High Sierra Topix

I'm staying in the Yosemite valley North Pines campground for a few days and then the backpacker's campground the night before my trail permit for the JMT starts in mid-August. Just curious ... are the valley campgrounds an RV heaven? I'm expecting it to be pretty noisy, but are tent campers in the minority in these areas?

The bpers cg at TM is pretty quiet, it is up a hill, above the bustle, the main cg has the usual mix of rv's and such though. As is the law, quiet by 10:00 PM. I dont' mind it, I've stayed there about three times now and I am one who at the end of a week trip, says, back to civilization. For the start of a trip, not bad, if you have been out for a bit, may be a dose of civiliazation you missed or care to be without, nice to be able to hit a store for some real food.

I've camped in the Valley for many years. It is what it is. For the most part its fine. It's not backcountry camping so don't expect to come close to that experience. However, it is YOSEMITE and it's still beautiful. A loud and rowdy camper can ruin the experience. On the other hand, if your lucky and the people around you are nice, you can strike up a conversation and meet some interesting people. I've been backpacking for over 25 years and know what the backcountry is like, but I still enjoy going to Yosemite and camping out.

The backpackers camp is awesome. There are usually only a few campers there. That's where you will enjoy a better camping experience.

Enjoy your trip!

Vic

There are more and more RV 's it seems but N Pines is my favorite of the car campgnds in the Valley (as Yos Valley campgrounds go). The buses don't go right by you. You get morning light. I believe the backpackers camp is the best place to stay in the Valley, unless you've got a crowd celebrating their completion of the JMT and getting louder with each successive beer, and headlamps shining like the the grand opening of a KMART. (I sleep in a hammock and see everything.) Otherwise, it's in a cedar and Ponderosa grove just across Tenaya Creek from N Pines and it's just quiet and lovely with usually like-minded backpackers - a nice interface to true wilderness with people you can swap stories with. If you're in N Pines and then go to the BP camp, drop off your BP camping gear and then drive over to Curry or the BPers over-night lot just beyond Curry on the way to Happy Isles (better chance of getting an empty bear box here if you need to store any food or smelly stuff), park, and then walk back over to the BPers camp.

Ah, just going over all this makes me hungry for the mountains. Have a great trip.

Sierra Maclure wrote: it's in a cedar and Ponderosa grove just across Tenaya Creek from N Pines and it's just quiet and lovely with usually like-minded backpackers - a nice interface to true wilderness with people you can swap stories with.

Can't ask for a better description than that.

One thing I would suggest is to pick a site away from the Tenaya Creek bridge and the bathrooms. While I may just have been unlucky, there often seems to be some very late arrivals in the backpackers camp and you are less likely to be disturbed if you are away from their line of entry into the campground. If you move over from North Pines anytime before mid-afternoon you will probably have the place to yourself. Just watch out for the big hairy locals

I haven't stayed at North Pines but when walking through it always seems very quiet for a car/RV campground - nothing like the noise and activity elsewhere.

I have very good friends who are the assistant hosts at north pines (a great thing for impromtu overnights) and I can tell you that the campground is very quite. Ken is an avid backpacker (though his health does not alow him to do it any longer) and it might be worth picking his brain about destinations while you are there.

Sounds like I picked the best one out of the three. 90 seconds after online reservations opened, I grabbed the 76th spot out of 78! "Popular" is an understatement for these campgrounds.

II'll be in the backpacker's campground on my 4th night, before I leave. Thanks for the info on that!