Red's Meadow Valley
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:02 pm
Hi gang, we're taking off for our annual 395 car camping extravaganza in our (small) RV this weekend. As per our usual, other than Mono Vista in Lee Vining (which we've been going to for years due to their awesome shower facilities), we don't have any reservations; we wing it the entire time, which is just the way a cat likes to travel.
Actually, our itinerary requires winging it, because we're going to be staying @ Tuolumne and Red's Meadow valley for a few nights. While the Tuolumne meadows campground is 1/2 reservable, the other 1/2 is pure first-come, first-served. According to a host @ Upper pines in the Valley (can't get hold of anyone in TM since the phone lines are down), people show up by 8am to put their names down on a list, and then they figure out availability by the noon check-out.
Even more flighty are all the Inyo NF campsites, including Tioga, Ellery and the entire Red's Meadow valley area, which are 100% first-come, first-served. What makes the RMV even more challenging is you can't drive your vehicle down to the area unless you're camping. But if you can't reserve a camping spot, how do you know you can camp or not ie if anything is available?
Well, I hounded the poor folks at the Mammoth RS for some input, and this is what I got: you drive up to the kiosk @ Minaret vista, tell them you're camping, and they call down to the campground you'd like to go to to check on availability. Alternatively, the camp hosts periodically update them with availability so that they have a running total. Bottom line is, if they have space, you pay the $10 toll and proceed on your merry way. However, if they're sold out, you need to make a U-turn, since you can't drive down between 7am-7pm. (You can take the shuttle if you still want to go down for the day.)
Ok, so much for background. Since we're going to be up in that region during the early part of the week, and will be getting to each location by 7-8am each day, I don't think we'll have a problem actually getting a spot. But, I do have a question for Mammoth-philes:
There are 6 campgrounds in the RMV (actually, 5 since Agnew's is closed) from north to south. I've only been down there a few times, and never to camp, so I never paid attention to any specifics regarding each location:
1. Upper Soda springs
2. Pumice flat
3. Minaret falls
4. Devil's PP
5. Red's meadow
Question: what order of preference would you pick? That is, if I show up at the kiosk and I say I'd like to stay @ XYZ, and they reply that it's sold out, what order would you pick going down the line until you either got a spot, or found out the entire valley was sold out and you'd have to turn around and leave?
Marksor? Thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
Actually, our itinerary requires winging it, because we're going to be staying @ Tuolumne and Red's Meadow valley for a few nights. While the Tuolumne meadows campground is 1/2 reservable, the other 1/2 is pure first-come, first-served. According to a host @ Upper pines in the Valley (can't get hold of anyone in TM since the phone lines are down), people show up by 8am to put their names down on a list, and then they figure out availability by the noon check-out.
Even more flighty are all the Inyo NF campsites, including Tioga, Ellery and the entire Red's Meadow valley area, which are 100% first-come, first-served. What makes the RMV even more challenging is you can't drive your vehicle down to the area unless you're camping. But if you can't reserve a camping spot, how do you know you can camp or not ie if anything is available?
Well, I hounded the poor folks at the Mammoth RS for some input, and this is what I got: you drive up to the kiosk @ Minaret vista, tell them you're camping, and they call down to the campground you'd like to go to to check on availability. Alternatively, the camp hosts periodically update them with availability so that they have a running total. Bottom line is, if they have space, you pay the $10 toll and proceed on your merry way. However, if they're sold out, you need to make a U-turn, since you can't drive down between 7am-7pm. (You can take the shuttle if you still want to go down for the day.)
Ok, so much for background. Since we're going to be up in that region during the early part of the week, and will be getting to each location by 7-8am each day, I don't think we'll have a problem actually getting a spot. But, I do have a question for Mammoth-philes:
There are 6 campgrounds in the RMV (actually, 5 since Agnew's is closed) from north to south. I've only been down there a few times, and never to camp, so I never paid attention to any specifics regarding each location:
1. Upper Soda springs
2. Pumice flat
3. Minaret falls
4. Devil's PP
5. Red's meadow
Question: what order of preference would you pick? That is, if I show up at the kiosk and I say I'd like to stay @ XYZ, and they reply that it's sold out, what order would you pick going down the line until you either got a spot, or found out the entire valley was sold out and you'd have to turn around and leave?
Marksor? Thoughts, opinions, suggestions?