Yosemite legal camping distance from trail and roads

[SSSdave]

During the pandemic, national parks have changed their wilderness programs significantly that opens up some new possibilities. Yosemite now has this trailhead quota map plus a current trailhead reservation status report:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/trailheads.htm

And this trailhead map:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ ... lheads.pdf

Sent in this following paragraph to YNP email questions:

In the past each wilderness permit station had a set of zone maps showing trailheads, trails, and minimum distance from road camping distances that were marked off by a colored no camping zone. Along SR120 that was one mile except in popular areas like Tuolumne Meadows where the distance was 4 miles in places like down to Glen Aulin and there were some areas beyond a mile of any trails that were within no camping zones. The new online map is different as it just shows minimum colored arrow distances from trailheads along trails. Of course 95% of visitors only travel along trails. That may indicate a policy change with it now ok to camp anywhere beyond an air mile from roads as in SR120 plus an air mile from any of those new map colored arrow lines? Note over decades I have done several backpacks in Yosemite parking and starting out from non-trailhead spots and always provide a license plate number.

In 1988 I did a late May trip to a remote dome along Cathedral Creek northwest of Daff Dome. A significant late spring storm was forecast that I knew would not leave me stuck in snow because ground temps were already too warm. Well it began mid evening as a wet sleety storm that weighted my sagging tent down. The concerning issue was for awhile there was lightning and I was not in the wisest location on the side of a dome. It then snowed 11 inches with temperatures at sunrise at 15F degrees with my tent a frozen ice slag. I got up dressed in my resort ski clothing and Sorrels, tramped around that morning that was an amazing experience. But when the park began using the zone maps, that area was nowhere close to legal camping. Am now looking into backpacking into that same zone as a one-nighter using the caltopo ruler measurements to ensure a legal 1.0+ mile distance. Another near cliff edge location I want to do now that looks ok is down below Olmstead Point with single frame views including Watkins, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome together. Those and more under 1 to 2 mile from road locations I've figured out are waterless beyond late June most years so there are limited windows when backpacking camping is doable. Also it is aesthetic photographically to still have some snow in areas and water coming down like will be the case for Clouds Rest after the highway opens soon. Of course shooting the great Clouds Rest chasm is best just as sunrise hits the top of Half Dome with the rest under nice diffuse skylight one can just roll out of a nearby tent from instead of stumbling about from a road off trail with a headlamp in dim early dawn.

[giantbrookie]

I looked over all of this a couple of weeks ago when I did my Hetch Hetchy (Beehive) permit. One thing that has changed(?)-- or perhaps folks can correct me if my memory is faulty-- is I don't see a "Nelson Lake" entry. I'm pretty sure they had that as a quota entry point as recently as 2014 when I went out of Dana Mdws for the 3-day trip I called "Yosemite Inside Out" (day 1 to Lost Lakes, day 2 to Algers via Crest Creek L, day 3 back to trailhead via Parker Pass with Kuna and Koip short peak bags en route). I remember thinking about the Nelson entry point, going in by way of Johnson Peak Lake or thereabouts, for future planing, but now I don't see it anymore, which means that such a route plan would get lumped into one of the more popular trailheads.

Another aspect about Yosemite wilderness permits that I'm not sure about the chronology for is the quota period. Back in ancient times the quota period began Memorial Day weekend, but I guess they now have quotas in place really early?

[RollingTree]

I could be wrong about any of the following, but I believe the YOS trailhead map w/ "min camp distance arrows" have been existing for several years at the very least, and have always been intended for clarity/simplicity for the more typical "trail only" hiker only as a more specific addendum/addition to the more comprehensive YOS "no camp zone" map that Nat Geo produces showing those areas in pink, including some, but not all no camping area restrictions (1 mile from road is not indicated in all cases for example). It seemed like the wilderness centers/permit stations referred to those NG maps as official (usually under the glass of the counter if I remember correctly).
- The TM no camping zone per the NG map reaches all the way West to just short of McGee Lake, (at least per my rather old one).
- I believe that "off trail" "trailheads" like "Nelson Lake" have typically never been shown explicitly on park reference material, but you will find them as an option if you ask or make reservations.

[lvray]

They have removed both Nelson Lake and Budd Lake from the full trailhead report (they were both included on the report as recent as last year) but they are still reservable on the permit request form.

[balzaccom]

They have removed both Nelson Lake and Budd Lake from the full trailhead report (they were both included on the report as recent as last year) but they are still reservable on the permit request form.

Yep. And the recommended route to Nelson is via Elizabeth Lake, over the crest. In years past I have asked both about it and about the Budd Lake trailhead (To Echo Lake). In both cases I was told there was a specific route out of Tuolumne Meadows. For example, you "cannot" hike the Cathedral Lake section of the JMT and then head over to Echo Lake with that permit...you need to XC over/around Echo Peaks. And to get to Nelson, you need to go past Elizabeth Lake, not up Rafferty Creek and then over to Reymann and Nelson.

At least, that's what they tell you when you get your permit.

[SSSdave]

The map of the Cathedral Domes zone where I tented for a snow storm May 1988. Also once brought a group of engineers down and along the side of the two east of Cathedral Creek Domes 8403. That trip crossed the Falls Ridge where we viewed the violent falls and cascades from the west side of the river, not an easy accomplishment with reasonably high water levels. I've marked the one mile air distance from SR120. Places to camp discretely out of view that is easy atop the glaciated granite bedrock sand and plant fill spots.


