High Sierra Topix

We are planning a trip out of Yosemite starting a Mono Pass trail head. We will arrive the afternoon before and I was hoping someone could advise me on the best place to camp the night before starting out. It will be Sunday night at end of July. I don't really relish the idea of sleeping in my car in the parking lot.

the campsites up before you cross into the park along 120 from the Eastside? I love those places. Nice fishing as well as a chance to acclimate. Or were you looking for free? I think they are about 17 to 21/night. not bad at all. Gives you a chance to cull your gear as well.

Since getting a reservation or first come site at Tuolumne Meadows is probably not possible, you can try the first-come National Forest sites on the other side of Tioga Pass. (Check the Into National Forest website for the specifics on these.)

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/rec ... 6&actid=29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If (and if it's the afternoon, probably), all those are filled continue to the Mono County campgrounds further down the road. (Most of them are off the Poole Power Plant turnoff.) I've always been able to get a site at one of those, even at peak times and well past 6:00.

The Tioga Lake Campground is awesome! It's right outside of the park entrance and only a 5-10 minute drive to the Mono Pass trailhead. It's a pretty small campground but you should be able to find a spot on a Sunday afternoon. There are also other campgrounds nearby - Ellery Lake, Junction, Saddlebag Lake, and then a bunch farther down in Lee Vining Canyon.

By the way, it's illegal to camp in the pullouts inside the park - you'll get ousted from the park by a ranger if you try. No camping at trailheads. If you have a permit already you can stay in the backpacker camp at Tuolumne for 5/person on the night before and the night after - the car has to be parked in trailhead parking, but you can leave it over at the parking area for Dog Lake after dropping off stuff in the campground.

Porcupine Flat (on your way in) often has spaces when other campgrounds are full, and it's maybe 20-25 minutes from the Mono Pass trailhead.

I looked at Tioga Lake early on a Wednesday afternoon a couple years ago and it was already full up. Maybe that was unusual, but since it is the closest campground to Yosemite I would expect it to be pretty popular.

Hi Drembo,

Welcome to HST! (Going back in you history can see you have not been welcomed.)
As Tom says PF may be your best bet and is that fails that something east of
Tioga, and since its Sunday evening you may lick out since a loy of folks leave
Sunday morning or afternoon.

PS Have you already resevered a permit? If you have a permit than you can use the
Tuolumne Backpackers campground.

Backpacker campground - never fills.

Just be sure to put the pack in the bear box. The bears take them even when they are empty.

There is a small walk-in campground at the 9000 foot marker on 120 outside Yosemite. Coming from the east, there is a very large pull out on the left, and a small one on the right at the guardrail. The trail starts on the other side of the guardrail. It is about 1/8 mile to the campground, which has picnic tables and fire rings (legal?) but no bear boxes, and is free. There are no signs except the elevation marker. The shaded creek trail is gorgeous with wildflowers. The downside is the campground is full of broken glass as if it is a party hangout.

yes, we have a permit so the backpackers campground sounds like the ticket. just doing a short hike to silver lake, taking a first timer. I've been backpacking for 45 years but have never done this hike before. my partner will be coming up from So Cal while I come from from the north so a good opportunity for a shuttle trip. anybody done this trip before? and thanks for all the advice.