Those keen on making their Yosemite camping reservations need to go through the National Park Reservation System, which is a little daunting for some and even with its 4 month in advance booking convenience, can be bothersome since it works on a strict schedule, beginning always on the 15th of the month, depending mostly on when you intend to make your arrival on the mountain scene.

You can book up to a period of 30 days, which is welcome but this - booking starting mid-month - can be confusing to say the least. For instance, if you want to visit Yosemite from December 15th to January 14th, August 15th is the first day you can make your reservations and if intending to visit between 15th January to 14th Feb, you need to book on 15th September and the list goes on. The summer to Fall season is most popular with all-full signs meeting you square in the face as reservations get picked up within hours of the first day, though you can strike lucky when checking back for cancellations.