(mouse select to enlarge)

CathedralCr-map.jpg

(mouse select to enlarge)

D87kDanaGE.jpg

[Lumbergh21]

I could be wrong about any of the following, but I believe the YOS trailhead map w/ "min camp distance arrows" have been existing for several years at the very least, and have always been intended for clarity/simplicity for the more typical "trail only" hiker only as a more specific addendum/addition to the more comprehensive YOS "no camp zone" map that Nat Geo produces showing those areas in pink, including some, but not all no camping area restrictions (1 mile from road is not indicated in all cases for example). It seemed like the wilderness centers/permit stations referred to those NG maps as official (usually under the glass of the counter if I remember correctly).

At least when I last looked a few months ago, they had maps showing no camping zones in the actual regs for Yosemite; however, those maps didn't include the area north of the Kuna Crest. In that case though, the actual words of the park regulations make it clear that camping at off trail locations like Kuna Lake is not allowed, as the entire drainage is designated as a no camping zone.

[wildhiker]

The Yosemite Park website has had all this information on trailhead quotas, trailhead maps, reservation status, and where you can legally camp for many, many years. Start at this page:
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm

That page has links to the list of trailhead quotas and the trailheads map that SSSDave mentioned. I have seen those online for at least 10 years. It also links to the trailheads report showing remaining available permits for each trailhead. That report is now maintained by the Yosemite Conservancy and is updated daily. But I do find it annoying that you have to select each trailhead one by one to see availability. The old report created by the Park Service had less information (it just showed which days were fully reserved, not how many permits were left on each day), but it included all trailheads on a single page that could be easily scanned. This trailheads report can be accessed directly at:
https://yosemite.org/wildtrails/report

Ivray states that "they have removed both Nelson Lake and Budd Lake from the full trailhead report..." Not so. You can see permit availability for both trailheads on the Yosemite Conservancy page linked above (look for Budd Creek, not Budd Lake). What is true is that, for at least the last decade, the Park Service has NOT shown the Budd Creek and Nelson Lake quotas on the trailhead quota list, nor has it shown either of those trailheads on its official Wilderness Trailheads map. I think this is because neither one is accessible from a maintained trail. You can see availability and reserve permits, but you have to be "in the know" already. If you have looked at the availability report enough times, you can infer the quotas for these two "incognito" trailheads from the 60-40 rule: 60% of quota reservable 24 weeks in advance, 40% walkup (in normal years - now reservable 2 weeks in advance because of COVID-19). Based on that, Budd Creek has a total quota 3 reservable in advance and 2 walkup, and Nelson Lake has a total quota of 9 reservable in advance and 6 walkup.

giantbrookie wondered about the dates of the trailhead quota period in Yosemite. There are no dates. Quotas exist year-round. But permits are all walkup (in some areas, self-service) in the winter. They basically don't get enough use in the winter to worry about exceeding quotas. Reservable permits start on April 30. This is explained on the main Wilderness Permits web page (link above).

In my experience backpacking in Yosemite, all wilderness trips must be assigned to one of the official trailhead quotas, even if you enter off-trail. For example, heading off trail from Tenaya Lake up to Mildred Lake, you must get a permit under the Sunrise Lakes trailhead quota. 30 years ago, I was able to talk the rangers into giving me permits for off-trail destinations without having to fit into a normal trailhead quota. But that doesn't happen anymore.

As for all the confusion about minimum camp distance from each trailhead, the Wilderness Regulations website explains all the rules at
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildregs.htm
I have also seen the maps at the counter showing no-camping zones, not just the little arrows on the trails showing minimum distance along each trail. The zones apply (such as at least one mile from a road) even for cross-country destinations. Last month, I found a version of this no-camp zones map online done as a Caltopo map. I can't find the link anymore, but I did export the map into a GeoJSON file, which can be imported back into Caltopo (I wanted to import it into my main Caltopo Sierra trails map that I maintain for my own use). Send me a PM if you want a copy.

-Phil

[lvray]

Ivray states that "they have removed both Nelson Lake and Budd Lake from the full trailhead report..." Not so. You can see permit availability for both trailheads on the Yosemite Conservancy page linked above (look for Budd Creek, not Budd Lake). What is true is that, for at least the last decade, the Park Service has NOT shown the Budd Creek and Nelson Lake quotas on the trailhead quota list, nor has it shown either of those trailheads on its official Wilderness Trailheads map. I think this is because neither one is accessible from a maintained trail. You can see availability and reserve permits, but you have to be "in the know" already. If you have looked at the availability report enough times, you can infer the quotas for these two "incognito" trailheads from the 60-40 rule: 60% of quota reservable 24 weeks in advance, 40% walkup (in normal years - now reservable 2 weeks in advance because of COVID-19). Based on that, Budd Creek has a total quota 3 reservable in advance and 2 walkup, and Nelson Lake has a total quota of 9 reservable in advance and 6 walkup.

They are there now - sometimes. There seems to be an issue with the site loading. I can load the list and all trails are listed and then I refresh the page and get an appreciated list of trails. Refresh again and they are back. This is happening for all regions. Perhaps a caching issue or I looked when they were updating the page. Odd.

[Enigmagic]

here is an unofficial map showing the no camping zones. I believe it was put together by the Yosemite Conservancy but I don't know for sure.

https://caltopo.com/m/SMRD